Harper arrived at Mick's apartment at ten on Saturday morning. She walked in and turned in a circle. He felt exposed as she surveyed his place.

"I love the exposed brick. We do a lot with that in our mill conversions."

"I sent in my resume."

She frowned. "I could have hand delivered it. I'll follow up on Monday and let them know you're my cousin. What you need are some pictures on your walls and a few items on those shelves. His book shelves were half empty."

"What about pillows?"

She shrugged. "We can look, but you're a guy." Tyler was a guy, but he lived with Poppy. "The big question is are we going high end or mass market?"

"I'm not looking for gallery pieces."

"Then let's decorate like most of America. We'll go to Home Goods."

"Can you go and I'll stay home?"

Harper laughed. "Nope. And you promised me lunch."

Shopping was not on Mick's list of things he enjoyed. It was above being in the same room as his parents together, but well below playing in the pool with a stranger's children.

When they entered the store in the Downtown Crossing shopping district, Mick frowned at all the people. Harper led him to rows and rows of knickknacks. To Mick it looked like a confusing pile of stuff. His cousin reached around the junk and picked up items to place in the cart. The only things he recognized were carved black marble bookends.

"Now for the walls. Do you have any pictures from your travels? We could frame them."

"Some. I suppose." Sunset on the island. He also had some photos of the mountains when he worked on a project in Colorado.

"I can buy frames later. Let's find some art."

He laughed. "Art!"

"We can go to a gallery. I have a favorite."

"Let's look here first."

After looking through inspirational sayings, abstracts, cityscapes, and silhouetted women, he shook his head. "I'm not having flowers on my wall."

"I get it, but you might someday if you live with a woman."

He thought of Tyler's pillows. "If I fall in love, I'll put feminine art on my walls, but not before."

Harper sighed. "Let's look through your photos at lunch. Where are you taking me?"

Mick thought about his photo with Trish. His cousin didn't need to see it, because she would ask questions and chastise him for being an idiot. "You pick. I'll eat anything."

"How about the Paramount?"

Mick nodded. The last time he ate there he told Meg he was leaving the country. Smiling, it was when he found out she was running with Cade. It didn't take long before they were doing a hell of a lot more than running together.

The iconic Beacon Hill restaurant had a line outside. He and Harper talked about her siblings as they waited. "You'll meet Heidi's boyfriend tomorrow."

"Do you like him?"

Harper shrugged. "Billy's okay. I mean he's really into sports. He'll want to watch the baseball game and in the fall all he talks about is football."

"And she likes it?"

"He must be doing something right. They are cute together when sports aren't on."

"What about you? I'm surprised you don't have men falling at your feet."

Harper was beautiful with blonde hair. There was no family resemblance between Mick and his cousins. He took after his father, and they were all fair with light hair; his hair was dark. As kids, they complained their skin only burned, while his tanned easily, but Harper had a healthy glow with no pink. Two years in South America left him deeply tanned even though he wore sunscreen every day.

She shared stories about some of her dates over the past two years. Mick asked, "Is there anyone you like?" She blushed, and he chuckled. "Fine, keep it to yourself. I'm the only single one of my friends."

"I can't believe Tyler has a baby."

Mick showed her pictures of Clara and stepped away from the line when his phone rang. It was Tyler.

"Hey. What's up?"

"Are you busy tonight?"

"No. I'm with my cousin now. Why?"

"Come to the Kane's party."

"Why would I want to?"

Tyler laughed. "You want to meet women."

"I wasn't invited."

Tyler laughed. "It's fine. Eli knows a daughter. Plus, they don't check invitations at the door."

"I'll let you know." He looked towards the restaurant. A couple left and Harper was next in line. Something about the couple felt familiar. Maybe it was someone he went to school with. "I have to go."

When he joined Harper, she asked, "Who was that?"

"Tyler."

"I used to have a crush on him, but he dated sophisticated women."

Mick laughed. "His wife is the opposite." He was curious how Poppy fit in with the Boston society. Maybe he would throw on his tux to see Tyler and his wife dance.

They ate fries and onion rings with his burger and her turkey wrap. Then they went to a gallery on Newbury Street. "I like this gallery, because she discovers local artists."

Tyler walked around and looked at paintings. He gravitated to the photographs. Harper mentioned framing photos from his travels, but he liked the artistic black and white prints. Some were local scenes. He studied one titled 'Doors of Back Bay' and felt like he was on the leaf covered sidewalk facing the rows of brownstones.

"I like this one." He knew framing his own art would be cheaper, but he could afford it.

At the desk, he picked up a card about a charity event to support literacy. Professional and amateur artists donated art to support the cause.

"Have you gone to this?" he asked.

"No, but I want to."

"We should go. Maybe I can get my friends to come."

"Do you think Hunter would go?"

Mick smiled. "Maybe if he's not working." It was like a switch flipped in him. He wanted to settle down and contribute to society. A garden party wasn't a charity event, but he could network.

He kept the card and pulled out his credit card to pay for the photograph. Back at his apartment, he banged a nail in the wall above his sofa to hang the photo. Harper instructed him until it was perfectly straight. Then she went to work displaying the items she picked out on his built-in bookshelves. There was a metal wire orb that looked like junk in the store, but unique on his shelf. She placed a trio of small vases of varying sizes on another shelf and an eclectic hourglass on the shelf above beside a marble bookend which held up his books. Last, she put three clunky candle sticks of different heights on his kitchen island.

Mick looked around. Just the few changes transformed his place into a home. "I like it. You are fantastic."

"This is nothing. We can think about more photos later."

"So tomorrow?"

Harper nodded. "My mom is probably cooking."

"How, um, how was my mother while I was away?"

"Aunt Annette was fine. She spends a lot of time with my mother. I'm sure you know. I mean you talked to her a lot."

"Not really."

Hardly ever. After his Christmas call, he hadn't called again. Maybe he was a terrible son, but she hadn't called him. The older he got, the less he cared about his relationship with his mother. She was never very warm and nurturing and as a child he yearned for her love, but no longer needed it.

"I never understood your family. She is warm to me."

He never understood it either, because his mother always gushed over her nieces. He even asked if she was disappointed that he was a boy. She had looked at him as if she might answer, but closed her mouth and turned away.

"I don't understand my parents. They should have divorced years ago."

"It's definitely money. I overheard our mothers whispering. It's like it's a huge secret."

"The money? My father grew up wealthy. That's why I went to the same private school he went to."

"We know. Your trust fund."

His uncle was did well, but not like his father. His mother married into a wealthier family and forfeited her happiness for the status.

"I'm going to a thing tonight with my friends."

"A thing?"

He nodded. "A party on Beacon Hill."

She shook her head. "Have fun."

"Thanks for shopping."

She smiled. "It was fun. I'll see you tomorrow." She hugged him and left.

Mick dressed in his tuxedo, when the car arrived for him. He was surprised to see Eli and his fiancée as he squeezed in. "Have you met Leigh?"

He laughed and nodded. "I had lunch at the Paramount today."

"I remember meeting you."

"What's this story?" Tyler asked.

"I, um, was with Meg, and she was with Cade. It was before I left and they got together."

"Ancient history," Eli said. "Are you glad to be back?"

"I am. I stayed about six months too long."

Once they arrived at the Beacon Hill mansion, Mick felt like a different person from the man who lived in the dingy place for two years. Poppy looked beautiful, but more importantly comfortable as she greeted Meg. His friend glowed. Her gown had been Poppy's and Meg told Leigh she could be next. Eli just smiled and pulled her closer. Mick felt a longing for something more than what he had.

A woman approached their group. "Hey ADA, I heard congrats are in order."

She greeted the others and looked at Mick. "Have we met?"

"Michael Daigle. Nice to meet you."

"Doyle Kane. Welcome."

Eli said, "Mick has been in Colombia for two years."

Her face brightened. "You have to meet my friend Sofia. Come with me."

He looked at his friends who nodded. Meg said, "Go network. Monty helped me get my job."

Tyler laughed. "He helped me get Poppy."

Poppy added, "Sofia is lovely."

He followed her across the garden like a puppy dog until she stopped in front of a dark-haired woman. "Sofia, this is Michael. He's been in Colombia."

"My friends call me Mick to not confuse me with my father, Michael Daigle."

The handsome man at her side said, "I've met your father." He held out his hand. "Monty Whitby. What did you see in Colombia?"

"I was there for two years working. I didn't see as much as I would have liked."

"Are you in finance like your father?"

He chuckled. "No. I'm a structural engineer. I wear a hard hat at work."

Monty smiled. "Like my friend, Teddy."

"Teddy?"

"Calhoun. Do you know him?"

Mick shook his head, but questioned. "Homestead?" Monty nodded. "My cousin works for his company. I submitted a resume. I'm ready to stay in Boston."

Monty smiled. "I love to travel, but with our girls it's hard. Sofia's parents immigrated from Colombia."

Mick turned to Sofia and asked where in Colombia. As she explained, he heard her accent and morphed into Spanish. While they spoke about the country, Monty tapped on his phone.

When he put it away, he said, "Expect a call from Homestead on Monday morning."

Mick smiled. "My best friend Tyler credits you for meeting his wife."

Monty laughed. "That was a happy coincidence, but my friend Oliver gave Meg Rice her job. I like to make things happen."

Sofia spoke in English. "Ted will help our new friend."

"Gracias. I hope my career speaks for itself, but I appreciate it."

Sofia said, "Espero verte de nuevo." (I hope to see you again)

Mick smiled. "I enjoyed speaking with you, but I should find my friends."

When he walked back, Tyler smiled, matching his own grin. "So?"

"He's friends with Calhoun."

"See. He makes things happen," Meg said.

Mick felt at peace surrounded by his friends. Home was the right decision.

Count on Monty. Thanks for voting ⭐️