Page 62 of That Fake Feeling

Shedrains her glass too.Thenyawns. “Sorry.Itmight be timeIturned in.”

Myheart beats faster with a combination of excitement and embarrassment at the thought of walking upstairs together even though we’ll be entering separate bedrooms. “Yeah, let’s go.”

Iswitch off the lamps, grab our glasses, and wander to the other end of the room to leave them by the kitchen sink.

Iturn back asRosebends to blow out the candles, her skirt rising up the backs of her legs.

There’sa sudden awkwardness in the room, which is now lit only by the perfect crescent moon.

Wewalk in silence out to the foyer, side by side.Ourbare arms couldn’t be closer without touching.Aswe take the first step up the wide, sweeping staircase, we start talking at the same time.Thenboth stop.Thenboth let out an embarrassed laugh.

“Goahead,”Itell her.

Shepoints at all the pictures on the wall.Amixture of photos of us growing up and old sepia and black-and-white ones of this house thatDadgot from some local archive.

“Iwas just about to say how family photos up the stairs seems to be a bit of a tradition.”

“Yeah.Momloves doing this.Sheput together the ones for my house too.”

Takingthe first excuseIcan to touch her,Irest one hand on her upper arm asIpoint higher up the wall with the other.Herskin erupts in goosebumps under my fingers.

“That’sa particularly crazy one,”Iwhisper, trying not to disturb anyone sleeping above us. “Canyou see it?”Thephoto is barely illuminated.

Rosepresses closer to me and squints as she tries to focus. “Justabout.”

“Imust have been about ten.Wewere trying to form a human pyramid.That’sme andWalkeron the bottom.”

“Youneeded three on the bottom, really, for a pyramid,” she says, ever the teacher. “Three, then two, then one on top.”

“Yeah, well, there were only five of us, so we had to do two, two, and one.Elliotshould have been the one on top because he was the smallest.But, of course,Maxhad to go on top even though he was the biggest.”

“Doomedto failure,”Rosesays.

“Inevitably.AndDadsnapped it at just the perfect moment as we were all falling and shrieking.”

Sheputs a hand over her mouth to dampen her giggle. “It’sclassic.”

Silencefalls again as we make our way up the stairs.

Therehadn’t been a second of silence in the car on the way here, andI’dthought that would be the most difficult time to make conversation.Sowhy is the atmosphere more tense now that we’ve gotten to know each other much better these last few hours?Itshould be more comfortable, not less.

“WhatIwas going to say was thanks so much for coming,”Itell her as we reach our neighboring doors.

Sheshrugs. “It’skind of my job.”

“Huh.Yeah.Iguess that slipped my mind.”Christ,I’mas bad asMom, forgettingRoseis here because she has to be, not because she wants to be.

Shetwirls a strand of hair around and around her finger. “Thankyou for not making it feel like a job, though.”

“Itdoesn’t?”

“Nottoday,” she whispers.

Myheart beats faster, but the awkwardness has vanished. “Whatdid today feel like?”

Hergaze drops. “Likeyou were bringing me home to meet your amazing family and they were welcoming me with open arms.”

“That’sexactly what did happen.”