the
perfect family should be that you’ve never agreed with. You’ve never
wanted to pretend to be someone that you’re not. I’ve always loved that
about you.”
I
sigh.
“It’s
so good to hear you say that,” I admit to her. “Gavin tells me that I
should just fall into rank and do what I’m told because it’s easier that
way. And he should know- he’s in the same position as me. But it
doesn’t feel right. I don’t want to try and change who I am just to fit
an image. But apparently, that’s sort of exactly what I was doing
before. It seems that I was deliberately going out of my way to be the
opposite of what my parents wanted me to be. I don’t really want to do
that either. I just want to figure out who I really am and be that.”
Reece
is looking at me sympathetically and I don’t like that.
“Don’t
feel sorry for me,” I tell her. “Please. I seriously hate that.”
She
tightens up her expression and leans over to give me a hug.
“In
that case,” she answers. “I’m glad to see you. Get your butt out of
bed. We’ve got things to do and people to scare.”
I
laugh and she smirks.
“That’s
something you would have said once upon a time,” she tells me. I
grin.
“Well,
then, let’s go scare some people.”
I
get dressed and Reece and I go downstairs for breakfast. When we walk
into the kitchen, Dante and Quinn are lounging at the table with freshly
squeezed orange juice.
Together.
Which
seems odd to me.
Quinn
grins lazily at me and I fight the urge to dive into his lap and rub up against
him like a cat. That might not go over so well, so I restrain
myself.
Dante
turns and his entire face lights up when he sees me.
“Mia!”
he says happily.
He
gets to his feet and I look him over. Yes, he’s exactly as I thought he
would be…like a fashion model. He’s wearing khaki slacks and a button-up
shirt with rolled up sleeves. The very picture of casual elegance.
But he’s sexy as hell with that dimple in his chin and his sparkling
eyes. I smile and he hugs me.
“It’s
good to see you,” he tells me quietly. “I’ve been so worried about you
ever since I heard.”
“It’s
good to see you too,” I tell him. “I don’t remember you right now, but
I’m hoping that I will soon.”
“You
will,” he tells me confidently. “I have faith in that. Everything will be
fine.”
Dante
has an air of calm around him that is contagious. I feel comforted by his
presence, like all will be well because he says it will be. I like
that.
He
pushes out the chair next to him for me and Reece sits next to Quinn. I
can tell that there is no animosity there at all, they’re as comfortable as old
friends can be. And Dante is perfectly secure with their
relationship. As he should be. It’s apparent to anyone in a five mile
radius that Reece is completely in love with him. Any thoughts she ever
had about Quinn are long gone.
“How
long are you home for?” I ask as I nibble on a fresh croissant. Dante
shrugs elegantly.
“We
don’t really know yet,” he answers. “As soon as we heard about the quake,
we knew that we needed to come and help with the cleanup, especially when we
heard about you. We talked my dad into it and here we are. But I
don’t know how long he’ll let us stay.”
“How
can you miss school in America?” I ask curiously. Dante shrugs again.
“If
we’re here too long, we’ll just finish out the year here. I’m not that worried
about it.”
I
know that Old Mia would be very happy to hear this. And I’m sure that New
Mia will be too. Eventually. Soon.
Stupid
vague words.
“Reece
and I have to go see my father this morning,” Dante tells us. “But this
afternoon, we’ve volunteered to help with a clean-up effort in town.
Would you like to join us?”
“Of
course,” I say. Quinn is nodding too.
“I’d
be happy to,” Quinn says. He meets my
perfect family should be that you’ve never agreed with. You’ve never
wanted to pretend to be someone that you’re not. I’ve always loved that
about you.”
I
sigh.
“It’s
so good to hear you say that,” I admit to her. “Gavin tells me that I
should just fall into rank and do what I’m told because it’s easier that
way. And he should know- he’s in the same position as me. But it
doesn’t feel right. I don’t want to try and change who I am just to fit
an image. But apparently, that’s sort of exactly what I was doing
before. It seems that I was deliberately going out of my way to be the
opposite of what my parents wanted me to be. I don’t really want to do
that either. I just want to figure out who I really am and be that.”
Reece
is looking at me sympathetically and I don’t like that.
“Don’t
feel sorry for me,” I tell her. “Please. I seriously hate that.”
She
tightens up her expression and leans over to give me a hug.
“In
that case,” she answers. “I’m glad to see you. Get your butt out of
bed. We’ve got things to do and people to scare.”
I
laugh and she smirks.
“That’s
something you would have said once upon a time,” she tells me. I
grin.
“Well,
then, let’s go scare some people.”
I
get dressed and Reece and I go downstairs for breakfast. When we walk
into the kitchen, Dante and Quinn are lounging at the table with freshly
squeezed orange juice.
Together.
Which
seems odd to me.
Quinn
grins lazily at me and I fight the urge to dive into his lap and rub up against
him like a cat. That might not go over so well, so I restrain
myself.
Dante
turns and his entire face lights up when he sees me.
“Mia!”
he says happily.
He
gets to his feet and I look him over. Yes, he’s exactly as I thought he
would be…like a fashion model. He’s wearing khaki slacks and a button-up
shirt with rolled up sleeves. The very picture of casual elegance.
But he’s sexy as hell with that dimple in his chin and his sparkling
eyes. I smile and he hugs me.
“It’s
good to see you,” he tells me quietly. “I’ve been so worried about you
ever since I heard.”
“It’s
good to see you too,” I tell him. “I don’t remember you right now, but
I’m hoping that I will soon.”
“You
will,” he tells me confidently. “I have faith in that. Everything will be
fine.”
Dante
has an air of calm around him that is contagious. I feel comforted by his
presence, like all will be well because he says it will be. I like
that.
He
pushes out the chair next to him for me and Reece sits next to Quinn. I
can tell that there is no animosity there at all, they’re as comfortable as old
friends can be. And Dante is perfectly secure with their
relationship. As he should be. It’s apparent to anyone in a five mile
radius that Reece is completely in love with him. Any thoughts she ever
had about Quinn are long gone.
“How
long are you home for?” I ask as I nibble on a fresh croissant. Dante
shrugs elegantly.
“We
don’t really know yet,” he answers. “As soon as we heard about the quake,
we knew that we needed to come and help with the cleanup, especially when we
heard about you. We talked my dad into it and here we are. But I
don’t know how long he’ll let us stay.”
“How
can you miss school in America?” I ask curiously. Dante shrugs again.
“If
we’re here too long, we’ll just finish out the year here. I’m not that worried
about it.”
I
know that Old Mia would be very happy to hear this. And I’m sure that New
Mia will be too. Eventually. Soon.
Stupid
vague words.
“Reece
and I have to go see my father this morning,” Dante tells us. “But this
afternoon, we’ve volunteered to help with a clean-up effort in town.
Would you like to join us?”
“Of
course,” I say. Quinn is nodding too.
“I’d
be happy to,” Quinn says. He meets my
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