Sharon and I raced down the beach as we laughed. We were both still laughing hard when we finally stopped to catch our breath. It was almost like we were kids again.

When we finally stopped laughing, we sat down on the beach and took in the beautiful sunset in silence. Reaching over, I picked up a nearby stick. I pulled my knees closer to my chest and rested my head on my knees.

"Want to talk about what happened," Sharon asked, breaking the silence. "You know you can always talk to me."

I shrugged with a sigh. "Troy thinks I'm overprotective of Melody and that I don't trust him. Or anyone for that matter."

"Now we know you have people you can trust," Sharon pointed out, "But is Troy one of them?"

I turned to Sharon, giving her a disbelief look. I couldn't believe she'd even ask me that. "Of course I…."

Sharon raised a brow at me, and I stopped. My expression fell when I admitted the whole truth to myself. I did trust Troy, but just not with everything.

"I do trust Troy," I explained, my voice trailing a bit as I continued, "it's just….."

"You don't trust him with everything," Sharon finished knowingly, and I nodded. "Maybe that's the problem. No one on planet Earth has X-ray vision. He can't see what you won't let him."

"I tried telling him, but I can't help it if he has a dense head." I reasoned with annoyance in my voice. It sounded like Sharon was siding with him, and I didn't like it. "Why are you siding with him, anyways?"

Sharon chuckled and brushed some hair from my face. "I'm not siding with Troy. But maybe now you can understand how he feels."

I puckered my lip, making a sour face. "What do you mean?"

She picked up two nearby shells and showed them to me. "What can you tell me about them just by looking?"

I shrugged, not seeing the point. "They're shells."

"But, they're not just shells. One of them is very important." Sharon reached out her left hand for me to take a closer look. "Take a closer look, but don't touch."

I narrowed my brows at the ordinary-looking shells. After a moment, I shook my head. "I don't see anything different or important about this shell."

She tapped at it, and a hermit crab peeked out. My mouth dropped to the floor with a gasp. It hadn't occurred to me that the shell could be the hermit crab's home.

She handed the hermit crab to me. "When you're on the outside, you can only see what you're allowed to see. The insiders will always know more until you become one of them."

I bit my lip, letting Sharon's words sink in. "I assumed that you're on Troy's side because that's how it sounded, and I didn't have more information. Just like Troy assumes I'm overprotective or that I can't trust anyone because that's what I'm letting him see."

Sharon nodded with a smile. "Bingo and you're the only one who can do anything about it."

I let the hermit crab go and watched it return to the ocean. Staring out at the crashing waves, a feeling of sadness overwhelmed me.

My voice was above a whisper when I finally spoke. "I don't think it matters what I let them see. It won't change the fact that I shouldn't be here. I lost that privilege a long time ago."

"So what do you want to do," Sharon asked.

"I think I should head home," I replied. "It'll put an end to everyone's misery and let them enjoy what's left of their vacation."

Sharon raised her brow at me. "So, you're running again."

I shook my head. "I'm not running; I'm giving them what they want. No one wants me here anyway. All they want is Melody, and something tells me if I leave and Melody stays, no one would object."

"Who are you going to trust to watch Melody?"

I turned to her. "You."

She burst out laughing. Her face was serious when she got a hold of herself again. "One major problem. No one here knows the truth. They all think we're just friends and new friends at that. How will you explain why you're suddenly willing to leave Melody with them?"

"Simple. If they ask, we'll tell them you grew up with Javy, so I trust you. It's true, so we wouldn't be lying."

Sharon's brow lifted as she studied me in silence. "Are you sure this is what you want?"

My entire body slumped as my expression fell. "No, but it's clearly what everyone else wants. Plus, it might be the only way to keep the peace."

"Have you talked to Javy about this," She asked.

I nodded, "Yeah, early today. He said he'll agree to it if it's what I want."

Sharon wrapped her arm around me. "Well, you know I'm always behind you a hundred and ten percent."

"Thanks," I hugged her back. "I'll race you back."

I could see the fire of Sharon's competitive nature spark in her eyes. We hopped on our feet and raced back down the beach the way we came.


Javier and I were up early the following day packing our bags. We called our family the night before to let them know what was happening. They thought it was a good idea for us to leave too, if we were that unwelcome around them.

I checked the final item off our list. "OK, that should be it."

"Since we're not in a hurry to leave, how about visiting Monterey Bay Aquarium while we're here," Javier suggested while zipping up the last bag. "It'll give our kids something to do together before leaving and tire them out, making the return trip with True much easier."

The Aquarium was on our list, but we just hadn't got to it. Now that we were leaving, it could be fun to go for a quick visit before leaving. I couldn't think of a reason to say no.

"That sounds like a great idea," I answered, picking Melody up. "What do you think, baby? You want to go see some sea creatures."

Melody nodded, "True too," She asked, pointing to her cousin.

I kissed her and hugged her close. "Yup, True too. Uncle Javy, Aunt Smiley, and Mommy will go too. Does that sound fun?"

Melody nodded approvingly. "Fun," She clapped her hand.

Javier chuckled. "You want to grab Smiley while I start loading the car?"

"Sounds good," I agreed, setting Melody on the ground. I took Melody in my left hand and Truett in my right. "Now, let's see who can find Aunt Smiley first."

Truett and Melody toddled off, dragging me behind them. Sharon and Javier were loading the last of the bags into the car as I buckled Truett in his car seat. I was so focused on what I was doing that I hadn't noticed any footsteps approaching us.

Melody tugged at my shirt. "Mommy, look."

I peeked out of the car to see Zeke and Jason approaching us. This could either go really well or not. I made sure Truett was secure in his seat and picked Melody up.

I gave them a small smile when they were in front of me. "Hi, morning," I greeted with a slight wave.

"Morning, we heard you're leaving early," Zeke replied, "everything OK, and why didn't you tell us?"

I nodded. "I'm fine; leaving early just beats sticking around where you're not wanted."

Jason scrunched his face into his infamous confused look. "Who says we don't want you here? We love having you here."

I rolled my eyes. "No one had to say anything. Actions speak louder than words. You two and Sharon are probably the only ones who want us here. And I'm sorry I didn't tell. I was going to, but I guess Sharpay is the queen of gossip for a reason."

We all chuckled, and it turned into full-blown laughter. Jason was the one who spoke when we finally stopped laughing. "There's nothing we can say to change your mind, is there," He asked.

I shifted Melody on my hip. "Nah, but it would make our day if you came to the Aquarium with us. A little something fun to do before we head back. Then at least the three of us got to do something as a group."

Zeke and Jason smiled at the idea. "Sounds like a plan. Just let us go in to grab our wallets and phones."

Sharon and Javier eyed them, watching them disappear into the house. Javier turned to me and placed a hand on my shoulder as he leaned into me. "Seems to me you have at least two friends here."

"Yeah, maybe I do," I agreed in a whisper as we turned and headed for the car.


Melody and Truett loved the aquarium. Squeals, cheering, and clapping came along with each new exhibit we visited. With each sea creature they saw, their excitement only grew. The sea otters had to be the best part. They could hardly contain their excitement when they saw them, and we had to hold them back.

We ended up walking around the entire place again after grabbing an early lunch at the aquarium. By then, Zeke and Jason had already bailed on us. They had explored the aquarium with us until Kelsie and Sharpay called them. Once their spouse called, they couldn't leave fast enough.

Javier and Sharon quickly noticed my suppressed sadness through my fake smile since Zeke and Jason bailed. I barely noticed Sharon disappear for a few minutes until a cone was waved before me.

"Figure you can use a little pick me up."

Looking up, I gave her a genuine smile before taking the cone. "Thanks."

"You know Jason and Zeke are on your side, right," Javier asked as he approached me. "And so are we, always."

I shrugged, giving Melody a lick of the cone. "I know, but it still stung that they suddenly bailed. It doesn't help that I know this would be happening a lot, either."

Javier gave me a sympathetic smile as he wrapped me in a hug. 'This is all new. It's all going to take some time for all of you to get us to."

Sharon hugged me too. "The important thing is they're still your friends."

I knew they had a point. It wasn't like Zeke, and Jason weren't my friends. I knew they were, even if we weren't like Teagan or Blakely. We were friends, which was the important thing.

I sighed. 'I know, and I will get used to it."

"Good; in the meantime, you have us," Javier swiped some of the ice cream and wiped it on my nose.

I gasped, pretending to be angry as Sharon burst into a laughing fit. I wasn't sure why, but I started laughing too. It wasn't long before the kids joined our laughter, and people gave us crazy looks.

"The kids are turning themselves into a sweet mess," Sharon noted when we got control of ourselves.

Sharon was right. Truett and Melody had ice cream smeared all over their faces. The melted ice cream dripping from their hands had made their hands super sticky. They had wide grins on their faces as they continued to pass the mostly melted, dripping cone back and forth.

Melody giggled, showing me her hands before licking them. "Yummy."

I think we're done, "Javier said, seeing the kids making a bigger mess.

Sharon took the cones from them and tossed them in the trash. Then Javier and I took the kids to the restroom to get cleaned up.

We figured it was time to leave when Truett started getting fussy. It didn't take long for Melody and Truett to drift into dreamland once we were in the car.


When we arrived back at the beach house, most everyone was out. Only Troy's Gram Gram was there. Melody barely stirred in her sleep as I removed her from her car seat and handed her to Sharon. After a final goodbye, Javier and I were ready to hit the road.

"Wait, Gabby." Troy's Gram Gram called after us as we were getting in the car. "Please, can we talk?"

Javier and I exchanged glances, cautious of what Troy's Gram Gram might want from us. It was hard to imagine that anything the Bolton's might be wanting from us could be good.

"Is there something we can help you with," Javier asked, closing the front driver's side of the car.

"Please, I just want to grab a drink and talk."

I gripped the car handle, trying to figure her out. Javier was just as hesitant to agree, and Troy's Gram Gram must have noticed.

"Mama, I'm not sure that's such a great idea," Javier spoke, "Your family might have something to say about that."

Troy's Gram Gram gave a dismissive wave of her hand. "Let them talk. I promise I'm not playing any tricks, and there's no angle. All I want is a drink and a chance to talk to you alone."

I caught Javier giving me a 'your call' look and nibbled at my lips in thought. My eyes darted from Javier to Troy's Gram Gram. I didn't have the heart to say no.

I sighed and nodded. "Sure. There's a Cafe down the street; we can meet there to talk."

Troy's Gram Gram's face lit up like a kid on Christmas. "That's perfect. Thanks."

My guard was still up as we got in the car and pulled out of the driveway.


We spotted Troy's Gram Gram's car as we pulled into the parking lot. Suddenly, a list of possibilities of what Troy's Gram Gram might want popped into my head, and my stomach started doing summersaults. This suddenly didn't seem like such a great idea.

Javier killed the car engine and turned to me. "You want me to go in with you," He asked.

I barely heard Javier's question, with fear striking through me. My eyes landed on Troy's Gram Gram, sitting by the window, and my breath hitched.

I pulled my eyes away and reached for my bag in the back. "Maybe I shouldn't have agreed," I whispered, fumbling with my bag and phone.

Javier placed a hand on my shaking arms. "Take it easy. I'm not going to let you go in alone. I'm going to be right there. We'll just go in and see what she wants."

I open my mouth to protest. "No, I got this….."

Javier stopped me and narrowed his eyes at me. "You don't have to be tough around me; you know that."

I blew out a raspberry as I tossed my phone in my bag. "Is it pathetic that I'm actually afraid of what an almost ninety-year-old grandma could do or say to me?"

Javier shook his head as he unbuckled Truett. "Great grandma and the unknown are always scary."

"True," I agree, opening the door for him.

A waiter approached us immediately with a bright smile and two menus in her hands. "Hi, welcome to Tidal Coffee. Will it just be you three?"

I shook my head and nodded towards Troy's Gram Gram. "Our friends here."

"Super, why don't you grab a seat with your friend, and I'll give you a few minutes to look through our menu."

Troy's Gram Gram stood when she spotted us approaching her. She nodded for us to sit and took a seat again when we did.

She handed us the menu. "I already know what to order, so why don't you two take a look."

Javier freed one of his hands and took the menu. "Are you hungry?"

I shook my head. "Not really."

Javier closed the menu, set it aside, and flagged for a waiter. The waiter noticed and nodded with a raise of her hand.

"One minute," She called, not taking her eyes off her current customers.

We turned our attention back to Troy's Gram Gram and noticed she was looking at us like someone trying to figure out a confusing puzzle. I wasn't sure why she was starring, and I wasn't sure I'd like to know. Whatever was going on wasn't something that interested me in the slightest. All I wanted was to get in and out as soon as possible. The less I knew, the better we all felt.

Swallowing my nervous breath, I cleared my throat. "So, uuuhh, why did you want to talk to me?"

"Right," Troy's Gram Gram nodded, "I wanted to ask you about your relationship with my grandson."

I titled my head, not sure what she was asking me. "Uuuummmm, I'm not sure what you're asking me. Is there something specific you wanted to ask about my relationship with Troy?"

She shook her head with a shrug. "Troy, he talked about you a lot. But he never really talked about your guys' relationship. I would love to hear about anything you're willing to tell me."

I wasn't sure if I was hearing her right. Back at the house, it sounded like whatever it was really important. But if she wanted to know about my relationship, she could easily ask Troy. She didn't have to talk to me. I could see the same kind of confusion in Javier.

"So, your grandson's relationship with Elly is why you wanted to talk to her," Javier asked, "why not just ask your grandson?"

A waiter came by to take our order, and Troy's Gram Gram ordered tea.

"What about you two," The waiter asked without looking up from the notepad in her hand. "What would it be?"

Javier ordered for us. "Hot Chocolate with wiped cream, extra marshmallow, and chocolate sprinkles."

The waiter finished taking our orders and left a menu before going to place our orders. I could see the intrigued look on Troy's Gram Gram face as her eyes darted from one of us to the other. There was something on her mind. The question was, what was it. And what did it have to do with me?

Folding my hands, I sat straighter. "Uuuhh, Gram Gram, is there a reason you're asking me instead of Troy about our relationship?"

Troy's Gram Gram gave us an innocent smile and shrugged. "I'm just trying to understand some things, and I want to hear it from both ends-yours and Troy's."

I nodded, blowing out a raspberry. I wasn't sure why she wanted to know or what to tell her about my relationship with Troy.

Blowing out a shaky breath, I decided just to pick a place to start. And no better place than the beginning. Troy's Gram Gram listened with genuine interest as I told her about my relationship with Troy. I was telling Troy's Gram Gram about how Troy and I could easily make each other laugh when the waiter returned with our drink orders.

Javier reached for the sugar and utensils. "Here, I can help you," He offered.

Troy's Gram Gram politely nodded with the tiniest smile. "Thanks."

I could hear the awkwardness and uncomfortably in her voice. It didn't surprise me. She had barely said two words to me this whole week and even less to Javier. Neither of us saw her unless we were doing something as a group. Right now was the most interaction we'd had with her in the last four days.

Troy's Gram Gram turned to me. "So, Gabby, what did happen three years ago? I mean, it sounds like you and my great-grandson had quite the relationship. Were you two drifting apart?"

Lifting the cup of hot chocolate to my lips, I took a sip. I smacked my lips together, knowing I got a whipped cream stache. "Uhhh, I left on my own account to deal with some things."

Her eyes pierced my soul, and I felt guilt hit me square in the chest. The longer she stared, the more uncomfortable I felt.

After what seemed like forever, she spoke. "Do you still have feelings for Troy?"

I nearly choked on my drink and did a spit take. Troy's Gram Gram really didn't beat around the bush. I could see that Javier was just as shocked by the question as I was.

I honestly wasn't sure how I felt aside from being confused. True, Troy had stirred up some old feelings in me, but I wasn't totally sure what they were. And I really didn't want to think about why I had those feelings or what they meant. I had enough to focus on my plate as it was. The last thing I needed was to try and decipher old emotions that I shouldn't be feeling.

I cleared my throat when I got over the shock and found my voice. "Seeing Troy again hasn't been like I'd imagined. And it's not about your family's loving treatment either. Thought that's a part of it."

Javier didn't bother to hide his amusement at my comment. Troy's Gram Gram tried to hide her amusement, too but failed.

She asked when she stopped chuckling. "Granted, my family isn't the friendliest. How is seeing Troy again different?"

I gave a half-shrug. "Oh, many reasons. The awkwardness of seeing and talking to my ex comes to mind. Never thought it would be so awkward, and being engaged now doesn't help. But then again, I've never really made a point of talking to my exes or anyone from their family. Hence the ex part. The fact that co-parenting has been more of a battle is another."

I stopped as more reasons popped into my mind. "How much time do you have?"

The corners of her lips went up slightly into a smile, letting me know she got my point. "OK, you've made your point. Seeing an ex when you're engaged can get awkward. But your fiancé, it's not Javy, is it?"

My jaw dropped to the floor, and I turned to Javier. He looked just as shocked as I was feeling. I didn't need a mirror to know I looked just as shocked and confused as Javier.

It took me a moment to find my words. "What are you saying?"

"Javy, he's your brother, not your fiance."

I wasn't sure if she was stating it or asking me. Maybe it was a little of both.

I sighed and nodded. "How did you figure it out? No one else was able to."

She leaned back a little in her chair, taking a sip of her tea. "Intuition. It also helped that you compared your relationship with Javy to my great-grandkids."

"Well, I guess we know who has the brains in the Bolton family," Javier whispered as he leaned into me, and I couldn't hold back a snicker.

Troy's Gram Gram narrowed her brow at us with a frown. She had a dead serious look on her face when she spoke. "The real question is, why not just tell the truth? So you have a brother; Troy does too. And so does a billion other people on this earth. Some people even have more than one. It's not a big deal."

"I'm not most people," I replied, pausing briefly as I tried to figure out what to say. "I'm different, and so is our family. Because we're different, I've always been treated as such. Keeping my personal life personal is the only way I get treated somewhat normally. So, please don't tell anyone."

She folded her arms across her chest, not taking her eyes off me. Every second ticking away felt like years before she said, "Sounds to me like it's their problem; why are you making it yours?"

I could feel myself growing distant as my mind wandered back to my childhood. I hadn't always made it my problem. When I was around Olyvya's age, being different didn't bother me. I was who I was, and I accepted it.

Times were much simpler than, and so was my thinking. There were never attempts to hide who I was, and I was friends with anyone who wanted to be mine. Not like now when even the most straightforward thing gets complicated.

I snapped out of my thoughts. "I didn't mean to be so guard. It's just easier than dealing with the aftermath when the truth gets out."

"You know the right path and the easy path are never the same. It's always up to you which path to take."

"Our parents told us the same thing all the time growing up," I admitted.

"Smart parents," Troy's Gram Gram noted before finishing her tea. "I can keep your secret even if I don't see why it's such a big deal."

The corner of my lips curved up. "Thanks."

We quickly finished up and gathered our stuff. I thanked Troy's Gram Gram again before leaving. We headed our separate ways in the parking lot. Javier started the car but didn't pull out of the parking lot until Troy's Gram Gram was out of sight.

What now? Can I really trust Troy's Gram Gram to keep the secret? Will anyone else figure out that Javier's my brother? Will Troy's Gram Gram figure out why I don't talk about my family?

Millions of questions ran through my mind as we merged onto the highway, and I didn't have any of the answers. Not a one.