Sam stood in the dusky courtyard with Jasmyn. With her suitcase beside her and a casserole from her boss’s wife heavy in her arms, she laughed and laughed.
Laughed. For real. Out loud. It felt like when an antibiotic kicked in and her body sensed the absence of illness and an energy zinged every nerve ending with new life.
Jasmyn was describing her trip to Disneyland. Mostly she talked about goofy Chad at Disneyland. Her sweet voice still bugged Sam, but it also pulled her in, the call of honey to a bear.
Which made Sam the bear?
“Chad finally showed up, in the dark, on Main Street after the parade as if that had been our original plan all along. Inez had Keagan on the phone because Chad wasn’t answering his. He told me he’d made a new friend.”
“I bet he got her phone number.”
“Yes, he did. You know, he’s so adorable. None of us could stay mad at him. Tasha was exhausted, and he carried her to the car. But first we stopped at a store because she wanted Minnie Mouse ears and Riley was out of money, so he bought them. Then the whole way home he and the twins chattered on and on about rides they hadn’t taken together.”
“What did Inez say?”
“She shook her finger at him and said, ‘You must grow up someday.’ He hugged her and said, ‘But not today. Peter Pan cannot grow up at Disneyland, a-a—’ What does he call her?”
“Abuela. Grandmother.”
“That’s it. How does he get away with being Peter Pan?”
Sam heard concern in Jasmyn’s tone. Despite the differences of age, body type, and voice pitch, she and Liv could pass for clones. Which was downright spooky.
“Big safety net. He’ll inherit millions and just keep on keeping on.”
“Seriously?” Jasmyn looked appalled.
“Yeah. His family is filthy rich.”
“No, I mean you think he’ll just keep on being completely aimless?”
“Who knows? We can’t fix him.”
“Inez said Liv gave him an ultimatum. If he messes up again, he has to move out. I think Liv’s on to something. He needs boundaries. He needs a job. I need a job.”
“Oh?” A woman after her own heart.
“Definitely. You can’t go to Disneyland every day. Or be on vacation forever. This aimlessness is getting old.”
“What would you like to do?”
“What I’ve always done. It’s not exactly rocket science, but then I’m not a rocket scientist. I love working at the Flying Pig. I’ll go back to it, easy-peasy.”
“Did you ever dream of doing other things?”
“Not really. In Valley Oaks, it’s not like I had a lot of options. That must sound really boring to you.”
“No. It sounds insanely difficult because I’m not a people person like you.”
“For a while I wanted to be a nurse.”
“Ew. Now you’ve gone too far. You really have to be a people person for that one.”
Jasmyn smiled. “I loved taking care of my grandparents and my mother. Of course, I had to waitress the whole time they were sick and that went on for so many years…” She shrugged. “It’s a little late in life to start over.”
“Liv says thirtysomethings are baby chicks. You know, there’s always a news story about some woman getting her college degree when she’s like eighty-zillion years old. It’s never too late to reinvent yourself.”
“Reinvent?”
“Imagine yourself in a different role and then take the first step toward living it.”
“I hadn’t thought of it like that.”
Sam had always thought of it like that. If she hadn’t created a life for herself beyond the role some labeled half-breed—No reason to go there.
Jasmyn said, “You really think I could reinvent myself?”
“Sure. You’re in a sweet space, Jasmyn. Single. No family or house to tie you down. A job you could probably do anywhere.”
“Put that way, it sounds just plain sad.”
“Just plain sad can be a catalyst. Off the top of your head, what’s the wildest thing you can think of? If nothing could hold you back, what would you do?”
Jasmyn frowned.
Spontaneity and the waitress from Illinois probably did not meet on a regular basis.
“Um.” Jasmyn smiled shyly. “Seriously?”
No. Impulsively! “Go for it.”
“I’d like to manage an apartment complex.”
Spoken like a true Liv clone. “Okay.” She couldn’t let it go. “Um, you’re sure? You don’t want to join the Peace Corps? Climb Machu Picchu?”
“No.”
“Write the Great American Novel?”
“No.”
“Be a movie star?”
“Nope.”
“You want to be Olivia McAlister.’ ”
“No. I want to be Jasmyn Albright.” She smiled. “Anyway, I’m going home tomorrow.”
Sam let the words sink in, and then she said with conviction, “I’m sorry.”
“Me too. But vacation is over.”
“I suppose it has to end.”
Jasmyn wrinkled her nose. “There’s a little corner of me that would rather do the Peter Pan–Chad thing.”
Sam chuckled and shifted the weight of the heavy dish in her arms. “Hey, I have this mystery casserole from my boss’s wife. It’s probably full of chicken and a creamy soup and could feed an army. Do you want to come over and eat?”
Jasmyn’s jaw dropped. “Really?”
Sam understood the surprised response and, if it weren’t so pathetically true, she would have laughed again. The detached businesswoman who disliked everyone was inviting a guest for dinner?
She was. The thought of having an uninterrupted conversation with a like-minded woman felt…nice.
Sam said, “No, not really. I’d rather have pizza.”
Jasmyn laughed with her.