“You okay there?” I teased.

“Totally,” she said, drawing out every syllable. Then she cocked her head with a giant big-sister smirk. “I’m sitting here, thinking it’s real clever that Tabitha Tyler believes she can control once-in-a-lifetime, stars-in-your-eyes, soul-mate love.”

I mimicked her expression, trying not to laugh. “Oh yeah? Watch me.”

She started to giggle but then reached for my hand again. “I’m sorry, I’m being a brat. I want you to know that you can talk to me about messy love stuff. Or heart stuff. Or getting hurt stuff. Not ’cause I’m desperate to shove you into a relationship. But those feelings…” She swallowed hard, and my own throat started to tighten. “I understand why you might have them. I have them too.”

This was the closest I’d ever come to blurting out all the things I never shared. The secrets, the shame, the locked-away memories that lurked like that storm cloud on sunny days.

“I want you to feel safe and comfortable and happy. Not just for dating but for your own heart, which is the most important. Although if you ever get married, I’m prepared to be the best maid of honor the world has ever known.”

I covered her hand with mine. “Thank you for saying that. I’m deliriously happy with my life right now. With my career and traveling and having flings with sexy people. But five years from now? I hope I’m married and having a ton of kiddos.”

Alexis brightened. “Cousins for Juliet?”

“Tons. Hundreds, even.”

She leaned across the table and gave me a sloppy kiss on the cheek. “That sounds pretty awesome to me.”

“I got it all figured out up here,” I said, tapping my temple. “You don’t have to worry. I do feel like I need to worry about you. That’s why I texted Eric ten minutes ago to walk you home.”

My brother-in-law appeared just then, strolling up to us with his usual charming smile. “Good evening, ladies. I’m looking for my soul mate—have you seen her? About this tall and so pretty I still get nervous around her?”

I yearned for my camera. I never filmed stories about Philly, my family, or anything too personal. Because moments like this—witnessing the unfiltered, joyful affection on my sister’s face as she admired her husband—were the moments I wanted to document and keep only for myself. A bright spark to tuck away inside my heart, to gaze at when I needed a reminder that true love did exist.

Alexis reached forward and grabbed his hands. “Eric, Tabitha made me do shots. I swear it.”

My jaw dropped. I tossed a napkin at her face. “Made you? You little sneak.”

Her smile changed from simper to mischief. “Okay, it was at least half my idea.”

“Everyone thinks I’m the fun one, but Alexis Tyler is the original real deal.”

“Oh yeah,” Eric said. “We were wild in college, staying up late in the library, getting wasted on coffee and microwave popcorn, working on mock lesson plans.”