Page 14

Rain

MacAllister Siblings Chat

River : Anyone know where Rain is?

Miles : I thought you were the one following her around.

River: Har, har. You think you’re funny, huh? I simply care about you all.

Ruin : I haven’t seen her but she texted me. She’s fine. You know how sometimes she likes to disconnect to decompress.

I fucking love my sister. Always standing up for me.

Miles: Oh, that’s right. The two of you have that twin sense. If your twin sensor isn’t tingling, I’m sure Rain is fine.

Miles : See? Nothing to worry about, big bro.

Merlin : What the heck is all this messaging? Some of us are trying to rest before a match. *Setting the phone to Do Not Disturb Mode.*

Miles : So sorry, superstar! We’ll make sure to exclude you from family matters next time.

Merlin : Grow up, Miles! *sticking tongue out emoji*

Miles : And be boring like River? Never! #TooBlessedToBeStressed

River : The two of you, keep me out of that childish conversation.

Miles : Yes, Dad. *Elderly man emoji*

River : @Ruin do you know if the hockey player is at Serene Lookout?

Miles : Ohhhh, the plot thickens. There’s a man in the picture. I repeat, there’s a man in the picture.

River : If you’re not going to be helpful, kindly get the fuck off this chat, Miles. *kiss emoji*

Merlin : The old man’s got jokes. *laughing emoji*

Merlin : You’re cooked, Miles. *laughing emoji*

Ruin : I mean, I assume he’s there, but patients are free to go out when they don’t have treatment or therapy scheduled.

River : I see… And can you vouch for him?

Ruin : The little I’ve been able to speak with him, yes. He’s a great guy.

River : Okay, thanks Ruin.

Ruin : Good luck at the match, wizard! *wizard emoji* *soccer ball emoji*

Merlin : *thumbs up emoji*

Damn.

I thought River was going to calm down after our conversation, but I guess I’ll have to keep him in the loop until he chills out.

I open the thread with my sister.

Rain : Hey, sis. How are my babies? I had a great weekend *wink emoji* Do you have time to chat today? Can’t wait to squeeze my favorite niece and nephew.

Ruin replies almost instantly.

Ruin : What did you do? *eyes emoji* I just saw Xander and he’s grinning from ear to ear. I was trying to give you space, but now I need all the details.

Rain : Yeah, well. A lady never tells. *manicure emoji*

I give her the same line she used on me when she first started dating her now-husband, and I was the one asking for all the juicy details. How the tables have turned.

Ruin : Ha! And here I thought I was the good twin? I guess I’ll have to ask Xander during our session.

She’s bluffing. She’s too professional to do something like that.

Rain : Good! That way, you can share with me what he says. *wink emoji*

Ruin : Bahaha, you’re incorrigible. I’ll meet you for lunch at the diner.

Rain : See you then.

Instead of calling Mama and Granny, I decide to stop by. I want them to see I’m okay with their own eyes. I’ll have to skip the gym and wait until tonight.

“Mama? Granny?” I call out as I step into my childhood home. The warm scent of cinnamon and clove hits me the moment I walk into the kitchen. Mama is at the stove, stirring a huge pot, while Granny hovers beside her like a general on a mission.

“Oh, sweetheart. You came,” Granny says, her arms open wide.

I lean down and hug her. “Hey, Granny. Are you okay?” I tuck a couple of stray hairs into her chignon.

“Okay? I’m fantastic. St. John’s Day is coming, and your mama and I are almost ready with the preparations.”

I give Mama a puzzled look. She just shrugs and keeps stirring.

Granny waves me off. “Oh, please. Don’t give me that look. We’ve celebrated St. John’s Day in the past.”

She pats my cheeks and returns to her post beside Mama.

“I simply wanted to stop by and make sure you both knew I’m alive and well,” I say, swiping a biscuit from the tray on the counter.

“Of course you’re okay,” Granny says with a scoff, her eyes still trained on the pot. “I told you—you were going to meet him.” Then she turns to me, a devilish grin on her beautiful, wrinkled face .

“What?” Mama asks, clearly intrigued. “Did I miss something?”

I’m about to brush it off, but Granny cuts in.

“Josephine, dear,” she says, patting Mama’s hand. “The other day at the diner, I noticed Rain was a little more down than usual, so I called her over to join me and asked her to draw a card.”

She waves her hand in circles on top of the pot and takes a deep inhale. “Let’s add the oranges and limes, dear.”

Mama grabs them without missing a beat.

“As I was saying,” Granny continues, “I asked her to draw a card, and she pulled the Lovers . The moment I turned it, I just knew a man worthy of our fierce and outspoken Rain would arrive in Azalea Creek soon.”

Mama looks at her, clearly torn between disbelief and curiosity.

Ouch. Does Mama think I’m not worthy of love?

Granny notices my reaction and tuts. “Don’t give me that look. You know I’m quite accurate with my readings.”

I stifle a laugh. Mama can make me cry and ask for forgiveness for something I didn’t do just with a single look, but even she folds when Granny lays down the mystical sass.

“So who’s this guy?” Mama asks, leaning closer to the pot for a sniff.

“Oh, I know,” Granny says with a little too much joy .

“You weren’t that happy when Ruin found Gio. What’s different this time?” I ask, a little flabbergasted by the contrast.

“Rain Melody,” she says, wiping her hands on her apron as she comes closer, “your sister always wanted to explore the world. We all knew that eventually she was going to meet her soulmate. Even after her accident, I was confident that they were going to find each other again. Their love is powerful.”

She looks at me with tenderness. “But you, my dear, you have always been more closed off. Always happy with what you have here. I was waiting for a great man to come to you . And boy, did he ever.”

A smile sneaks onto my face. Xander is amazing.

“But who is he?” Mama asks, now pouring a fragrant liquid from the pot through a strainer into a large bowl. “And how did you meet him, Granny?”

“At the diner,” she says with a wink. “He’s one of Ruin’s patients, and he’s quite the catch—if I say so myself.”

She wiggles her eyebrows. I burst into laughter, tilting back and nearly losing my balance. Even Mama laughs, quietly covering her mouth with the back of her hand.

“What?” Granny says, unfazed. “The fact that I’m old doesn’t mean I’m blind. Xander is chef’s kiss .”

She puckers her lips and brings three fingers together dramatically, kissing them with a dreamy look in her eyes. I completely lose it and collapse into a laughing heap on the floor .

Eventually, Mama and I wipe our eyes and catch our breath. I get up and pour us all some water.

“Okay, now I really have to see this Xander guy,” Mama says, pulling out her phone and her glasses. “And how come Ruin didn’t mention him to me?”.

“Here, Mama. No need to Google him,” I say, fishing my phone from my back pocket. I find the picture I took of Xander and me at the summit and hand it over.

“Ooh, la, la,” Mama exclaims, fanning herself. She squints closer. “And you said his name is Xander?”

I nod, hands in my back pockets. “Xander González. He plays for the Carolina Red Wolves in Raleigh.” Mama’s face shifts. She knows I don’t ever want to leave this town.

“We’re just talking. Having fun,” I say with a shrug, gently taking the phone back.

“There’s nothing wrong with that, dear. Just promise me to keep your heart open. Give it a real chance.”

She says it with that look—the one that means she’s worried, but she’ll respect whatever I decide to do.

“And bring him to the St. John’s Day gathering. I’d love to meet him,” she adds, placing a soft hand on my cheek. I lean into it.

“That’s right, dear. You have to open your heart, not just your legs,” Granny throws in.

Mama and I dissolve in a fit of laughter again.

Gosh, I love my family.