Milo dropped his luggage on the front porch to retrieve his keys. He put the key into the lock, but the door opened before he could turn it. His mother rushed out to hug him. She squeezed him as if she hadn't seen him since he left for college in August—and not three weeks ago at Thanksgiving.
His mother released him from the hug to take hold of his face. She looked on the verge of tears. "Why didn't you tell me you were getting in this morning? I would've picked you up at the train station."
Milo patted her shoulder. "I didn't want to put you through the hassle. I just called a car."
"You're sweet." Mrs. McBride hugged him again before helping to bring in his bags. "Am I right to assume some of this is dirty laundry?"
Milo grinned sheepishly. "Those two." He pointed them out.
"It's like you never left." Mrs. McBride picked up the bags and took them with her into the kitchen. The swinging door rebounded a few times before settling.
Milo turned toward the stairs in time to see his fourteen-year-old little sister launch herself at him. She threw her gangly arms around his neck, squealing directly into his ear. "I'm so glad you're here. I have so much to tell you."
Milo held her at arm's-length to look her over. "Jeez, Mags, have you grown since Thanksgiving?"
"It's probably the boots." Maggie lifted her foot between them to show off the three-inch heels.
"Since when do you wear heels?" Milo inspected her face. "And eyeliner."
"Ugh! Don't be like Dad? He complains every time I go over there."
"I'm not complaining." Milo pulled her close again. "I just miss being here."
Milo felt like he was missing seeing Maggie grow up. That feeling struck him even harder when Maggie said, "I have a boyfriend."
"What?"
Maggie nodded enthusiastically. "His name is Freddie. He's so hot. All my friends wanted him, but he asked me out."
"Is he nice to you—even around his friends?"
"Yes, officer." Maggie scoffed. "He's very sweet. Even around his friends."
"Well, that's how you know if he's a good guy, or if he's just a douche bag who only wants to hook up with you."
"Who even says hook up anymore? You're so old." Maggie giggled.
Maggie became preoccupied when her phone buzzed. She waved her hand absentmindedly. "I'll talk to you later." she said, wandering into the living room.
Milo rolled his eyes. He hefted his remaining bag onto his shoulder and trudged up the stairs.
His bedroom was immediately familiar and somehow alien at the same time. He'd left most everything when he left for college, opting for a fresh start. The room was like a time capsule of his high school life. The cork board over the desk still had some of his old sketches. Photos of his high school boyfriend hung alongside the concert ticket stub from their first date. The dried out boutonnière Hunter bought him for their prom tacked up next to their photo from that night. They both looked happy. It seemed unfathomable that the couple in that photo would be broken up a week later.
Milo sighed. He tossed his bag on the bottom of the bunk bed, leaving the unpacking until later. At the moment, he wanted to veer off of memory lane before it sent him careening into a ravine of depression.
In an attempt to lift his mood, he sought out Maggie. The door to her room hung ajar, so he pushed his way in.
Everything was so different. Unlike his room, frozen in time, Maggie's had gone through a complete transformation. Stylish throw pillows replaced the two dozen stuffed animals that used to live on her bed. Posters of cartoons and kids' movies had been switched out for actors and boy bands. Photos of Maggie with her friends covered the Pokémon stickers she meticulously pasted around the edges of her mirror a few years ago.
"What's up?" Maggie mumbled, applying bright pink lipstick.
"When did you redecorate?"
Maggie looked around as if she hadn't noticed the differences. "Um, a while ago, I guess."
"I must have overlooked it at Thanksgiving."
Maggie chuckled. "I don't think you even came in here that whole four days."
Milo sat on the edge of her bed. He traced the lines of the black and white checkerboard pattern on the bedspread. "I was wondering if you wanted to go do something."
"Oh." Maggie froze with a mascara wand halfway to her eye. "I actually have plans. I'm meeting Freddie for lunch. Then, we're going ice skating at the mall."
Milo briefly thought about asking to tag along, but he didn't want to be the third wheel. Or to look like a loser hanging out with a couple of high school freshmen.
Maggie frowned, her forehead creasing. "I would cancel, but it's the last time I'm gonna get to see him until after Christmas. His whole family is going up to L.A. to his grandma's house."
"It sounds like fun."
She turned away from the mirror to look at him. "Are you mad at me?"
"Of course not." Milo drummed his hands against his knees. "I'm just bored. I thought we could hang out, but we have almost two weeks for that."
Milo got up and traipsed toward the door.
"Will you close the door? I have to change."
"Sure."
In the hallway, Milo pulled out his phone. He sent a message to his best friend to see if she was back home yet. She told him she was coming, but he didn't know when.
Thankfully, she was.
They made plans to meet at the park situated almost halfway between their houses. Since his car was still at school, Milo had to get a ride from his mom on the way to drop Maggie off for her date.
At the small coffee kiosk near the parking lot, Milo found Ellie on a bench, eyes glued to her phone, sipping on her usual iced Americano. He immediately started apologizing for being late.
Ellie leapt up and threw her arms around him. She squeezed him as tight as she could before releasing him. "It's been way too long since we've been face-to-face, M&M."
"Agreed."
Milo's eyes trailed up to her thick black curls. "I love the hair. Those pictures you posted didn't do it justice."
Ellie beamed, reaching up to fluff her hair. She spent many years being self-conscious about her natural hair. She straightened it all through middle school and high school.
"Let me grab a drink, and we can take a walk," Milo said.
Despite the temperature hovering in the mid-seventies, the chalkboard menu propped against the window offered a special on hot chocolate, right next to one of those flyers for the hospital's annual charity gala. Milo ignored both and opted for a frappe instead, while Ellie got a refill on her drink.
"So, how is L.A.?" Milo asked as they strolled along the path that circled the duck pond.
"Great!" Ellie grabbed his arm. "Things are actually open after 10pm there. I had Vietnamese food last week at 2am. It was amazing."
"Were you with that hot guy you told me about?" Milo nudged Ellie's shoulder.
"No."
"Are you guys still together?"
"Sometimes." Ellie shrugged. "I'm not really looking for serious. I've basically had a steady boyfriend or girlfriend since I was about thirteen. I like being single."
Milo blew out a heavy breath. "I don't. I miss having a boyfriend."
Ellie hugged his arm. "Hasn't there been anyone since Hunter?"
"I've had a few dates. And there was this one guy I hung out with for a couple weeks at the start of school."
"What happened?"
"It was more of a rebound fling. It fizzled quick. He was so cute, but he kept trying to get me to go hiking."
"Dear lord! Not hiking." Ellie dramatically clutched at her chest. "That bastard! How dare he? I hope you told him to shove his hiking boots where the sun don't shine."
"Are you done?"
Ellie giggled, accidentally snorting, which made them both laugh. Once she calmed down, Ellie said, "You're just too picky, M&M."
"Am not!"
"You almost didn't go out with Hunter because you thought he was too tall."
Milo sighed and nodded. "He's almost five inches taller than me. I was insecure."
"I know, babe." Ellie rubbed his shoulder.
"Even my little sister has more confidence than me. You know she has a boyfriend."
Ellie let out an ear-piercing squeal. "Magpie has a boyfriend. That's adorable."
"I feel like everyone is moving forward and I'm stuck in the same place with my feet glued to the ground."
"Your problem is, you get in your own way. You doubt yourself so badly, you just about talk yourself out of getting the things you want. I swear to God, I thought you'd end up going to school like twenty minutes from here, just because you were too freaked about being on your own."
"Well, I have you to thank for hounding me about applying to Berkeley every day for six damn months. And then accepting when I got in."
"You're welcome." Ellie did a little curtsy.