I sink into the couch and pile my freshly-showered hair on top of my head before diving into my lukewarm cup of instant macaroni and cheese.

"I have no idea how I'm getting out of this one, Willa Mae. What was I thinking, saying Valentino is my fiance? How stupid can I be?" I complain between bites.

My neighbor stares from the chair across from me and folds her hands into her lap. "Child, there are only two things in this world that are infinite. The universe, and human stupidity."

"Nice." I roll my eyes. "Aren't you supposed to be cheering me up?"

Her crinkly brown face breaks into a grin. "I thought I was! If it's any consolation, I'd have lied about it too. That boy is fine with a capital F. I wouldn't kick him out of my bed for eating crackers."

"Willa Mae!" I let out a gasp and nearly choke on a spoonful of soggy pasta. "Wait a minute. How do you know what Valentino looks like?"

She cocks her head to the side. "What—you think I'm too old for TikTok? Y'all are going viral, girl. People are shipping you from Miami to Timbuktu."

"Oh, that's just fantastic." I throw my head back and groan. "If Mom were still here, she'd have me committed."

"If your Mama were here, you wouldn't be in this mess to begin with," she says in a stern tone. And then her voice softens. "It's been two years. Don't you think it's time to salvage your social life and make some friends?"

Her words sting like a slap in the face. "You're the only friend I need."

Willa Mae purses her lips in opposition. "How many twenty-four year-olds hang out with their eighty-one year-old next door neighbors?"

I'm pretty sure it's a rhetorical question. And besides, I don't care. I'll hang out with whoever I want.

"Look," she begins. "I love you like you're my own, and I've known you since you were knee-high to a caterpillar. But you are stuck in a rut. Your Mama would be all kinds of furious if she knew you were filling your life with nothing but work and generic macaroni and cheese." Her face scrunches in disgust. "Speaking of which, I'll be bringing you over some meatloaf and collard greens just as soon as it's done."

I give her a grateful smile. "What would I do without you?"

"Probably starve," she says with a snort.

My cell pings from the side pocket of my sweatpants. When I plop my macaroni cup onto the end table and look at the screen, my heart sinks to my toes. "Crap."

Willa Mae leans forward in her chair. "Who is it?"

"Valentino's cousin. He's stopping by with Sonny."

Her brows angle together. "Who's Sonny?"

I pocket my phone and shrug. "No clue. But it's apparently staying with me while he's in the hospital."

"Oh, Lordy. What if it's a child?" Willa Mae says with a gasp. "You are not prepared for motherhood."

"It's not a child!" I pause. "At least, I don't think it is. It's probably a cat."

"Still. You can barely take care of yourself, let alone some poor, orphaned feline."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," I tell her. "And it's not orphaned. Valentino will make a full recovery. All he has to do is wake up."

"Let's hope it happens sooner than later. But then, of course, you'll have to fess up to all this fiancé nonsense."

"Don't remind me." I sigh. "Uncle Gus and his brilliant ideas."

"Now don't you go blaming your Uncle Gus. You didn't have to go along with it. That man's just trying to watch out for you," she scolds. "And now that we're on the subject, let me just say, you don't make it easy on him. You rarely go over when he invites you to dinner, and Lord knows you can't feed yourself." She side-eyes my mac and cheese.

"That's because he and Aunt Elise have their own kids to worry about. Between sports and dance recitals, Chase and Zoey are a handful. They don't need to fuss over me, too. I'm a big girl."

"A big girl with a closet full of her mother's clothes that she refuses to give away." Willa Mae fixes me with a look. "We've talked about this. Living in the past isn't healthy."

I sink further into the cushion as a veil of shame drapes over me. "I know, I know. I'm getting closer. I just need a little more time."

She shakes her head. "Lost time is never found again."

"What's with you and all the adages today?" I say with a forced laugh, when all I want to do is cry. Thinking about Mom does that sometimes.

"Watch it, missy. The wisest words often come from elders." She gives me a gap-toothed smile and stands. "And on that note, I should get going. I have a meatloaf in the oven. Can't have you surviving on noodles and powdered cheese."

I stand up and wrap my arms around her, the top of her head barely skimming my chin. "I love you, Willa Mae. You're the best."

"I love you too." She glances out the window as she pulls away. "And just in time. You've got company. I'll let myself out the back door."

I wave to Willa Mae and take a peek out the front window. Sitting in my driveway is a shiny black pick-up with a series of lights lining the top of the cab. A twinge of nerves twist my stomach as I try to peer through the windshield, but I can't make out a thing.

Guess I'll find out soon enough.

I turn away and scan my living room for anything out of place. I grab the opened box of tampons I'd rummaged through this morning, and hide them behind the arm pillow on the couch. Then I snatch up the half-empty cup of mac and cheese and toss it in the kitchen trash. Other than that, the place is mostly tidy.

The doorbell rings.

I tuck loose hair behind my ears and open the door, and then stop, my body unwilling to move. Staring at me from the opposite side of the screen door is the furry beast from Valentino's condo, his tail thumping against the porch in rhythm with my quickening heart.

Oh, hell no. That crazy canine can't be Sonny.

"Hey, I'm Leo. Val's cousin," a voice says.

Open-mouthed, I drag my eyes from the dog to the dark-haired guy holding his leash, and a wave of heat prickles over me. Before I can stop myself, my traitorous hand reaches for the handle to let them in. "I'm Molly."

As they move past me into the house, Leo gives me a funny look. "You were expecting us, right? Aunt Marisol said she contacted you, but I never heard back after I sent you that text."

A dog. There's a dog in my house. Please tell me this isn't happening.

I shake my head, trying to knock myself from the stupor. "Yes, sorry. My neighbor was here. She just left," I say, waving toward the back door.

My eyes fall back to the dog, who's sitting patiently at Leo's side like a perfect gentleman. The no-good liar. Where was his composure this afternoon when he had his nose in my crotch?

Leo clears his throat. "Are you okay?"

I blow out a breath and meet his gaze. "I—um. Yes. He just looks so much bigger in my house."

He laughs. "Sonny's a moose, all right. Aren't you, boy?" he says, patting the dog on his side.

Sonny looks up at him and grins, the corners of his mouth pulling up like a goofy caricature.

"He's a job and half, but I guess you already know that," Leo says. "So the question is, are you ready?"

Am I ready? I already—unknowingly—agreed to this arrangement, so I'd better be. What choice do I have?

🌴

5342 words to date.

Next up is Leo's pov, and I have to say, I'm kind of excited! It's been soooo long since I've written anything like this. It's feels good! Thank you for reading. ❤️