Page 106 of Touch the Sky

They’re the same lights from when my cousin lived in the back. They make the same shape on the lawn. They glow just as bright as they did then, but for some reason, the sight of them never warmed me up inside like they do now.

“Yeah. Okay. They are special,” I admit. “Both of them.”

Mamanclears her throat.

“You know, if Tess isveryspecial to you, then?—”

“She’s not.”

My voice echoes in the yard.Maman’s eyebrows leap up her forehead.

“I mean, not like that,” I add, my heart racing even faster now. “We’re not…I mean, we don’t…”

I flap my arms around to try and showMamanjust how ridiculous she’s being.

“She’s just a good fit here, like you said. Stop making it weird, okay?”

She lifts her hands in surrender.

“Okay, okay. I’m just saying, I wouldn’t want it to seem like we’re taking advantage of Tess. She already does a lot. If you want her to help with a boarding business, I think she should be more than an employee.”

She gives me a knowing look, but I have no idea what I’m supposed to be knowing.

“I think she should be your partner.”

I jerk back like she’s just shouted at me.

“My partner?” I yelp.

I know she doesn’t mean it likethat, but it still takes me a few seconds to calm down enough to realize she’s not telling me I should walk up to Tess’s door and propose marriage or something.

“Yes,” she says, while shooting me some side-eye. “Like you, Madeleine, and Natalie at the inn. You are equals. You make decisions together. I think maybe Tess is the right person to help us make decisions here.”

I can’t stop my eyes from bugging out of my head, and all I manage to say is, “Oh.”

Mamantakes a couple steps over to the front of the porch and wraps her hand around the banister.

“I know it hasn’t been long, but I trust her. I trust her enough to give her a chance with this, if she wants to take it.” She pauses and looks over her shoulder at me. “Do you?”

Until about five minutes ago, I wasn’t even sure about theideaof a boarding business, and now we’re acting like it’s a done deal and we’ll be asking Tess to sign a contract tomorrow morning.

“It’s, uh, a lot to think about.”

Mamanmotions for me to come to her. When I reach her side, she gives my shoulder a squeeze.

“I know,ma belle. It is a lot. Maybe weshouldthink about it, though. Maybe this is a chance we shouldn’t miss.”

She gives me another squeeze, and I wonder if she’d be saying the same thing if she knew what Tess and I have been up to and how many lines we’ve crossed.

This situation would only add new lines. Even asking Tess about it would add new lines.

I wonder how many lines you can draw between two people before they get too thick to break through.

All of a sudden, a wave of overwhelm rocks through me, so strong and fast my legs tremble like I’m getting pulled into water way over my head.

This is too much.

This is all way too much for tonight.