The Midas Touch

Ch. 24

Kai
Editor's Note: People are reading my lil book this is so silly ⁉️ thank you for reading I love validation! 😁🫶

I stayed for dinner which ended up being absolutely scrumptious. It always was with Aunt Krista. My mother could cook, but she never really got into it. Aunt Krista did.

I was joined at the table by Aunt Krista's husband, and my two youngest cousins. Technically they were my second cousins, the children of Aunt Krista's kids, but I still referred to them as my cousins.

We talked about mundane things, like how my baseball season was going, how my grades were, and how my mother is. The entire dinner I kept my phone facedown, and my necklace clasped around my neck.

Occasionally I would touch the smooth metal, tracing the ingrained wave markings. What a gift, I thought, but truly why me? She could've given it to any of her four children or any of her eight grandchildren. And yet she gave it to me, her only nephew in America.

I didn't understand, but I was thankful regardless. It is definitely the best gift I've ever received.

Man, I was getting so lovey dovey lately. Blegh. Griffin would be disappointed.

After dinner was over, it was already almost 7pm. I'd been here most of the day, having more fun than I honestly thought I would. I thanked Aunt Krista for the meal, and said goodbye to my Uncle, Janie, and Sakura.

As I sat in my car ready to leave, I opened up my notifications. My fingers were itching to press on the Snapchat notification from Zade, but I resisted and replied to the rest first.

The baseball groupchat was talking about how sucky practices have been, and the first game coming up in just two weeks, the Sunday after next.

Griffin was talking about how he was considering paying off a theater geek to help with videography and concept, and how he wasn't meant for on-camera screen time. No shit, he couldn't act if his life depended on it. The only short film concept he could mayyyybe perhaps do is one about how to miraculously pass calculus with an A-minus despite being the most uninterested person you've ever met.

God, I love him.

He's been my best friend forever. Truly my day one. We were raised in diapers right next to each other and even before the divorce he was always supporting me. He knew the entire story of me, who my dad is, and he's listened to me complain basically every day since we've met without a second thought.

I trust him. And I don't say that about a ton of people.

At last, the notification I wanted to see.

I held my breath, side-swiping it so I didn't leave him on opened.

"hey zuya, how're you?? 😁
ik we haven't talked in forever but i was w my friends the other day n they were talking about blake
n it reminded me of you.."

Wellllll now. What a predicament. I don't know why I expected something ghastly or overwhelming. I opened it and started to type.

"i've been okay, thanks for asking!
i didn't know ur friends were friends with blake. small world lol"

He opened it and started typing immediately.