I nodded, but I didn’t return the sentiment. I might have forgiven Milo for being fourteen and confused and scared when he ended our friendship, but I wasn’t entirely over the role his parents had played in our story. Sure, by all accounts she was supporting Milo now, but where had she been back then when Milo desperately needed more people unconditionally on his side? My fists clenched. I’d told him that I didn’t regret our time apart because we’d both had a lot of growing up to do. Which was true. But it was also true that his road could have been a lot easier.

Could still be a lot easier. I wasn’t impressed by Bruno needing to think. And seeing him now, sitting on the couch, flanked by aunts, not looking up to greet Milo, I was similarly not predisposed to like the man. But I was there to support Milo, not make a scene, and I’d follow his lead.

He looked at the cramped living room full of people spilling out onto a little patio, but then shook his head as he sighed and headed down the hall to the kitchen.

“Milo, who’s your friend?” one of the many aunts asked as soon as we entered the kitchen, which was narrow with a little eating nook on one end.

“This is my boyfriend, Jasper.” Milo turned bright red, and his hand shook as he grabbed mine, but I’d never been so proud of him as I was right then.

“Nice.” She hugged Milo and shook my hand. “Make sure you feed him some of my ziti. He looks too skinny.”

And that was that. She pushed Milo in the direction of the loaded-down food table before grabbing a glass of wine and heading back to the living room.

“Wow. Your mom expecting even more people?” I hadn’t seen this much food in one place since the holidays at my parents’ house.

“Nah. It’s how Mom rolls. She wanted to have all Bruno’s favorites here, and then the aunts can’t come empty-handed and they try to outdo one another.”

“My family’s the same way.” I laughed as I remembered another text that had been on my phone. “By the way, Mom says she’s making chili for Wednesday after cosplay.”

“I’m invited?” Milo was cute when he was surprised, and I couldn’t resist jostling him with my shoulder.

“I think she’s figured out that we’re a package deal now.”

“We are.” He smiled at me, a special, private one that had my toes curling in my sneakers. I was trying to figure out whether I could get away with a kiss when he pointed at the table. “There’s cake. Do you remember Bruno’s high school graduation? When we made ourselves sick on the chocolate cake? This one is from that bakery.”