Luna’s eyes widened. “Love it! But I can’t believe there’s actually a Thai restaurant in Valentine Bay! Things have changed.”
“Oh, yeah,” Abby confirmed. It’s two blocks down, and it’s called Valen-Thai.”
“Clever,” Luna chuckled, and it felt good to laugh, even if it was at nothing but a pun-based restaurant name.
“Oh, wait until you see the menu,” Genevieve interjected. “If you think the most popular item isn’t Cu-Pad Thai, then you’re insane.”
This pulled a full-fledged laugh from Luna, and it felt so good for that moment, just to be walking and laughing with friends, not worried about the future and what it might hold.
When they sat down at the table, Luna said, “So, what’s been up with you guys? Tell me everything. I could use the distraction.”
“Forget that!” Genevieve cried. “I want to know what’s been happening with you. Specifically with Connor, and specifically since I sent you out to my backyard shed to talk to him while he worked on the car.”
“Wait, what now?!” Abby slapped her palms down on the table, leaning forward eagerly. “You’ve seen Connor? I want every detail.”
“Yes, yes, yes,” Ella agreed. “Nothing less than every dirty detail will do.”
Luna leaned back in her chair, laughing and shaking her head. “Oh my gosh, you guys. We just regressed to a cafeteria table at Val High. What is it about being back here and being around you guys that makes me feel like a teenager again?”
“Wait,” Gen piped up, “in the ‘I’m invincible and the world is my oyster’ kind of way, or the ‘I can’t get rid of this pimple, my homeroom teacher hates me and I forgot my locker combination’ kind of way?”
Luna considered. “Can I go with—some from column A and some from column B?”
“Yeah, it must be really confusing, being back here after all this time, seeing us, seeing Connor, your grandfather being sick...it’s a lot,” Ella said, patting her hand sympathetically.
“Thanks, El. It is a lot. But by all accounts, my grandfather is going to be okay. And I’m doing everything I can to hold onto that. I know that my main priority needs to be taking care of him, and supporting Grandma Grace.”
Genevieve gave her a sly half smile. “Buuuuut....”
Luna’s eyebrows shot up. “But what?”
Gen’s short bark of a laugh came at her in response. “Oh, look at you, the picture of innocence! You said you know that’s what your main priority needs to be. Not that it’s what your main priority is. So, tell me, Luna of the Valley. What is your actual main priority?”
The other two girls leaned forward eagerly and Luna couldn’t help but laugh. “Okay, you guys. Now you’re even using my high school nickname? Come on. You’re making it too easy to slip into gossip mode.”
“Exactly, because that’s what we’re trying to do!” Abby exclaimed, and they all laughed.
The waitress came over and took their orders, and as soon as she left, Ella said, “You might as well wipe that ‘Oh, thank goodness—saved by the bell!’ look off of your face because we can’t be side-tracked by a little thing like an interruption. Now, come on. Spill.”
Luna leaned back in her chair and sighed. It really did feel good, ironically, to be grilled by her old friends like this. It meant not only that they knew her well, but that they cared.
Her group of friends in San Francisco were really more like acquaintances. People to have a coffee with sometimes, or invite to a dinner party.
She thought, now, that maybe she’d kept them at a distance on purpose. That maybe the unresolved situation with Connor had always weighed on her mind. Because looking back at it now, she could see that she'd caused her own pain by never taking control of the situation. She’d let it happen to her, rather than making what she wanted happen.
She surrendered to a resigned smile and gave in. “Fine,” she said. “Thai food and gossiping about guys. What better welcome back to the group could there possibly be?"
Chapter 10
Connor
Connor walked down the hospital corridor, trying to be as stealth as he possibly could. He wasn’t sure he was allowed to visit on the holiday in the first place—but he had a pretty good idea that bringing in the turkey he had wrapped in foil and hidden in the duffel bag slung over his arm would be against the rules.
As weird as he felt about trying to stealthily sneak a full-size bird into a hospital room, though, it didn’t even come close to comparing to how bad he felt at the idea of Luna, Grace, and Serge having a solitary Thanksgiving in the hospital...not to mention their Thanksgiving dinner consisting of nothing but hospital food.
He reached the door to Serge’s room and knocked lightly as he stepped inside. He didn’t know exactly what he expected to see, but it was something along the lines of Luna and Grace huddled tearfully over a pale and weak Serge in the hospital bed, everyone barely hanging on and at the end of their rope.
That wasn’t what it was like at all.
Even before he was completely in the room, the sound of laughter hit him, which was a shock. It just didn’t seem to fit with the surroundings. Connor had been prepared for tears, but laughter threw him for a loop.
As he stepped through the door, all three of them turned to look at him. Luna’s face lit up when she laid eyes on him, which made his heart jump. He pushed his elation down as fast as he could manage.
Don’t get ahead of yourself, dude. You don’t know what she’s thinking. You don’t know what the future holds.
There was only so much he could control, though. His reaction to her was visceral, and always had been.
He lifted a hand in greeting. “Hey, there. How’s the patient?”
Grace rose up out of her seat and crossed the room to him in a few long strides, then wrapped him up in a warm and maternal hug.
Connor would’ve much rather it had been Luna who’d run over and thrown her arms around him, but a sweet hug from the lady that had been a second mom to him during his teenage years was a nice consolation prize.
“Aw, Connor, honey, aren’t you sweet, coming down to the hospital like this,” she said, drawing back and patting his cheek.
“Yeah, Connor. Thanks. It was sweet,” Luna agreed, and he noticed that a deep blush colored her cheeks. He felt a little hint of satisfaction at the sight. He liked knowing that he affected her, and every small reminder of that gave him a small thrill.
“Of course. And I didn’t come empty handed, either.”
He unzipped the duffel bag he carried and lifted the heavy, foil-wrapped turkey out by the disposable tray it sat in. The strong aroma filled the air and Connor’s stomach growled.
"Well, I guess you know it’s good. Or at least it smells good,” he laughed.
“Honey, did you cook that bird? What time did you get up this morning?” Grace exclaimed.
He shrugged, nonchalant. “About five.”
“That’s earlier than me, and I’m in the hospital,” Serge interjected as Connor set the tray containing the turkey on the table.
Grace patted him on the shoulder. “Go ahead over and visit, why don’t you? I’ll get this all ready to serve.”