MELODY
...

Weekends at Jeremiah's place are usually quiet. He's either glued to the TV watching sports or tinkering in the garage, leaving me to do whatever I want. But this weekend, everything is louder.

Marco, Mom, and Jess are visiting from Hilton, and the house is filled with the kind of chaos I secretly missed.

Marco's already rummaging through the fridge like it owes him money, Jess has her headphones in trying to talk to her mom that they got here safe but somehow still manages to complain about the Wi-Fi, and Mom is bustling around the kitchen with that look she gets when she's mentally rearranging someone else's cupboards.

"Melody," Mom calls out, her voice muffled by the sound of cabinets opening and closing. "Does Jeremiah not believe in organization? Where are the matching plates?"

"Probably the same place he keeps his matching socks," I reply, leaning against the doorway.

"Don't drag me into this!" Jeremiah yells from the living room, but his laughter gives him away.

Marco pops his head out from behind the fridge. "You guys are so weird. Anyway, where's this Stephanie we keep hearing about?"

I groan. "Don't start."

"What? I'm just curious," he says, smirking. "Mom wants to meet her too, right?"

Mom looks up from a stack of perfectly matching plates, her  raised.

"Stephanie? She's the physiotherapist you keep mentioning, right?"

"She's my friend," I say quickly.

"Friend," Marco repeats, dragging out the word. "Sure."

I glare at him, but before I can come up with a snarky response, there's a knock at the door.

"I'll get it!" Jess yells, already halfway to the door.

But with my limpy leg, I rush past her, my heart racing for no reason other than the fact that I know who's on the other side.

When I open the door, Steph is standing there, looking a little unsure but still smiling.

"Hey," she says.

"Hey," I reply, stepping aside to let her in.

Steph takes a cautious step into the house, her gaze darting around like she's not sure where to look.

"Is this a bad time? We can reschedule if-"

"No!" I say quickly. "No, it's fine. Come on in."

Before I can explain further, Marco appears behind me, grinning like the Cheshire Cat he is.

"So, you must be Stephanie," he says, extending a hand.

Steph blinks, clearly caught off guard, but she shakes his hand anyway. "Uh, yeah. And you are?"

"Marco," he says, flashing a charming smile. "Melody's favorite sibling."

Jeremiah snorts from the couch. "Favorite? That's a stretch."

But he knows Marco is right.

Steph chuckles, and I can already tell she's going to fit in way too well.

"Marco, stop being weird," I say, stepping between them. "This is my mom, and that's Jess over there pretending not to listen."

She will grill me later for all this.

Mom wipes her hands on a dish towel and steps forward, her smile warm and welcoming. "It's so nice to meet you, Stephanie. I've heard so much about you."

Steph's cheeks flush, and she glances at me. "All good things, I hope?"

"Of course," Mom says. "You're just in time for lunch. Stay and eat with us."

"Oh, I don't want to impose-"

"Nonsense," Mom interrupts, waving off her protests. "We always make too much food anyway."

Jeremiah appears from the living room, clapping Steph on the shoulder like they're old friends.

"She's right. Stay. I want them to hear all the embarrassing stories about Mel."

"I hate all of you," I mutter, but no one's listening.

Lunch is loud and chaotic, just like I knew it would be. Marco keeps finding ways to bring Steph into the conversation, asking her everything from where she grew up to whether she thinks I'm a good patient.

"She's... persistent," Steph says diplomatically, earning a laugh from everyone at the table.

Mom leans in, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "So, Stephanie, what made you want to become a therapist?"

Steph sets her fork down, her expression thoughtful. "I've always liked helping people. I guess it started in high school when I volunteered at a rehab center. Seeing how much of a difference I could make-- it just stuck with me."

Mom nods approvingly. "That's wonderful. And you're so young. You must be very dedicated."

Steph glances at me, a small smile tugging at her lips. "I try."

Jeremiah smirks. "Dedicated enough to put up with Mel, apparently."

"Okay, that's enough," I say, glaring at him. "Can we talk about literally anything else?"

"Nope," Marco says, popping a grape into his mouth. "This is way more fun."

Despite the teasing, Steph handles it all with grace, even helping Mom clear the table when lunch is over. I try to stop her, but she waves me off.

"I don't mind," she says. "Your mom's great."

Mom beams at her from across the kitchen. "You're welcome here anytime, Stephanie."

Like it's her house!

"Thank you," Steph says softly, and for a moment, the noise of the house fades away.

When she is finally ready to leave, I walk her to the door, feeling weirdly reluctant to let her go. Just like the other day.

"Thanks for staying," I say, shoving my hands into my pockets. God I hope I look cool.

"Thanks for inviting me," she replies, her voice is just as soft.

For a moment, it feels like there's something else she wants to say, but she just smiles and waves as she heads to her bike.

Back inside, I grab my phone and type out a quick text.

Me: Sorry about my family. They're a little... much.

Steph: They're great. Don't apologize.

Me: Marco's the worst.

Steph: He's funny.

Me: No, he's annoying.

Steph: He definitely knows how to push your buttons.

I roll my eyes but can't help smiling.

Me: You two have that in common. Anyway, thanks for helping with everything. You didn't have to.

Steph: It was no big deal. Your mom's really sweet.

Me: She likes you.

Steph: I like her too.

Before I can respond, Marco snatches the phone out of my hands.

"Marco!" I yell, lunging for it, but he's already reading the messages.

"'I like her too,'" he reads aloud, his voice high-pitched and mocking. "Wow, Mel, this is getting serious."

"Give it back!" I shout, chasing him around the living room but failing terribly.

"Does Steph know you're in love with her, or?"

"I will murder you."

"Can you do it after I post this on Snapchat?" Jess calls from the couch where she's recording our banter.

Jeremiah watches the chaos with a smirk. "This is better than TV."

I finally tackle Marco, snatching the phone out of his hand. "You're the worst."

"And yet, you love me the most," he says, grinning.

I glare at him but don't respond. Instead, I grab Jess and retreat to my room, locking the door behind me.

My phone buzzes again.

Steph: U there?

I hesitate, then type back.

Me: Yeah. Just my brother being annoying.

Steph: I see. Is he keeping you from anything important? 😉

I suck in some air, drawing Jess's attention.

"What?"

"I think she's flirting with me. Is she flirting with me?" I tilt the phone for her to see.

Jess gasps. She's totally flirting with you.

My heart skips. "What do I do?"

Jess shakes her head like it's obvious. "Flirt back!"

Me: Depends. You offering me a distraction? 😏

Steph: Maybe. If you play your cards right... 😌

Over my pounding heart, I can hear Jess squeaking with excitement.

Me: I'm game

Steph: lol, later.

Seriously!