"Oh my God, I have nothing to wear!"

As I  tear through the remnants of my half-empty closet, the situation at hand grows bleaker by the minute. Not one thing I own is suitable for a Saturday afternoon with the family of my fake fiance.

"Don't you have any sundresses?" Willa Mae asks from the doorway. She's leaning against the wooden frame while Sonny snoozes at her feet.

My eyes narrow as I glance over my shoulder. "When was the last time you saw me in a dress?"

"Every woman should own at least one outfit that can be worn at a casual gathering during the day, and be spiced up later for a sexy night on the town," she says with a sassy twist of her shoulders.

I turn away and let out a huff. "Well, thank you, Ms. Fashionista. Where did you hear that?"

"Instagram."

I slide my final two options into the Absolutely Not pile and bite back a curse. "Well, it's official. I can't go to the twins' birthday party."

"Come on, it can't be that bad." Willa Mae crosses the room and peers over my shoulder as her dark eyes assess every depressing morsel of my wardrobe. A disapproving whistle hisses past her lips. "Good Lord, child. Where did you get your fashion sense? Sure wasn't from your mama."

"I'm a construction worker. I never saw a reason to own a dress."

She scoffs. "And look where that logic got you."

"That's it," I declare, throwing my hands into the air. "I'm calling Leo and canceling."

When I pluck my phone from the pocket of my robe, Willa Mae snatches it away. "You will do no such thing. You're going to this cookout, and you're going to enjoy yourself."

"But I don't want to."

"Like hell you don't! For the past two weeks, all you've done is talk about Leo. How funny he is, and how sweet. That boy's a keeper, and you know it."

I tilt my head at her. "There's just one problem with that: he's not mine to keep. Besides, I'm sort of engaged to his cousin."

Willa Mae shakes her head, her curly black hair billowing around her face. "You are digging yourself into a hole you're not going to be able to crawl out of."

"Don't you think I know that?" I swallow past the lump forming in my throat. "I'll figure it out, don't worry. In the meantime, I'm not going to the party."

"Wait a minute, I have an idea. If I give you back your phone, do you promise to put it away?"

There's a determined expression on her face. When I reluctantly agree, Willa Mae hands over my cell, and I let it sink back into my pocket.

"Now hear me out before you say anything, okay?"

My chest rises as I suck in a sharp breath. "Why do I feel like I'm not going to like this?"

"Probably because you're not, but it's the answer to your prayers." Willa Mae's face softens. "Let's take a peek inside your mama's closet. I bet we'll find something there."

A rush of panic claws at my chest, and I can feel the color drain from my face. "Oh, no. Not that. No way."

Her voice is gentle when she speaks. "Molly. It's been two years. It's time to start dealing with your loss. Your mama would hate what you're doing to her memory."

I shake my head, my breaths punching in and out of my lungs in rapid succession. "I can't. I'm not ready."

Her eyes crinkle at the corners. "I'm gonna let you in on a secret, sugar: no one's ever ready, but they do it anyway because that's how they heal."

"But I haven't been in her room since the—" My voice catches.

"I know. But Sonny and I are here with you, and nothing bad is going to happen. We'll make sure you're okay." Her hand grasps mine, her fingers warm against my skin. "Do you trust me?"

There's an excruciatingly long pause.

Finally, I nod, and she nods in return. With Sonny trailing after us, Willa Mae leads me out of my bedroom and down the hall, and we come to a stop in front of my mother's closed bedroom door.

At first, all I can do is stare at the honey-colored wood with darker grains etched into its fibers.

All those nights from my childhood when I'd creep into her room after a bad dream or thunderstorm woke me from my sleep. The mornings on her birthday when I'd surprise her with breakfast in bed. She'd eat every bite, even though the eggs were usually soggy, and the bacon burnt to a crisp. Who knew a simple door could spark the beautiful ache of so many wonderful—and painful—memories?

Next to me, Willa Mae releases a shaky sigh. "Would you like for me to open it?"

I shake my head and force the fingers of my free hand around the knob. With the slightest turn of my wrist, the door cracks open and muted sunlight spills into the hallway as if it's guiding our way.

She squeezes my hand. "Are you ready?"

But I can't find the words. So, I do the only thing I can think of.

I step inside.

🌴

When Leo picks me up, something about him feels off. He's just as polite as he's been, but quieter than normal, and there's a tension in his face I've never seen. He didn't even comment on my dress. Not that I expected him to, but it's not very often I look into the mirror and appreciate what I see.

I hate the way it makes my stomach quiver.

"How was your week? We barely had time to talk," I ask as he maneuvers his truck through my neighborhood.

Leo's eyes remain fixed on the road. "I was helping Deangelo build a deck on the back of his house. We finally finished up last night."

Ouch. He didn't even look at me when he said that. My mouth flattens into a frown but I try to keep my voice light. "How'd it turn out?"

"Pretty good for a first attempt." He pulls out of the neighborhood and heads toward the expressway. "After we cleaned up, he invited some of the guys from the station over for a cookout. No one fell through the cracks, so I'm calling it a success."

Even if he's uncharacteristically uptight, the image of Leo cutting loose with his friends sends a ripple of delight through my chest. "If I didn't say so before, I appreciate you helping out with Sonny. Especially since you're so busy."

He smiles when he turns to face me, but it doesn't reach his eyes. "No problem. I wouldn't have volunteered if I didn't want to help."

Leo holds my gaze before his eyes sweep over the filmy white fabric of my sundress, and an emotion I can't place flashes across his face.

He suggested we bring Sonny along to the twins' birthday party. The same as when we went to the beach, Val's dog is sitting in the space between us, his paw occasionally grazing my thigh for pets. My fingers massage the back of his neck in a way I've noticed he likes.

I struggle for something to say. "Is Sonny a regular at family gatherings?"

My question interrupts the heaviness that's crept into the cab. "Val brings him when he can."

There it is again. That restraint in his voice. I don't like it. "Leo, is something wrong? You seem distracted."

Is it just me, or did his shoulders sink? And yet—he says nothing.

My heart screeches to a halt in my chest. "Okay, you're starting to freak me out," I say. "Are you mad at me?"

A visible swallow moves down Leo's throat. When his gaze cuts to mine he looks guilty. "I'm sorry, I'm just tired. It's been a long week. I don't mean to take it out on you. Forgive me?"

"Of course. I understand." I give him a small smile. "If you'd rather not go, we don't have to. I'm sure the twins will understand if you're not feeling up to it."

His brows arch like he doesn't believe me, but finally, his muscles seem to relax. "Have you met the twins? There's no way they'd let me off the hook if I skipped their sixteenth birthday. Especially if they found out what they'd miss if I weren't there."

"What would they miss?"

The corner of his mouth hitches into a smirk. "Only the best present they never knew they wanted."

I stare at him and grin. "What is it?"

Leo shrugs and looks at me sideways. "You'll have to wait and see." And then he pauses. "You look very pretty, by the way. That dress was made for you."

So, he did notice. I avert my eyes as a satisfying heat swamps my cheeks. "Thank you."

The compliment fills me, and a comfortable silence settles over us as we continue toward our destination.

🌴

Words in total, approximately 18,197.

Congratulations to everyone who's made it to round three of ONC! And thank you so much for coming back to support my story! 🧡