To her credit—and my relief—her response is casual. Nothing like the machine-gun tears I got when I called to tell her I would be temporarily moving back to Michigan or when I told her I would be moving into Kevin’s place.

“I’ll be up to my elbows in my garden. Gotta get the plots ready for my veggies. What time are you thinking?”

I sip my coffee. “Midmorning?”

“Wonderful. Bring your muscles,” she says. “I need you to move some timbers for me.”

I groan, but she knows I don’t mean it. Even still, she adds, “I’ll treat you to lunch to sweeten the pot.”

“You mean, you’ll make me a sandwich,” I say, grinning. My mom’s a lot of things, but she’s not much of a cook. Whenever we were in Michigan, my dad fed us. When I was on the show, and my mom rented an overpriced studio apartment for me and her in L.A., we ate a whole lot of In-N-Out Burger while my dad and brother held things down in Michigan. Holidays were an experience focused solely on food. My dad would go all out, prepping and cooking for days, spoiling us and trying his damnedest to convince us to stay.

It’s a credit to his cooking that he nearly did. (It’s a credit to our forever-tumultuous relationship that he didn’t.)

“Take it or leave it.”

“I love sandwiches, Mom. I’ll see you in a few hours.” I hang up, shaking my head.

I lift my mug up to my lips, taking another sip as my phone lights up with a text.

SHELBY: DON’T LET THE DOOR HIT YOU, LYLE.

I snort, sucking coffee down the wrong pipe, and cough, trying to breathe through it. I didn’t realize Shelby was on the text.

Figuring she’s awake, I’m opening another text before I can stop myself.

CAMERON: You made me spit out my coffee.

SHELBY: Ha! Sorry. Too early for his shit.

CAMERON: Agreed. He needs a warning label.

My phone lights up a second later, and I’m grinning like an idiot, the weirdness of last night dissolving. This is reminding me of how we used to pass notes during tutoring.

SHELBY: CAUTION: Ginormous Ego Ahead. If you experience toxic masculinity and gaslighting, wash your eyes out with bleach.

CAMERON: And move to Michigan, presumably.

SHELBY: LOL NOT FAR ENOUGH though!

I’m suddenly struck with a mix of longing and a really, really stupid idea. My fingers hesitate over the screen for a beat while I decide just how masochistic I’m feeling today.

CAMERON: I’m heading to my mom’s this morning. Feel like a visit? She’d love to see you.

CAMERON: And put you to work.

CAMERON: In her garden.