When I was younger, I couldn’t wait to leave for college. To go out in the world and prove that I was better than everyone I’d grown up around. Not just my family and how the outside world viewed us, but the kids I’d gone to school with who’d ignored me and forgotten who I was as soon as I was out of sight. The teachers who’d overlooked me because I did well enough, but wasn’t in sports and therefore wasn’t worth extra effort. My hometown had felt so limiting to a girl who’d had big dreams and plans to be someone.

Looking back on it, the hubris was shocking. Why would I be the center of everyone’s world? Yet all I’d really yearned for was to be the center of someone’s world. Mom and Randall had been busy with my brothers. My dad was a trucker and he called to meet for a meal whenever his route took him through town, but he didn’t come here otherwise. My friends from school had other, better friends and we’d drifted apart. The teachers had stellar students they could push harder and worse students who needed extra attention. My college sweetheart hadn’t felt strongly enough about me to change his career plans and I’d felt the same. We’d gone our separate ways, like me and Bisa, except I didn’t keep in touch with Gabriel.

What I’d been missing growing up, I found through my work. Patrons needed me. I was not only good at my job, I was useful. People appreciated me. I had a purpose, and it kept me busy enough to mask what I was missing at home.

After a long weekend with Aiden, I realized why I’d really left him.

More importantly, I realized why I wanted things to work out between us. Why I wanted to believe that his heart was in this relationship as much as his pride. When his full attention was on me, I believed I could be the center of his world. I believed he loved me, and because of the loss he’d suffered so young, he didn’t know how to show it.

Bisa had swung by the night of the costume party so Aiden could see us together, rocking our red bodysuits and blue wigs. With Bisa present, I hadn’t expected to see another grin, but humor had danced in his eyes before he’d kissed my forehead, earning a nose full of fake blue hair, and said, “Have fun, Thing Two.”

My lips curved at the memory until I was grinning to myself. I switched the dishwasher on and dug out some plastic containers. I packed Mom’s leftover meatloaf for tomorrow’s lunch.