“Oh my god! Look at you! You’ve gotten so big,” His mother gushed, running her hand through Tori’s hair. “And so pretty as well! Come on in. Do you want something to drink? Snacks? We have those chocote truffles you like. You do still like them, yes?”

  “Mum,” Tyler says in resigned exasperation. “Slow down. You’re overwhelming her with all the questions.”

  “Yes,” His father says, coming up behind her. “Let the girl speak, Maria.” Tyler sees him squeeze her shoulders before shooting Tori a smile. “It’s good to see you again, Kiddo. How have you been?”

  Personally, Tyler thinks they’re both being a little too much. Neither of them had been able to get one step through the door before they’d ambushed them. And after they hadn’t replied to his message too.

  “I’m fine,”Toriughs, “Well as good as I can be all thing’s considered. But, I’m getting there. Thanks for asking.” She grins. “And yes, I do still like the chocote. I’m surprised you remember.”

  “Nonsense,” his mother waves off with a smile. “Of course I remember. You kids would finish it in a day when you were smaller. Do you want some?”

  “I thought we were here for the questions,” Tori says. Tyler notices she neither confirmed or denied wanting some.

  “We are,” dad says with a ugh. “But it could take a while for us to get through them and we wouldn’t want to starve you.”

  “Maybe you should let her get her bag off first,” Tyler says. He doesn’t know how much it could weigh, but he’s sure it would be more comfortable to have a conversation with it first.

  It has also not escaped his notice that Tori is being quieter than she usually is. This inconvenient crush meant he was watching her as they walked in. She tensed when they came up to her and only rexed when his mother started gushing.

  She’s feeling uncomfortable.

  “Oh,” his mother blinks, “right. Sorry dear, I might have gotten a little too excited.” Tori gives them a small smile when they move back to let her get it off.

  “Here, let me get that,” Tyler moves forward when she looks around the room aimlessly. “You can just sit down,” he smiles and leans in to whisper as he takes the bag from her hand, “and eat the chocote, please. I think my mother may cry if you don’t.”

  He’s only partly joking as he pulls back, but she ughs and looks more rexes so he’s not going to bring it up. Ever since their talk his parents had seemed a little more restless. The way they’d asked aboutToriconstantly told him the reason without them having to say it.

  They felt guilty still. He knew did. They should have checked up on her. Shouldn’t have let more than six years go by without at least asking about her. She was one of his best friends for fuck’s sake. Why had they just lost contact like that when they all had phones

  Regrets like that kept him awake at night sometimes. Had kept him awake even before the year began, the lost time and opportunities. However, he hadn’t known how to fix it. None of them knew where she was to even try.

  Now she was here, and all those regrets had bubbled to the surface. All of them trying to make it up to her in some way. Like howLiawould get up at the crack of dawn to get to school even though she hated nothing more. Or how Zach had been keeping a close eye on her food and following her around.

  Nina had bombarded their new group chat with messages every few minutes asking her the most random things. Spamming them with questions about anything and everything, which Tori than answered. None of them had told her to stop, soaking in any information they could get of the years they’d missed.

  The ways she’d changed and the things about her that were still the same. It didn’t matter that they’d known her since the start of the school year, it was like they were meeting her for the first time all over again. He was thankful she humoured them, answering the questions with minimal sass.

  Plopping their bags on the stools by the isnd counter, he walks back to see his mother pulling out a rge file. He blinks. It looks like one of the ones she uses for work. Wasn’t this supposed to be a casual conversation?

  Tyler decides to just go with it, plopping himself beside Tori with a sigh. He leans over and moves the chip bowl over. This looks like it may take a while. Dad had said as much, but he hadn’trealisedthe extent of it until now.

  “Alright. First things first, do you know if your parents had a will?” She clicks her pen, pulling out a notebook from behind her back. Tyler rolls his eyes when she gives him a meaningful look, picking up a chocote truffle and offering it toTori.

  “Yes they did,”Torisays, taking the chocote. “I remember it being read a day after the funeral.”

  “Do you mind me asking what was in it?”

  “Not at all,” she smiles. “If I remember correctly, I’m pretty sure they left some money to a charity. But most everything went to me. The details escape me, but their wyer said I’d be able to access it when I turned eighteen.”

  His father blinks, knowing just as well as Tyler does that she had turned eighteen two weeks ago. “Have you?”

  Tori hesitates. “Well, I…” She sighs. “Their attorney did call me a few days ago and he told me I could have it transferred as soon as I want.” A pause. “I didn’t really understand most of it at the time, but I do remember mention of trust. Mum was a little paranoid so they made it so no one would be able to touch anything in the case I was underage.”

  “That’s good,” his mother rexes. “Your aunt didn’t get any of it then?”

  “Ah. No,” Tori gives her a small smile. “She was expecting to. I think that’s why they took me in to begin with. But my mum knew what she was like and actually specified that she couldn’t be my guardian. So, it was kind of up in the air for a while.”

  “Good,” his father says, blowing out a relieved breath.

  “Yeah,” she smiles wryly. “I think that’s why they decided to just drop me off in front of an orphanage and never looked back.” Tyler frowns as she ughs without humour, hand moving to rest on hers. She gives him a small smile, before turning back to his parents. “But it’s fine. Jade adopted me not long after so the attorney just made her the guardian for the inheritance.”

  “Has she used any of it?” A pause. “I know this might be an odd question to ask, but it still needs to be. I imagine it’s a sizable inheritance. That can tempt even the best people.”

  “It’s okay,” Tori smiles. Tyler’s happy to note it actually reaches her eyes this time. “I know you’re just trying to look out for me. No. Jade hasn’t used any of it. I’ve told her she can, but she says it’s for me and only me, and refuses.” The smile turns soft. “I’m lucky to have her.”

  Tyler grins, pulling her into a hug. “I’m pretty sure she’d say the same about you.” He feels a lot more rexed to know her aunt got nothing. It’s vindictive and perhaps a little cruel, but Tyler thinks it serves them right. “You know with Raine and all that. She has free babysitting,” he teases.

  She gives him a gre which is made meaningless by the smile on her face. “Jerk,” she nudges. “Anyway,” she turns the smile towards his parents. “I assure you I’m not getting screwed over, so you don’t need to worry.”

  “That’s very much a relief to hear, sweetheart.” Mum closes the file with a relieved sigh. “I got this in case I needed to hound those retives of yours. Can’t say I’m not disappointed I won’t get the chance. But, I’m also relieved it wasn’t needed.”

  Toriughs, leaning back into the couch. “Can’t say that wouldn’t have been nice to see. But it isn’t needed. They don’t really matter and I have everything I need.”

  “That’s a good mindset to have,” Dad says as he leans over and pces a hand on her head paternally. “Still. Let us know if you need something, alright?”

  “Will do,” she replies, smiling slightly. “Thank you for looking out for me.”

  “It’s no trouble,” Mum says. Then smiles softly. “Your parents would be proud of the person you’ve become.”

  “Thank you,” Tori says, blinking back tears. “This didn’t turn out to be as long as you thought, huh?” The joke sounds a little too teary to be genuine and his parents smile sadly.

  “Can I hug you?” His mother wastes no time abandoning the folder and moving close. Tyler moves to avoid being crushed when his mother moves to envelopToriin a hug as soon as she gets a nod. He shares a bemused look with his father as he stands up, but can’t hold it for longer than a moment.

  Not when he sees Tori’s shoulders shake over his mother’s shoulders. This time the gnce they share is a sad one. Tyler has to move away to give them some space or he knows he won’t be able to stop himself from interrupting the moment. Not too far though. He can still vaguely make out the comforting sounds his mum is making to her.

  Only problem is, now he doesn’t know what to do with himself. He sort of wishes Dad would move over here so he could ask him for advice, but he’s now taken to comforting Tori as well. Wait. Is that what he should do too?

  Somehow it doesn’t feel right.

  In the end, he decides to go back anyway. However, not before he takes a detour to get them all some water. Putting the cups on a tray, he moves back into the room to seeTori’sno longer crying. Her eyes are still puffy though, even though his parents don’t seem to mind it too much.

  “Here,” he says, pcing the tray in front of her, “Have some water.”

  His mother gives him an approving smile as she pulls back to give someTorisome room. Good. That means he made the right decision.

  “Aren’t you crying a little too much now?” And he’s messed it up. Seriously. Tyler groans internally. He doesn’t know why he even let his guard down. His brain made him say a lot of stupid things.

  “Shut up,” Tori says hoarsely, ears turning red. Tyler’s pretty sure his mother’s giving him a death gre. His dad on the other hand just looks amused.

  “Wait, that’s not what I meant,” he says quickly, “I just meant…Well. I…”

  “I know,” she says shaking her head. Then gives him a deadpan gre, “You’re still a jerk for it.”

  “Fair enough,” he says, hoping it sounds as nonchant as he’s going for. She doesn’t look concerned about his heart beat trying to get to normal, so he may have succeeded in it.

  The rest of the visit passes in retive peace. Turns out, crying was a hell of an icebreaker and by the end of the hour Tori is ughing with them like she never left at all. It’s comforting to see, even if he’s had to repce the popcorn thrice now since they finished it too quickly and the movie’s still going.

  However, the sight of it makes him feel funny inside. It feels too much like a family night without his other friends around. They don’t really have many of those with their busy schedules, and rarely with both of them at home. But now, with Tori sitting there, it feels like a family night.

  It would be too easy, herealises, to think of this as normal. To fall into patterns and newnormals. To imagine her here all the time, even years from now. And that thought more than any other has him lingering in the kitchen a slight bit longer.

  Watching as his parents turn to her with fond smiles, talking about current events or something. He gets a fsh of a distant future with them doing the same, grey haired and children in their ps. Gods. He buries his face in his hands.

  Tyler needs to get a hold of himself. They’re not even really dating. He shouldn’t be jumping the gun like this. Shouldn’t be imagining their entire future like a crazy person. Jesuschrist. He was deeper than he thought.

  The worst part of it all was that he wanted that future. And for someone who still hadn’t managed to decide what he wanted to do after he graduated in a few months, that was a scary future. It was the only part of his future he knew he wanted for sure.

  And it was terrifying.

  What was he going to do? He took a deep breath, hand twitching for his phone. His fingers lingered over Nina’s name for a second, hesitating. Another breath. An idea formed. He scrolled down to their old group chat, the one without Tori in it.

  Tyler: ‘How do you all feel about pnning a party?’

  Lia: ‘Party for who?’

  Tyler had thought that would be rather obvious. ’ForTori,’ he sent back. ‘Her birthday was a bust, so I thought we should have a redo.’

  Nina: ‘You talking about a surprise?’

  Tyler: ‘Yes.’

  Nina: ‘Awesome. I’m in.’

  Lia: ‘Count me in.’

  Zach: ’Hell yeah! This is going to be amazing!”

  Tyler: ’Gd we’re agreed. Talk to you ter. I think Tori is starting to wonder where I’ve gone.’

  They sent him hand wave emojis in response. But something was still bugging him. It didn’t take longer than a second for him torealisewhat. And that was before Nina started a new group chat and named it 'Tori’s super awesome surprise party’. He rolls his eyes fondly.

  Tyler: ‘Name’s great. Before I forget, add Brooke and Ally to the chat as well.’

  Nina:‘Kay. Just send me their contacts.’

  He responds by doing just that, then turns his phone off.Toriis looking over the couch for him. Tyler decides he’ll just check the rest of the messages ter.

  “Everything alright?”

  “Everything’s great,” he tells her with a smile, passing her the refilled popcorn bowl.

  It’s going to be even better once they get this party pnned. Tyler can hardly wait until it all comes together. Even now, there’s dozens of pns flickering through his head. But, he wills them away to focus on the moment he’s in.

  Though he can’t wait to surprise her with it, it’s not more important than living in the moment with her.