Page 5 of Scarred

“Don’t sell yourself short,” Bella snorts. “You kick my ass every Tuesday morning in yours.”

“Mine too,” Sophia chuckles from my other side. “I can barely walk the next day.”

“I’m pretty sure that’s because of the six-foot-four Montgomery brother that sleeps in your bed,” Bella teases as we burst out laughing.

“Yeah, that definitely has something to do with it,” Sophia says, shaking with laughter. “That man has talent.”

“We are definitely lucky women,” Emma agrees as a blush creeps up her cheek, and I have no doubt my sister-in-law is thinking of my older brother, Noah.

Bella may be my only blood-related sister, but in my heart, I have three.

Sophia’s mom, Maya, and our mom have been best friends for years, so when they planned to have kids at the same time, it was no surprise that when Noah and Maverick came along, they formed a deep bond just like Bella and Sophia did when they were born four years later.

The four of them grew up together, and for a while, they completed the two families until my mom surprised everyone at forty with me.

With a twelve-year age gap between my sister and me, I’ve been the baby of both families and doted on for as long as I can remember. When my sister and Maverick finally admitted they were in love, their marriage permanently linked the Bennetts and the Lanes.

As for Emma, I knew right away I was looking at another sister the moment my brother showed up with her at one of our Sunday family dinners.

Not only is she beautiful with her long brunette hair and sparkling emerald eyes, but she’s also the sweetest person I know. She had moved in right next door to Noah, and it didn’t take long before my brother fell head over heels for her. They were married a short time later and now have two beautiful kids.

I honestly couldn’t imagine my brother with anyone else. Watching them together is like witnessing two souls that have done this together in another lifetime. Their connection is truly unlike anything I’ve ever felt.

It’s the kind of love I’ve always believed existed.

The kind I’m holding out for.

Which explains why I’m single at twenty-four, and the only excitement in my life is dance and yoga.

“Are you ladies going to lie there all night or what?” My mom walks back in with Sophia’s mom, Maya, and sees us still sprawled out on our mats.

“That bottle of wine Rusty has for you isn’t going to drink itself,” Maya laughs, helping my mom gather the lavender-scented washcloths from the basket that need to be laundered.

“No, it isn’t,” Bella and Sophia agree at the same time, sitting up with renewed energy.

“Are you coming with us?” I glance over at my mom as I roll up my mat.

“Not this time,” she says, shaking her head. “We promised Mimi we would bring the wine to her and binge-watch a few episodes of The Bachelor.”

“We got her hooked on it and might have created a monster,” Maya laughs.

My grandparents, known to everyone as Mimi and Papaw, built a living space above my parents’ garage when they retired. It was a way for everyone to watch over them, and it just made sense for them not to have to take care of a house anymore and just enjoy life.

Looking back, I loved having them there as I grew up, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.

“I can only imagine her reactions and dialogue toward the TV when you watch it,” I laugh. Mimi might be in her late eighties, but that doesn’t mean anything when it comes to my grandma. She’s as spunky as they come and will probably outlive us all.

“It’s definitely entertaining,” my mom chuckles, dropping the dirty laundry into a bag.

“Do you need any help closing down?” I ask, grabbing my water bottle and tossing my towel in with the others.

“No, we’ve got it covered. You girls go and enjoy your Thursday night together.” My mom embraces me in a warm hug, and I breathe in her calming energy.

I’m the only one in the family who has both my mom’s features. Noah and Bella got my dad’s baby blues, and although Noah got her brunette hair like me, Bella’s hair is long and blonde. We couldn’t look more opposite from sisters if we tried.

Pulling back, my mom’s vivid greens, so much like mine, crinkle at the edges as she smiles at me. Even in her sixties, she’s still the most beautiful woman to me.

Her brunette hair is swept up into a messy bun today, and her bright green eyes are always brimming with so much love. It’s true when they say inner beauty is what shines through the most.