❀ Clark ❀
Saturday started with sunshine, fresh air, and the nervous energy of someone hosting guests that mattered too much. Amy and Eva. I had cleaned the house three times before they arrived. Vacuumed again even though the floor was spotless. Rearranged the cushions like a maniac. Lit a candle, then blew it out because it felt like I was trying too hard. Then lit it again because the house smelled like lumber and cardboard. When I opened the door to find them standing on my new porch, my nerves settled into something softer. Amy looked beautiful in jeans, a simple top, and that unreadable expression she wore when she didn’t want me to know how she really felt. Eva practically skipped past me and into the house.
“This is huge,” she gasped as she ran from room to room.
“Don’t let the
