Page 65 of Truly

CHAPTER 20

Laina

“What in the almighty is happening?”Maggie Marshall clutches her chest, her jaw hanging on the floor. “Laina Kelley. Is that you, honey?”

I shrug, giggling. “It’s me. Ta-da!”

“What?Luke? What the … Oh, the hell with it.” She rushes toward me with her arms spread wide. “Get over here and hug an old woman, will ya?”

Luke laughs as Maggie all but envelops me in her arms.

“Lonnie, get in here,” she shouts, nearly taking out my eardrums. “We have company!”

“It is so good to see you, sweetheart,” she says, pulling away. Her eyes are the same color as Luke’s. “Let me get a look at you. You’re just as pretty as a picture.”

“It’s good to see you, too, Maggie. How have you been?”

“I’ve been wonderful. Kate moved back, Chase got married, and you are here.” She laughs in disbelief. “Why didn’t someone tell me you were still in town?”

My stomach twists, and I look at Luke. I’m not sure what to say.Do I bring up the wedding fiasco? Or do we slide over it and pretend it didn’t happen?This would’ve been a great thing to consider before we were in the moment.

“No,” Maggie says, smacking my arms. “Don’t do that.”

“Don’t do what?” I ask, my nerves bouncing around like kangaroos.

She glances at Luke, then at me. “I’m going to take the blanket off the baby. Or I should really saytake the veil off the bride.” She waits for a reaction, but I’m unsure what to give her. “It’s a joke. I was kidding.”

“Too soon, Mom. Too soon,” Luke says.

“Anyway,” Maggie says, “all joking aside, we’re not going to dance around what happened. You were supposed to get married. You didn’t. It happens to a lot of people. Now let’s move on.”

My shoulders sag. I’m so relieved that I could cry.

“What are you hollerin’ about in here?” Lonnie asks, coming into the room. He stops in his tracks when he sees me. “Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?”

“Hi, Lonnie,” I say, grinning.

He comes to me and pulls me in for a one-arm hug. “How have you been, sweetheart?”

“I’m good. What about you?”

“Oh, I’m doing about the same as I always am. Taking orders from Maggie and Kate and shoving off what I can on my boys.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” Luke mumbles.

Maggie rolls her eyes. “I’m embarrassed that I made a meatloaf for dinner.”

“Why would that embarrass you?” I ask.

“Because you’re here. I need to woo you so you come back more often.” She motions for me to follow her. “Now, come in here and help me mash these potatoes.”

My heart is so full it nearly overflows.

It feels so good to be among these people and treated like any other person in the world. I’m instructed to mash the potatoes and corrected when I don’t add enough salt. I’m quizzed not on which celebrities I’ve seen lately or about the songs on my albums but on if I take vitamins and what books I’ve read.

Refreshing doesn’t begin to cut it. This is … wholesome. There’s no guilt for hurting their son. No anger for not calling. No snide comments to make me feel like a jerk. All that’s here is love and forgiveness. It’s family.

It’s a home.