“Like, we started doing a group present for our parents and a round-robin gift wheel for me and my sisters because we were kids and didn’t have any money, but now we all have jobs, and we could just get each other regular presents so it wouldn’t have to be a whole thing.”

Greta forced herself to stop talking, take a breath, and eat some grapes.

“Sorry, I’ll stop talking about this.”

“Why do you think your parents are only pretending to like these presents?” Carys asked.

“I dunno, it’s silly, right? Your adult children putting on a play or making stuff like kids?”

“I think probably they still love you just as much as when you were little and they still want pictures of you,” Carys said mildly.

Greta got distracted watching her suck a bead of honey off her finger.

“Seems like maybe your sister likes an excuse to work on something with y’all.”

“Sadie? She just likes to tell us all what to do since she’s the oldest.”

Greta was half kidding. But only half.

“Sorry to keep talking about my family. Do you have any holiday traditions?”

“Not with my family anymore. For a little while when I was in college, my mom and I would go through the motions. She’d get me random stuff that had nothing to do with my life. I’d put a lot of thought into trying to get a gift that made her feel seen, and she’d be massively disappointed in it, then we’d go to her parents for an awkward dinner.”

Carys delivered this statement in an offhand way, but it made Greta’s stomach clench with sadness. Then Carys grinned.

“These days, Veronica and Helen and I have a big holiday thing of our own. We invite lovers and close friends who aren’t seeing family, and we do it up here.” She paused for a moment and looked up at Greta, her whiskey-brown eyes twinkling. “You should come.”

Greta smiled and eased down beside her. “Again?” she said.

Carys arched an eyebrow and raked Greta with her eyes. “’Tis the season.”

Chapter 9

Greta

hows nola??? Maggie’s text came when Greta and Horse were on their way to Muriel’s for tea.

it’s great! met the most amazing girl and made a friend with an actual banana tree growing in her backyard.

Maggie sent back banana emojis, then, like a GIRL girl?

yes, a human girl. woman.

liiiike ???

total fireworks, Greta gave in and replied, smiling. An old man walking slowly past her smiled back and tipped his hat.

“Morning,” she mumbled.