After dinner they walked to the lake with a basket of flowers. It was only a half moon, but as Eve had learned this past year, Maya wasn’t one to let a detail like that stop her.

Maya and Eve led the way onto the pier, arm in arm. “Whatcha gonna wish for?” Maya asked.

Eve looked over her shoulder. Her parents and Pearl were chatting with Clara.

Law and Jake were talking, too. Well, Law was talking. Jake was his usual silent self.

But Sawyer, who had been bringing up the rear, was looking at her. Just like he had that night more than a year ago, the first time she and Maya had come out here to make wishes.

She held a flower out over the lake and considered.

Wishes Eve Abbott Considered While Sawyer Collins Stared at Her Back

1.

Nothing. She had nothing.

And for once, she was completely fine with that. You didn’t need wishes, or lists, when you had a voice you knew how to use and a town full of crazy people to be your backup singers.

So she stepped back to let her friends do some wishing. She had another agenda, anyway.

Everyone threw their flowers in. Her parents exclaimed over the charm of the tradition. Clara went on about how she had missed the Lake Huron sunsets. Pearl and Law were talking about Assassin’s Creed.

Eve moved over to the far side of the pier, wanting to do this alone for some reason she couldn’t articulate. But she didn’t think Lucille would mind. She pulled the urn from the shoulder bag she’d been carrying, mouthed, “Thank you,” and upended it into the lake.

Sawyer came up and put his arm around her shoulder. If he’d seen what she’d done, he didn’t let on. “I have to take Clara to a party some of her friends from the grocery store are having.”

She cleared her throat. “Yeah, and I should spend some time with my parents.”

“And then I should stay at the house with Clara tonight.”

“Of course.”

They sighed in unison.

“But she goes back tomorrow,” he said, reading her mind.

“They all do.” In fact, her parents were driving Clara back to the city. “The time will go fast,” she said, to herself as much as to him.

“No, it won’t.” He kissed her and stepped away.

“Sext me later?” she called after him.

He winked. “I’ll do my best.”

Acknowledgments