Elemental Reality by Cesya Cuono Page A

the kitchen. So many memories of laughter shared in that kitchen long ago rushed back to me. When Ady, Emery, and I first became inseparable, their moms would gossip with mine as we played. Every weekend we went to a different house to have a big dinner. The laughter never ceased . . . until Mom left. Though we continued with our normal traditions after the fact, it wasn’t the same—Dad wasn’t the same. Slowly the traditions stopped. Dad would get the occasional call to see how he was holding up, but the laughter died.
    The current laughter broke into my reverie, and I couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt because Mom wasn’t here to join in. It felt wrong laughing without her.
    “Don’t crack a fat, mate.” The heavenly Australian accent wafted around me and danced in my ears.
    Oli. I sighed and an instant smile spread across my face. I peeked over the banister like a little kid and into the kitchen. His back was to me with arms crossed over his chest. He wore a long-sleeved, white thermal shirt and a pair of grey washed jeans. Wanting to eavesdrop, I leaned over the banister a little more, which caused the step to creak under my feet. There must be a pact with construction workers around the world that one step per staircase must creak. I held my breath, hoping no one heard it, or hoping they’d ignored it if they did, but Oli turned. His emerald eyes landed on me, and one side of his mouth pulled into a crooked grin.
    “G’day, Kitten,” he said.
    My stomach went all floppy. “Hey.” The word barely escaped before all eyes focused on me. Staring. What was I, a circus freak? My hands brushed down my clothes, making sure all important parts were covered.
    “What are you doing?” Lola asked, grinning.
    “Um . . . my, uh . . . I . . . dropped something?”
    “Riiight. Well, come in so we can eat.”
    I rounded the banister too fast, forgetting I had on heels, and stumbled into our half-circle credenza. The wide-eyed looks on everyone’s faces brought a flush to my cheeks. I laughed, awkward and nervous. Way to make an impression.
    “Stop by tomorrow to see my other classic dance moves,” I said. There were a few chuckles and the conversation picked back up.
    Could I be any more awkward? I should have rode in on a freaking unicycle. I continued my treacherous journey into the kitchen, watching my feet and mumbling to them about staying on course since they seemed to have other plans for me.
    A tingling sensation crept up my spine. I stopped in my tracks, and my eyes rose to meet Lola’s; she stared at me, frowning. Probably trying to determine whether or not I needed a straitjacket and a rainbow of “Pams,” which is what I called the mind-altering drugs. Diazepam, lorazepam, flurazepam. Might as well throw lithium in there too. I shrugged. She continued our wordless conversation with an “are-you-insane?” stare. I narrowed my eyes and stuck out my tongue like the mature person I was. She averted her eyes to the left, and I watched them grow wide as she briskly jerked her head toward Oli. He was checking me out. His eyes roved up and down, his expression different than it was the night before. He appreciated me, and the attention made me feel beautiful.
    I blushed when our eyes met, and his earnest smile was disarming. My eyes never left his as I strode forward, the tap-tap of my heels the only sound. When I reached him, he leaned down to me, his breath a wonderful caress on my ear.
    “You look gorgeous, Kitten,” he whispered.
    “Thank you. And I like Kitten much better than Calico. So thank you for not torturing me with that dreadful nickname,” I said as I turned away bashfully. “What were you guys talking about before I came down?”
    “Oli was just telling us about Australia. He may have mentioned something about a secluded nude beach, and Emery got a bit too excited,” Ady said and glared at Emery.
    “Oh. Is that why you said ‘don’t crack a fat, mate’? What does that mean