Page 73 of Teach Me How

Uncle Don’s gaze is drawn to Reese, so I reach around and usher her forward. “This is Reese Olson.”

“Lisa Elliot’s daughter?”

“It’s Lisa Olson these days.” Reese grins. “But, yes.”

Uncle Don smiles at her. “You look just like her. Lisa was a year ahead of me in school.” He glances up at Mitch. “And you must be Mitch.”

Mitch gives him a mild smile, offering his hand. Uncle Don hesitates, like he’d rather hug his nephew, but he takes Mitch’s offered hand instead. He turns back to his partner, a lanky guy with jaw-length auburn hair. “This is my partner, Cliff.”

Cliff sweeps forward, ushering Reese ahead of him while he gushes over her wild hair. Uncle Don follows on their heels, and I look back at Mitch.

We exchange brief, uneasy glances. Slapping Mitch on the shoulder, I gesture for him to go ahead.

The first thing I notice about Uncle Don’s cabin is the view. The entire east wall is glass. As I step closer, I realize that’s not glass, but open air leading to a long patio that literally hangs out over the cliff. They’ve pushed the glass panels wide open, letting the brisk mountain air flow through the space.

Everything is modern and minimal, from their massive kitchen to their sitting area.

I feel a slight twinge of envy and realize that Uncle Don and I have similar taste. He’s by the fridge, offering Mitch a wide selection of beer. Cliff and Reese are standing on the balcony, leaning up against a glass barrier that makes my heart beat a little faster.

Cliff moves back into the kitchen, and I join Reese on the balcony. I reach out and curve my arm around her side. She looks up at me. “What would it be like to live out here, in the middle of all this?”

“Spectacular.”

She nods, resting her head against my chest.

Envy and frustration pulse in my chest. It’s not often that I find myself wanting things. I resigned myself to my fate years ago. It’s easier to just coast along, not looking up.

But I’ve looked around and I see things I want, a life I want.

And I know I can’t have it and that feels like shit.

Reese peers around my side. “Is that a hot tub?”

Blending seamlessly with the modern angles, a hot tub bubbles temptingly in the mountain chill.

She looks up at me with a big grin. “They’ve got it all.”

Love. Freedom. Independence.

Seems like they do.

49.

Reese

Mitch, Don, and I stand around the kitchen island, acting like we’re not spying on Cliff and Skyler.

They’re on the patio having an animated conversation about data analytics.

I didn’t know it was possible to get excited about data migrations, but they’re both practically foaming at the mouth.

Don slides a freshly steeped matcha tea in front of me. It’s in a tiny coconut with metal feet. He drops a metal straw in the cup and grins. “Cliff’s family is originally from Brazil.”

I sip the minty tea and sigh happily as it soothes my nagging headache.

Don’s gaze slips back to Cliff. “He doesn’t usually get to nerd out on numbers. I bet he’s in hog heaven right now.”

Mitch slides onto a stool next to me. “Do those two work together or something?”