“That’s amazing,” Olivia says. “You’re lucky to have such strong friendships.”
“Yeah,” I say. “Hopefully the rest of our trip goes a bit smoother.”
For the next few seconds, we sit in a silence that should be awkward but feels strangely comfortable.
“So. How far is Dripping Springs from Dallas?” I finally ask her.
She laughs and says, “You really did your homework, didn’t you?”
“We did a little stalking, yes,” I say, feeling sheepish. “Sorry about that.”
“That’s okay,” she says. “I get it, under the circumstances.”
“Gosh. I wish we had gone to see you first,” I say.
“Yeah. I wish you had, too,” she says. “But if it makes you feel better, I’m actually out of the country right now. So I’m glad you didn’t drive all that way.”
“Are you in a tennis tournament?” I ask.
She laughs and says, “Excellent research. But no. I’m training with a new coach for a few months in Italy.”
“You’re in Italy?” I bolt up off the bench, then begin to pace excitedly around the courtyard.
“Yeah.”
“You’ll never guess where Tyson, Lainey, and I are going from here.”
“No fucking way,” she says, reminding me of Lainey with her casual F-bomb.
“Yes way!” I say, grinning into the phone. “We’re going to Capri. Where are you?”
“Northern Italy. In a little town called Bordighera. It’s on the coast near the French border.”
“Is that close to Capri?”
“Not that close. But nothing is that far apart in Italy, either. Maybe we could meet up?”
The wheels in my head start turning, but I catch myself and slow down. “I wish we could. But today was really bad. I don’t think Lainey would go for that. Not at this point, anyway.”
“Oh. Okay,” Olivia says. “So I take it she doesn’t know you’re calling me?”
“Correct,” I say.
“Would she be upset with you?”
“Yes. Probably. She really hates your father,” I say, realizing that there are nuances I haven’t explained, including that Lainey’s mother has passed away.
“Well, it’s hard to blame her for that,” Olivia says.
“How do you feel about him?” I ask.
“I love him. I love both my parents. But they’re problematic. I had to take a break from my whole family.”
“I get that.”
“Maybe you could tell Lainey that? It might make her feel better.”
“Maybe. I just need to think things through a bit,” I say, my mind racing. “Could I do that and reach out again?”
“Of course,” she says. “Anytime.”
“Thank you,” I say, feeling a rush of unexpected affection for this woman on the phone. Lainey’s sister.
—
When I get back to our room, Lainey is passed out on the bed, snoring with her mouth wide open, while Tyson sits a few feet away from her, reading a book. I ask him if we can talk, then lead him out to the hallway.
“You’ll never believe what just happened,” I say, then quickly tell him the whole story, right down to Olivia being in Italy. “Maybe Lainey would want to see her?”
He grimaces, then says, “Hannah, no. I don’t think this is a good idea.”
“But she’s so nice,” I say. “She’s nothing like Ashley. I really think Lainey would like her.”
“Maybe down the road. Way down. But for now, I really think we need to respect her feelings,” Tyson says. “If we tell her that her other sister is in Italy, she’ll lose her mind and go back to New York.”
I start to protest, but Tyson cuts me off. “Look, Han. I know your heart is in the right place, but trust me, we need to put a pin in this sister stuff.”
I sigh and nod. “You’re probably right,” I say, thinking of how my fairy-tale notions of love and family have contributed to my own problems, and wondering when I’ll ever learn.
Chapter 12
Lainey
Twenty-four hours later, we are boarding our flight to Rome. Our seats, booked late last night, are in the very back of the plane. But at least we got three together. As we approach our row, I call dibs on the window seat, feeling certain Hannah will give it to me despite my assigned middle seat.
Sure enough, she shrugs, declaring the middle seat “cozy.” She’s normally accommodating, but this is over the top even for her. Everyone hates the middle seat, especially on an international flight. I figure she must be feeling really guilty about the scene at my sister’s house.
As we settle into our seats, she kicks off her sneakers and puts on a pair of fuzzy socks. “I can’t believe we pulled this off,” she says with a contented sigh. “A trip to Italy! It feels like a dream.”
“I know,” Tyson says, almost smiling.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been this excited,” Hannah says.
“Well, that’s a telling statement,” I say. “I wish Grady could hear you say that.”
“Facts,” Tyson says with a nod.
“C’mon, y’all. If you’re talking about getting engaged, that was sort of a given after all those years,” she says. “Almost more of a relief than anything else. This is so…spontaneous.”
