“Sorry to use my key, but if I don’t show proof of life in the next ten minutes, your brothers will break down the door. I’m just dropping off homemade mac and cheese. Is it okay if I come in?” Before she could respond, her mother held up a pint of Ben and Jerry’s Half Baked ice cream. “I thought you might want this, but if you’re not hungry, I can give it to one of them.”

“I’m starved.” Madigan moved to stand.

“Relax, honey. I’ll heat you up a plate of mac and cheese.”

Her mother joined her a few minutes later, handing her the promised plate. It smelled delicious, and she knew it would bring comfort, which she needed now more than ever as the simple act of her mother lowering herself to sit beside her on the floor made her heart ache. Her parents had raised her to be cautious, to watch her back, ask questions, and make smart decisions. When she’d gone to Spain, she’d spent weeks getting to know Alejandro and had thought she’d asked all the right questions. But the truth was, she’d been too starry-eyed over him to remember what she’d learned under the tutelage of her streetwise parents and protective brothers. She hadn’t thought to clear away the leaves that had willingly fallen from the tree and dig into the dirt for the ones that had already been stepped on. Alejandro had known just how to sweep her off her feet, and she’d believed his lies, which had made his deceit even more painful. She’d gotten carried away with Tobias, too, caught up in how good she felt when she was with him, and she’d trusted him despite his shutting down their conversations. Under her mother’s worried gaze, embarrassment at her recklessness set in.

“Are you okay, honey?”

“I will be,” she said with more confidence than she felt, and ate a forkful of mac and cheese.

“I know you like to wrap up your hurts and kick them to the curb like they never existed, but this was a big blow. Do you want to talk about it?”

Madigan shook her head, eating another bite.

Her mother picked up the notebook she’d been writing in. “I see you’ve been busy.”

“I was trying to come up with new ideas for cards.”

Her mother read aloud. “Roses are red, violets are blue, my brothers suck, and so do you.” She glanced at Madigan and read another. “Secrets are like lies. Thanks for making me cry.” Her mother set down the notebook and touched her hand. “Oh, honey. I don’t think these are going to go over too well.”