"I'm gonna kill myself."
"Everleigh, shut up."
"No, I think she's onto something."
Everleigh had well established herself as a wedding hater. Florence had invited her to the food tasting under the idea that she was the maid of honour and Roman couldn't make it. Fine. She supposed that's what she was there for.
But Roman was there. So why the hell was she looking at venues with them? The theme was rustic. Any venue with exposed wood on the ceiling fit the bill if they put some fairy lights up. Honestly. It shouldn't have been a three person job—four if she included Navi.
The papoose was worse than anything else. Everleigh acknowledged that Florence had carried Navi for forty weeks inside her. But it was exhausting carry a wiggling child on her chest. That should've been her wedding gift to them. Carrying Navi for the day.
"You have to be interested," Florence said. "Leigh, admittedly, does not."
"Fuck," Roman muttered, adjusting his grip on the diaper bag strap slung across his chest.
Everleigh smirked.
"And for the record, you started this entire thing," Florence said. "So smarten up."
"How?" Roman asked. Like an idiot. Everleigh swatted his shoulder because Florence wasn't allowed to legally. Roman nearly swatted her back and probably would've if she wasn't holding his daughter.
Florence rolled her eyes. "By asking me to marry you, you bonehead."
"Ooo, romantic," Everleigh said.
"Careful," Roman said. "I'll snitch to mom and dad that you're dating Maverick."
"You wouldn't."
"You know he would, Leigh," Florence said. Done with the both of them.
"I'm not babysitting for free if you tell mum and dad."
"You're not babysitting, you're carrying."
"Do you want to hold—"
"No," Roman said. "I'm fucking exhausted. Fuck off."
"Language, Roman," Florence said. "Come on."
"Sorry." Roman flipped Everleigh off while Florence wasn't looking. Everleigh swatted him, a crisp slap ringing in the streets.
Florence shot them a look. "Can you two behave?"
"He started it."
"Act your own age, Leigh."
"Yeah, Leigh."
"You too, Rome."
"Shit."
"Roman." Florence ran a hand down her face. "You think the baby's exhausting?"
Everleigh laughed. "We all know Roman's a thousand times more exhausting."
"You're such a—"
"Roman."
"Twit."
"Good one, Roman." Everleigh laughed. "I'm so hurt."
"I'm absolutely snitching on you next time I see mom and dad," Roman said. "You deserve it."
"Nobody deserves that," Florence said. "Remember when they found out about us?"
"I think I was interrogated for hours," Roman admitted. "
"And we were together longer than them."
"Fine. Only because I like Maverick," Roman said. "And because Leigh got Brendon Ellis to say happy birthday to me."
"And Stevie," Everleigh said.
"I didn't make Navi's middle name Stevie—" Roman said.
"God, I thought you promised to never bring that up if I let you," Florence said. "Everleigh's going to marry Maverick—"
"Whoa there—" Everleigh said.
"Everleigh's going to be Maverick's life partner without marrying him and have a Wikipedia page with that name listed under her family," Florence said. "Then we're the weird couple who gave their daughter a mingin' name."
"Brendon's been doing well since she was born—" Roman started.
"Oh, shut up," Everleigh said. "You know that has everything to do with him, and nothing to do with you, right? And maybe Stevie. But definitely not you."
"You can never prove it."
"I'm pretty sure I can."
"Name one other F1 driver."
"Idris."
"Idris what?"
"You didn't ask for a full name, you asked me to name one. And I did."
"I'm asking now."
Everleigh pursed her lips. About to give up when her eyes widened. "James Hunt."
"Oh, fuck off, Leigh." Roman swatted a hand in her direction.
Everleigh raised her arm in victory—a hand on Navi's papoose to keep her from waking up. She was not dealing with crying. Not today, not ever. Especially over her remembering the name of a Chris Hemsworth character. Not worth it. "You'll never beat me in trivia, Rome. Accept it."
"Bet you couldn't name another one."
"That wasn't the challenge."
"Maybe it is now."
Everleigh grimaced. "What was his—oh, Niki Lauda!"
"Name someone who wasn't in Rush." Roman crossed his arms.
"That's not the challenge."
"Maybe it is—"
"You can't keep changing the challenge because you're upset that I'm winning."
"I made the challenge, I make the rules."
"Oh my God—his last name's Johnson," Everleigh said. She enjoyed the way Roman's face dropped a little too much. "Idris Johnson. Bash's teammate. Or whatever. Something like that."
"I hate you." Roman walked away before Everleigh could even think up a reply. "Don't come with us to this venue."
"Don't have to tell me twice."
"Leigh," Florence said. "You're coming with us. You're the decider."
Everleigh looked at Roman. "I'll come just to annoy him."
"Whatever gets you to show up," Florence said.
"I'm already here."
"I concede," Roman said. "Fine. Leigh wins."
"I already won."
"Look," Florence said, interrupting whatever rebuttal Roman would shoot Everleigh's way. "We're here."
And it was true. Hidden deep in the boonies of the park they'd been wandering through was a building that Everleigh never would've known was there if they hadn't led the way to it. If that was the venue they chose, Everleigh would probably late to the ceremony trying to find it again.
The building was simple from the outside, a few windows but mostly a brown exterior that blended in with the trees around them. From the inside, although it pained her to admit, was gorgeous. Even the exposed wood ceiling was nice, and Everleigh hated exposed wood ceilings. There was a large staircase that led up to where Everleigh assumed the room was that they were looking at. The main lobby was simple, a few chairs for lounging, somewhere to hide from the sun, a couple restrooms.
"Oh, I love this," Florence whispered.
"Yeah, it's really nice." Roman wrapped an arm around Florence, who leaned into him a little.
"I think your daughter just puked on me." Everleigh looked down, wrinkling her nose. "I love this shirt."
Florence had gotten it for her one birthday. Edvard Munch's The Scream but the main figure had been decapitated and Michael Meyers stood with The Scream's head in his hand, a bloody knife in his other hand. It was the best. And now it had puke on it.
"Oh, God." Florence rushed over and immediately started to undo the papoose on Everleigh, taking Navi in her arms. "I'm so sorry."
"No, it's okay." Everleigh shifted her shoulders as Florence pulled Navi off her. "I just... don't have another shirt."
Florence and Roman looked at each other and said, "Gift shop," at the same time.
Florence handed Navi to Roman and in the same swift motion, ran toward a gift shop that Everleigh hadn't even noticed existed. Probably too busy being vomited on.
"I'm sorry," Roman said. "I burped her before we left, I promise."
"Yeah, how dare you not predict your infant daughter who you're still learning about would puke twice." Everleigh waved her hand in Roman's direction. "It's fine, Roman. It's a black shirt. Don't worry about it."
"I'll buy you another one if it stains." Roman looked panicked as he bounced Navi, eyes wide and body stiff. Classic new dad, Everleigh had seen a couple in her clinical time for the walk-in. There was a lot of crying from babies that scared new parents; Lennon had taught Everleigh a lot about patience and that sometimes, the diagnosis is reassurance that they are doing a good job.
"Roman," Everleigh said, "it's not a big deal."
"Are you sure?"
Everleigh nodded. "Babies vomit. It happens."
Roman's shoulders relaxed a little. "You're not mad."
"No, I'm not mad," Everleigh said. "You didn't stick your daughter to me and cast a spell to get her to vomit. It's fine."
"Thank you."
"You're doing fine," Everleigh said. "For what that's worth."
"I'd hug you but you're covered in vomit."
"I'm good with the idea."
"Here, here, here!" Florence shouted, throwing a t-shirt at Everleigh that she only just managed to catch before it, also, became a vomit-stained shirt. "I bought another one in case. I'm so sorry."
"It's fine, Flo," Everleigh said. "Thank you for the shirt."
"Change quick and we'll meet you back out here?" Florence handed her a plastic bag. "And put that one in here 'cause we don't have time to go back to the car. Please."
"Sure."
Everleigh walked to the restroom and changed her shirt quickly, dropping her other one in the bag. She tried to ignore that the shirt Florence had grabbed for her was a couple sizes too big and that it labelled her wrongly with the word bride across her chest. It was likely that that was the only shirt available, or the first one Florence had seen, but it didn't erase the fact that she did not want to talk to the wedding planner that was upstairs waiting for them.
Walking back out to the lobby, Roman nearly choked. "Flo—"
"I know, I'm sorry," Florence said.
"They have Oxford university shirts on street corners—"
"Here." Everleigh gently slid her arms back through the straps of the papoose. Held Navi to her chest and turned her back toward Roman. "Covered now."
"She puked on you and you want to hold her again?"
"Don't make me take the offer away," Everleigh said. "You two have to worry about talking and looking at colours and shit. Consider it me being nice."
"Did you hit your head—" Roman asked.
"Roman," Florence chided and turned Everleigh's back toward her, doing the straps up. "Thanks, Leigh."
"See?" Everleigh turned when the straps were done up. "Now it's covered."
Florence let out a breath. "Are we ready?"
"As I'll ever be." Everleigh would never grow out of her hatred of weddings, no matter if she was trying to be nice or now.
"Mhmm." Roman sounded a little strangled, possibly still panicked from the vomit. Or panicking because picking a venue made the wedding a little too real.
Florence walked forward, followed by Roman and Everleigh. There was a slight tension in the air; a panic that wouldn't quite leave. It was undeniable. If this venue isn't what we want, it's going to be disappointing. As if there weren't thousands of other venues. As if Everleigh, Florence, and Roman hadn't been looking at venues for a couple days. But something about the way Florence walked with a purpose when they were in the park, something about the way she carried herself, let Everleigh know this was the one she really wanted. Ultimately she would make the decision with Roman, and Everleigh would give small tidbits of feedback that they could use or they could ignore to their heart's content. But this was the one for Florence. Everleigh hoped that Roman could see that without someone telling him.
Upstairs was gorgeous. It really was. There was a large window that looked out onto the park but also gave a glimpse of whichever body of water was near them. (Everleigh was always terrible with rivers and lakes and oceans; the names never quite stuck.) There were photos laid out on a table near the window, likely where Florence and Roman would sit all night, surrounded by flowers and loved ones. The wedding planner walked up to them from the table, a smile on their face.
"Hey guys!" the wedding planner said. As they had ever other venue they looked at. "How are we?"
The small talk was basic. It was what they had started every meeting with. Everleigh mostly tuned it out as she looked around. More exposed wood, the beams ready for any fairy lights that Florence would probably get Troy or Roman to put up the day of the wedding. (Everleigh would have to warn Maverick he'd be next in line for set-up.) There was lots of room for the flowers and for people to navigate tables with the amount of wedding guests they were inviting. It was deceptively big in a good way.
"What do we think?" the wedding planner pointed to photos and ran their finger along the flower decorations that previous weddings had used. "Personally, I think this venue is perfect for what you're wanting. Fall weddings look stunning here."
They had said that about every venue they'd visited. But Everleigh liked this one best, as much as she didn't want to admit it.
"I love it," Florence said. She'd also said that about every venue, whether she went on to shit talk it in the car after was another thing.
"It's really nice," Roman said.
Florence, Roman, and their wedding planner glanced at Everleigh, which they had also done every time but it never felt right. It was their wedding. Everleigh learned her lesson from the food tasting, she really didn't need to give her opinion and sometimes they really didn't want to hear it. There was a particularly ugly venue at the start of their search that Everleigh had straight up said was "minging" and Florence and Roman had never looked more embarrassed—though they had agreed with her in the car. The wedding planner hadn't looked at her the same since; she was okay with being dismissed at the bitchy younger sister who people would hate in those reality shows where they tried on wedding dresses that went over an already swollen budget. Someone had to be truthful. She was fine with it being her.
"Looks pretty," Everleigh managed, a wandering finger being gripped by Navi's loose fist. Probably the nicest thing she'd said about any of the venues. Mainly because she could tell how much this venue meant to Florence. Sometimes she cared about that.
Florence gave her a small, thankful smile. Everleigh gave her one back.
The wedding planner laid out a couple more features of the venue, even though Florence looked ready to get married that moment; in spite of the sweatpants and quarter-zip that Roman wore, and the overalls and bandana she was in. They had given up by their fifth venue in "dressing to impress," as Florence had called it. Everleigh liked them casual better, they were less uptight and more themselves.
Everleigh holding Navi meant that Roman and Florence were free to hold hands, to lean close. To be themselves before they were mum and dad and they were simply Florence and Roman who fell in love with each other a little more each morning they woke up together. (Everleigh needed to stop thinking about how fucking far away Maverick was and keep herself in the moment, for her sister.)
Navi started fussing before they were done talking to their wedding planner.
"Oh, God," Florence said. "One moment."
"Take your time," the wedding planner said. For all Everleigh thought of them, they had always been patient with them taking care of Navi. Which was nice.
"I've got it," Everleigh said. Rubbing a hand on the papoose in a way she hoped Navi could feel through the padding. "You guys stay here."
"Are you sure?" Florence asked.
Everleigh waved a hand wildly. "I don't want to be here. Talk it out, I'll deal with her."
Florence gave her that look again. They used to give each other looks but had mostly grown out of it: a thankful, eyes shining glance that made Everleigh either feel appreciated or want to brush it off with another stupid comment that she never ran out of.
"Thanks," Florence said.
"Don't mention it," Everleigh said, snapping her fingers at Roman to get the diaper bag from him. He pulled it off and handed it to her, she slung it over her shoulder. "I won't be doing it again. Consider this your wedding gift."
Everleigh walked away before she could see Florence roll her eyes playfully. She headed downstairs, dropping the diaper bag onto one of the armchairs before gently pulling Navi out of the papoose. Although she hated it, the sniff test was the first to go. Not a dirty diaper. Everleigh wasn't upset.
"Hungry? Maybe?" Everleigh wasn't sure why she expected Navi to reply. Babies telling their caregivers what was wrong would make life infinitely easier for anyone with a baby in their lives.
Everleigh pulled a bottle from the diaper bag. It sat in the side like it was set up for a water boy at a football match. She slid the papoose off and dropped it beside the diaper bag as she adjusted how she held Navi. Holding her in one arm, Everleigh carefully put the bottle in her mouth. It was instant that Navi started drinking. Ready to drink formula from the get-go.
It came as a surprising second nature for Everleigh to rock Navi while she drank the formula. Easily finding a rhythm in the bounce and allowing Navi to calm down. It didn't take long for her to settle back into a lull of sleep. Everleigh was a little too pleased with herself. A baby-whisperer. Hell yes.
Slinging the diaper bag over her shoulder again after tucking the papoose into the main pocket, Everleigh wandered outside. The venue was nice but Everleigh enjoyed the fresh air. It was better than hearing the buzz of a fan from inside. Birds cheeped and they were far enough away from the main part of the park that Everleigh couldn't hear children. Perfection.
Her phone vibrated in her pocket. She carefully pulled it out, making sure she kept her grip enough on Navi that she wouldn't drop her as she reached to her back pocket.
A text from Maverick. The first in a little too long. She tried not to think too hard about it and opened it before her brain wandered any longer.
I hope you're not in class right now, but MARS dropped the second single of Escape Velocity. Another text came in quickly. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED YET PLEASE FORGET THAT YOU SAW THIS OR I MAY GET SUED.
... you realize that's a terrible thing to make me unable to scream about, right?
I'm a dead man.
you better not be punking me. it better be escape velocity.
If I knew something about it, it might be Escape Velocity. Potentially. But I know nothing about it. Nothing at all. Nope.
hypothetically if you knew something about it, when's the album dropping?
You're a shit, lmfao. Maverick wrote. I literally cannot say any more I'm already breaking my NDA.
fine, i promise to stop asking.
You're replying quick, Maverick said. Everleigh fought the fact he hadn't been replying at all. I really hope you're not in class.
Everleigh snapped a quick photo of her with Navi taking up most of the frame, but she let a small smile crawl across her lips. today i am the baby whisperer.
You're actually wanting me to die, right?
tell me you're not a baby guy. fuck right off.
I'm a you guy, dork. I'm your guy. Seeing your face kills me.
that was not the romantic statement you thought it was.
I'm running on maybe thirty minutes of sleep. A break, please?
GO BACK TO SLEEP.
I had to make sure you knew it was released. Going back to bed now. Please don't tell Stevie I blabbed on the title if it hasn't been released yet.
your secret is safe with me if you go to sleep.
Though Everleigh appreciated the non-reply, which she hoped meant he'd actually gone to sleep and not simply ignored her, she also sat in a deafening silence that she didn't quite like. Maybe the buzzing fan inside the wedding venue was better than being outside. Maybe she wasn't scared of the quiet when it wasn't on the other end of a text message.
Navi had fallen back to sleep easily in Everleigh's arms. Which felt like a love letter to all the years she had studied caregiving. Something about her niece being comfortable enough with her made her less uneasy about the panic of life, if only for a few passing moments.
Until Everleigh looked up MARS to buy their new song. And had to contain her excitement so she didn't accidentally shake her niece. Infant care wasn't her strong suit, but she knew the basics.
Overnight Rush was everything Everleigh could've wished for. It made her bop her head and made her want to wave her arms as she listened to it. Many things she couldn't do with Navi in her arms. Instead, she opted for swaying and closing her eyes and feeling the music. Careful to cradle Navi's head and keep her close to her chest. Swaying together as they jet off to space; escaping fucking velocity. What a gorgeous album name.
Everleigh was going to take Navi to every MARS concert she could as soon as she was old enough. That kid would know good fucking music if it killed Everleigh. Maverick's music was, of course, on the list. But if Navi was going to—dear God, a terrifying thought—potentially call Maverick uncle, maybe listening to songs about his previous relationships and his relationship with Everleigh wasn't something that she needed her niece hearing. Right away or at all. (She'd have to, unfortunately, skip The L as well.) (Explaining that Stevie wrote the verse about her and that Maverick had written the verse about Brendon was an ass-load of chaos from those two that Navi didn't need to be part of—especially with her middle name. Everleigh's favourite dumbasses, that was for certain.)
As Everleigh turned around on the second—or fifth, maybe—listen of Overnight Rush, she saw Roman and Florence standing there watching. Florence looked like a proud mum—Roman had his phone out in a way that could've only been filming her. The fright of it nearly made Everleigh drop Navi—but she pulled her phone out and paused the song.
"I'm sending this to your boyfriend."
"Do not."
Roman was already typing, a stupid grin on his face. "Not a question. Mav and I are best friends now. We had lunch while you were gone."
"Can't believe you've seen him more recently than I have."
"He was nice," Florence said. "Really nice."
Everleigh tried to ignore how red her face felt; the heat creeping up her chest. Embarrassment from the dancing video and panic from the bitten back question of did he say anything about me? "Did you book the venue?" she opted for instead.
"Yes, ma'am," Roman said, pocketing his phone. Everleigh shouldn't have listened so hard for any semblance of a vibration that meant Maverick had responded to him and not her.
"What were you listening to?" Florence asked.
"MARS released a new song."
Florence smiled. "It sounded good."
"MARS doesn't release bad songs."
Florence laughed softly and held her hands up in surrender. "My mistake."
"Navster liked it too."
"Good to hear," Florence said, walking a little forward to take her daughter from Everleigh's arms. She froze when she saw Navi's face. "Oh my God, you got her to sleep? You're a fucking miracle worker, Leigh."
"Nurse Meadowlark, can I pay you for your services?" Roman asked. "Holy shit."
"It really wasn't that hard."
The looks that were shot Everleigh's way let her know her comment was not well received. Maybe it was easier when Everleigh hadn't been actively trying to do it for months. She had infant medical training; maybe that helped. Whatever it was that somehow made Everleigh capable of, on her first try, getting her niece to sleep was like a wonder of the world to Florence and Roman. Navi sleeping was the golden idol in the Peruvian temple and Everleigh was Indiana Jones.
"I can send you the song," Everleigh offered. "It was probably the song."
"Please," Florence said. "Thank you."
"No problem," Everleigh managed.
Roman's phone vibrating with a text was deafening in the silence that fell over them. Atlas dropped the sky and Everleigh was suffocated by the clouds. No more flying for her.
*
The video of you was adorable. I miss you.