Page 39 of Here in My Heart (Here Together #2)

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

A tap tap inside her skull wrenched Ade from another pleasant dream involving a half-naked Sylvie in the supply closet.

She protested the transition to waking state with a groan.

“What’s happening?” The incessant pounding was coming from directly behind.

Ade unstrapped herself from the airline seat and leaned over to meet the eyes of a small child, holding his index finger in a decisive point. “What are you pressing back there?”

“I’m so sorry.” His mother met Ade’s blurry gaze. “He’s playing a game on the screen.”

“Sure.” Ade took a deep, calming breath. “Could he play a little more gently?”

“Of course.”

Ade settled back in her chair. If she was going to make it through the next few lonely days, she needed maximum reserves of patience with other people.

Flying above the puffs of clouds soothed Ade’s racing heart. She’d long ago rationalized that airplanes were safe enough to endure, but it didn’t diminish the primal fear that seized her in the moments of take-off and landing.

In the next seat, Steph chugged another beer. “You sure you don’t want to start our birthday celebration yet?”

Ade shook her head, content to remain sober for another few hours before a boozy flavor of anxiety replaced her usual kind. “I don’t see why we need to have a whole weekend of drinking.”

“We’re a quarter century. Don’t be such a bummer,” Steph said. “Do you think Dad will just send a cab to pick us up from the airport? By the time we get to the hotel, it’ll be siesta time for those two.”

“Do they have a siesta in Morocco?” Ade questioned another of her sister’s throwaway cultural references.

“Whatever it is, Dad and Pops won’t make it through the afternoon without a nap.”

By the time they made it through customs, both their fathers were standing expectantly in arrivals, beaming with excitement and proving Steph’s assumptions wrong.

“Girls!” Their pops burst through the barrier, wrapping them both in his linen-clad arms. “I’ve missed you both.”

“Me too,” said their dad, exchanging kisses and hugs all round. “This is Aamir; he’s our driver for today.”

Steph and Ade exchanged a look, disapproving of their fathers’ privilege, and followed them through the revolving doors into a wall of heat. The North African breeze warmed Ade’s bones, and she rolled her shoulders. Maybe this was the break she needed from Europe’s wintry skies.

They clambered into Aamir’s SUV and set out onto the dusty highways, twisting and turning through the rust-colored landscape until they reached a settlement just north of Marrakesh.

“You sure splashed out on our birthday pad, guys,” Steph said, accepting Aamir’s hand as she stepped from the tall SUV.

Ade jumped out, creating a dust cloud which landed back on her boots. She squinted at the unassuming doorway.

Pops slipped his arm around her and squeezed. “Happy birthday weekend.”

“Thanks. You didn’t need to go to all this trouble.” She leaned against his chest.

“For my girls? Anything.” He grinned. “It didn’t take much to convince your dad to splurge.”

“Go on ahead,” said Pops, reaching for their weekend bags. “Behind that door is an oasis of luxury.”

Steph strode to the house, while Ade wandered through the inner courtyard until she came to a small swimming pool. “Do we have it all to ourselves?” she asked, her voice carrying though the lush gardens.

“Affirmative, honey. We have the whole place to relax and celebrate.” Her dad reclined on a nearby sun lounger, his hands behind his head. “So, tell me all your news. How’s work going?”

For the first time in as long as she could remember, she could answer her dad’s probing questions honestly and with her head held high. “You know, it’s going really well. I’m starting to get somewhere with the chaperone role, and it’s like the students are really opening up to me.”

Pops strolled into the courtyard, carrying a tray of ice cold drinks. “Sounds great. I knew you’d find your feet. Nate?” He passed her dad a tumbler. “Homemade lemonade?”

Ade accepted a glass and took a long, refreshing pull of the ice-cold sour liquid.

She dangled her bare feet in the cool water.

Zoning out from her folks, she traced the intricate pattern of the pool tile with her finger.

Its surface cooled her down and slowed her pulse.

Closing her eyes, she imagined leaning back against Sylvie’s chest, letting go of all her worries.

She pulled her cell from her pocket and scrolled to Sylvie’s name.

Her photo flashed up on the screen, sending a flutter of expectation through Ade’s chest.

“Hey, you,” Sylvie said, sounding further than usual.

“Hi. Just checking in.” Ade gave her dad a quick nod, and he shooed her pops into the riad.

“How was your journey?” asked Sylvie.

“The flight wasn’t too bad; it’s just a short hop. My dads have booked this amazing place. I wish you could see it.”

“Me too.” Sylvie sighed. “Bless them. I bet they’ve missed you.”

“Kind of.” Ade leaned back, catching a glimpse of her fathers’ embrace through a mosaic archway. “I think they’ve been enjoying their time on this trip.” Drawn into a meditative state by Sylvie’s breath, she closed her eyes. “I really miss you.”

“Me too. I’ve got all kinds of belated birthday fun planned though. ”

Ade could hear Sylvie’s smile down the phone line. “Oh, yeah? Care to share?”

“I couldn’t possibly. Not with your fathers in earshot.”

“Oh, they’ve got their own thing going on.” Ade giggled. “What d’you have in mind over there?”

“All will be revealed soon enough, Ms. Poole. Patience is a very attractive quality in a human.”

“It is? I can think of more attractive virtues.”

“Like what?”

“Kindness. Honesty. All the things I see in you every day.”

“Stop it. I’ve spent a few days being roasted by Elda and the gang. I’m not used to the compliments.”

“It’s true though.” Ade picked at the line of grout beside her thigh. “I do wish you were here. It’s warm. We could lay in the sun together.”

“I would like that.” Sylvie hummed. “Is it warm enough to take your clothes off?

Ade checked on her parents. “It sure is. In the right circumstances.”

“Tell me more,” Sylvie said.

The sun set on their first day in Morocco, and the path through the riad’s inner courtyard flickered with tea lights, each flame illuminating the way to the dining room.

Ade reluctantly wore something fancy, at her family’s request, and she fidgeted where the unfamiliar fabric scratched at her skin. The table was pretty lavish for the four of them: all candlesticks, goblets, and cutlery for every course imaginable.

Tiny plates of food arrived randomly, leaving Ade mesmerized and confused by the spectacle. She inspected the texture of each dish before she committed to the taste test, passing on more than a couple of dubious-looking plates .

“Try to lean into the experience, Ade,” her dad said, raising his eyebrow.

“Nate, we talked about this. Let her be.” Her pops sat tall in his chair, looking ready to defend her quirks. “She’s always had texture issues.”

“We paid a hefty price for the chef tonight. I don’t want Ade to miss out on all these culinary delights.”

“I’ll take her share,” Steph said, her mouth full of a puffy flatbread and to-die-for hummus. “Pass it my way.” She grinned, revealing trimmings of coriander between her teeth.

“I can’t quite believe it’s been twenty-five years since we brought you guys home in our old station wagon. You remember that, Sam?”

“How could I forget? Two car seats planted in our living room, and we both just looked at each other and said, ‘What now?’ Lucky we worked it out, hey, girls?” Her pops’ eyes glistened with the memory. “Feels like yesterday.”

“And a thousand years ago,” said her dad.

They held hands. “All at once. How is that even possible?”

“Stop being so sentimental, you guys.” Steph scoffed. “This is a celebration.”

“Actually, it’s not our birthday till tomorrow,” Ade said.

“But it’s our birthday eve, spoilsport. Time to get the party started.” Steph plugged her cell into the portable speaker and scrolled to her playlist.

Her dad chuckled and looked at Ade. “Made any more plans yet?”

“For what?”

“Long-term job prospects. Plans for when you get home.”

Ade shrugged, not wanting to get into that. “I told you about that opening at the marine center.”

“What does that mean? Staying in France?” he asked.

“Maybe.” Ade dug her nails into her palm. “You know, you could just give me a break for the next few days. We could enjoy ourselves without scrutinizing my prospects.” She dipped her head.

Her pops shook his head. “She’s right, Nate.”

“Why would you want to stay in France? You’re better off at home.”

Steph strolled back into the room holding a half-eaten carrot stick. “Because of Sylvie, of course. K-I-S-S-I-N?—”

“Can you just shut up!” Ade pushed her chair back, and the legs screeched against the tiles.

“Girls, you may be twenty-five tomorrow, but you’re acting like you’re seventeen. Sit down, and we can talk about this.” Pops rested a hand on Ade’s shoulder. “Stephanie, take your place at the table and stop embarrassing yourself in front of the nice people who are waiting on us right now.”

“So you want to extend your stay in the south of France because of Sylvie, huh?” Their dad picked up his line of questioning with a scratch of his head.

“I’ve been mulling it over, yeah.” Ade inhaled, preparing herself for the onslaught of questions. “I’m serious about our?—”

“Relationship?” their Dad asked, the angle of his brow softening. “I liked her a lot. The question is, do you like her enough to put the brakes on the rest of your life?”

“Would it be putting the brakes on though, Dad?” Ade asked.

“Sounds more like taking the training wheels off from where I’m sitting.” Steph guffawed into her baba ghanoush.

“Stephanie, please. I’m trying to have a serious talk with your sister.” Dad frowned. “You think Sylvie feels the same? I mean, would she welcome you sticking around?”

Ade imagined the weight of Sylvie’s head resting against her chest. “I think so. We’ve talked about it.” Ade fudged the fact that she and Sylvie had talked about her going home rather than staying.

“Your dad and I will support you no matter what happens, honey.”

Her fathers’ eyes met, a deep understanding, built across the decades they’d spent together, passed across the busy dining table.

“Pops is right. If you think Sylvie is worth hanging around for, you should stay. We’ll make it work.” He smiled, a glint in his eye betraying the depth of his love for everyone at the table. “First things first: you need to work out how to extend your work visa.”

“Does this mean I don’t have to rush home either?” Steph threw an olive in the air and caught it between her teeth.

“Stop fooling around. You’re coming back to start your nursing internship by this summer. No excuses.”

Steph folded her arms. “But what if I find the love of my life in some mysterious European town, and I fall head over heels?”

“We can talk about it when it happens. In the meantime, your flights are booked.” Dad raised his glass. “To family. Happy birthday to our baby girls.”

Ade joined in with the toast, grateful for his U-turn, but his blessing was only part of the solution.

The bigger challenges were how she’d secure a job after this academic year and whether Sylvie would welcome her staying in France.

One thing was for sure: she couldn’t wait to tell her.

Maybe she was ready to plant roots somewhere other than her dads’ backyard after all.