That Night √

1» that moment

When we were younger, we fought about our heights a lot. I still did.

Luca casually draped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me a little closer. Best friends usually did that, I reminded myself when my heart skipped a tiny beat. Almost everyone in our high school knew we'd been best friends from way back. Even the seniors knew that since Luca was in the soccer team and dragged me along anywhere he went.

"Hey, there's a party at Parker's house today. Will you be going?" He asked me.

"I thought you were done with parties?"

"Emily's gonna be there." His words came out in a rush, to my surprise, and I spared him a glance. He was looking straight ahead. Perhaps I shouldn't have felt like an idiot when he said that. Emily was someone Luca had been having a crush on since we started high school--this year. And it was a pretty...big crush, I must admit. I would know. Since I was his best friend.

Then why did it always make me feel a little awful whenever he brought Emily up? The kind of awful when you eat something bad and your insides want to curl up in agony.

"I don't know. Maybe." I replied softly. I didn't exactly know what would be happening once I headed back home. I still didn't know what Mum had meant by those words last night. Part of me knew something was bound to change.

"Okay." Was all he said before turning his face towards me and placing a quick kiss on the top of my head. My eyes closed shut on instinct like every single time. As if that mere kiss meant so much.

As if that only kiss was rooting me to this world.

•••••

"Wasn't I pretty clear last night when I came up into your room?" Mum asked, placing a dish of salad beside the homemade pasta.

I saw Jack coming downstairs and sliding into the chair beside mine. His blond hair, darker than mine, was almost in his eyes. I pushed them back affectionately and he scrunched up his nose at me.

Jack was ten, while I was fifteen--almost sixteen next month.

"I think I was." Mum pulled out a chair and sat down as well. Just the three of us. No Papa.

"Clear about what?" Jack asked, looking up at Mum. I looked at her too, slowly realizing that she hadn't told him yet.

"We need to move to Manhattan." She didn't look up from her plate as she filled it up. "Tomorrow morning."

"Tomorrow?" It was my voice that rose in surprise. In shock. In horror.

Jack looked at me in surprise.

"Yes, Grace." I could see her clenched jaw but her voice sounded calm. She was keeping it together for us all.

"But why?" Thankfully Jack asked the question I was yearning to ask. I couldn't have when words were suddenly stuck in my throat.

"Your dad needs us there." She looked at him with gentle eyes. "He needs us to be there."

"But we have everyone here." I heard my voice breaking a little. My insides stiffened up immediately. I hated this. I will not cry.

"We do, Gracie. And we wouldn't be staying there forever." Mum reassured me. "Just for a few months. Maybe a year. It's important."

"I'm...I'm not going anywhere." I slowly shook my head, determined. I had lived here in this house for as long as I could remember. How was I supposed to leave this place? How was I supposed to leave Luca?