Her past is still the present, unfortunately. She’s been in love with Joshua Parkerson since we were kids. The oldest and most elusive of the Parkerson brothers. She has watched, wondered, dreamed of a time when he would see her as more. Joshua has always pushed her away, except for one night when he kissed her in the hallway by the payphone in the diner. A moment she’s clung to for years.

I watch as her gaze moves there, almost as though the memory calls to both of us.

“How is Josh?” I ask.

“I wouldn’t know.”

“He’s gone too?”

Her eyes narrow, and she shifts. “Too?”

I nod. “Well, yeah. Aren’t the Parkersons all scattered now? You don’t need an entire family to work at the same location. Their parents always had the grand plan of having their own chain. Last time my mother said they opened another location in Wyoming and Oliver went to run it.”

Delia shakes her head subtly. “Yeah, but . . . I mean, they’re not all gone.”

“I’m sure Stella stayed here.” She was the baby, even if only by six minutes of her twin, Oliver, and spoiled beyond belief. I can’t imagine their father allowed her to leave his side. “She and Winnie still hang out.”

She bites her lower lip. “Well, Stella is here, yes, but . . .”

“Did Alex stay?” I ask.

“No, Alex went to their Savannah location,” she says.

I can picture him loving that. Alex is our age and he used to love to party. Savannah would be the perfect mix of fun and seriousness for him. “How is he?”

Delia leans back in the seat, watching me. “Last time we talked, he was doing really well.”

“I always loved him.”

Delia grins. “Alex is the best.”

I would argue that. In my heart, Grayson was the best, but she was very close with Alex and always hung out at his house. Partially because it meant she could be around Josh, but that was beside the point. We were Alex’s friends . . . annoying, young, and stupid.

“Yeah, he’s probably coming back to visit soon, they all do around their parents’ anniversary.”

“It was always a big deal for them.”

Delia pushes the salt shaker back and forth. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“Why did you break up with Grayson?”

I feel the blood drain from my face. “You know why.”

“I know what I heard, which was that you ended things when you went to college because it wasn’t going to work long distance with him being in a different state.”

He was two years older, and I was so sure we’d always be together. Not because of any other reason than we loved each other that much. Surely, two people couldn’t love each other the way we did and not work. It was unfathomable.