"Tova!" They rush to each other, embracing in a tight hug. "I missed you."
"I missed you too. I'm so excited you're here, and you'll come to the dinner party tonight?"
"Of course. You know I love a good party." She does. Cosima is a social butterfly. Her nature is to entertain. Rochelle is the same way. Tova is trying to embrace it, but she's more reserved. She didn’t grow up the same way we all did.
Tova hasn't learned to bite back at people. Well, no one besides War. From what I’ve heard, Tova gives him a run for his money. She’s the only one that can get away with it.
Cosima is sweet until she's not. In fact, her bite can be lethal because people often don't see it coming. She’s like a sweet innocent kitten until you force her claws out, and those scratches can scar.
"War hired a few ladies to help me get ready. Come join me." Tova is already pulling Cosima away, I'm sure toward the library. They always hang out in there. Cosima goes with her but glances back toward me, mouthing that she loves me. That settles me for the time being.
"You good?" War asks. I nod, watching Cosima disappear with Tova. "The parents will be here tonight."
"And why didn't you give me that heads-up?" I told War we were coming back today. Cosima was past needing to have a checkup with a doctor about the pregnancy, and I wanted that to happen here.
"I knew you wouldn't come; you'd hold off."
"You really wanted us here that badly?"
"Tova. She's been missing Cosima."
"Is she still pissed at me?"
“You brought Cosima back, so I’m sure she’s over it now.” I don’t want to come between her and her friends unless I don’t have a choice.
I know high school wasn’t great for Cosima, and it’s partly why she’d gone to Switzerland to begin with. It made things easier, but the friends she did make there weren’t the kind you could pull into your life without worrying about what you might subject them to. Cosima wouldn’t want to do that.
That’s why Marks and Tova work well. I see how she lights up around them. At her core, Cosima is a girly girl. She wants to be as thick as thieves with her girlfriends. She thrives around people.
“What’s the party for?” I ask as a delivery person walks by with a case of wine, followed by someone with their hands full of flowers.
“I’m wrapping up a few deals, and Dad keeps pushing for us to host.”
“You don’t want to?”
War shrugs.
“How many people?”
“Roughly ten.”
“Send me the list.”
“I will, but it’s not anyone who hasn’t been here before.” I still want to vet them. People and things change on a dime. Anyone that's going to be hanging in our family home around my pregnant wife is going to be triple-checked. The stakes are even higher now.
"All right, I'm going to shower and check on a few things."
"We need to talk, so don't take off on me."
"Is it about Cosima?" My hackles rise. If it's about her, I want to talk about it now.
"No."
"Does Ronan need to be there?"
"I'd prefer it."
"Is he coming tonight?" I haven't talked to him in a few weeks.
