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“How’re things?”
“Pretty good!”
She went on about how everyone was behaving well and I fought myself not to ask her whether Will was there. “Well, happy Thanksgiving.”
“Yeah, you too.”
Her voice was a little subdued as we hung up the phone. She felt sorry for me. Whatever.
I better get going.
I delayed leaving for as long as I could, but I knew Mom would be furious if I showed up in the afternoon without helping her cook. As I drove down the freeway, I tried to practice what I would say to them. Maybe I should say he wasn’t feeling well. I stamped my foot on the carpeted floor.
No! I need to just rip it off like a Band-Aid.
All thoughts of my parents’ reaction disappeared when I pulled into the long driveway and saw an expensive car already parked there next to my Dad’s Subaru.
I know that car.
My heels clicked on the cement, the air catching in my throat as I walked around the sleek Audi and opened the gate to enter the kitchen. A tall, dark-haired man wearing a beautiful suit stood in my kitchen as my parents flocked around him.
He came.
My mother spotted me standing outside, and I backed away in horror, hoping that I could escape back to my car.
She opened the sliding glass door and beamed. “Natalie! Your boyfriend just got here. Come inside, already!”
I never saw my mother look so happy. Tremulous, I entered the kitchen and swallowed hard as Will turned around, looking immaculate and gorgeous. He gave me a sad smile behind my parents’ backs.
“Look at what he brought us!”
My father gave me a one-armed side hug as my mother gestured excitedly toward the giant bouquet sitting on our dining room table. I lifted my arm, which held flowers I bought from Safeway. She waved them off with a look of disgust.
“Oh, Natalie, why did you buy those? They won’t look good on the table.” She frowned as she took them from me and searched around the house to find a suitable vase.
How the hell did he find out where they lived? I shot Will a seething look. “You couldn’t tell me you were coming?”
“I tried calling,” he hissed back. “Many, many times!” His face shone with a bright smile as my mother came back into the kitchen. He looked good, as though everything in the past weeks had never happened.
“Natalie, why do you look so depressed? Do you hate coming here that much?”
I blinked. “No, Mom. Sorry, I just—”
“She’s been busy with her new job, that’s all,” said Will.
“New job?”
My eyes narrowed. Thanks. “Yeah, they really liked my designs at Pardini Worldwide so they hired me.”
“Oh, that’s nice,” said Dad not listening to a word I said. “So, Will. Tell me more about your job.”
They talked as I moved into the kitchen and helped Mom with the cooking. I couldn’t believe he showed up. I took the boiled potatoes out of the pot and mashed them with more force than was necessary. Looking over my shoulder, I snorted in disgust as they hung on every word Will said.
“Want to take a ride in my car?”
I watched as Dad’s face lit up with transports of delight. “Sure! If it’s not too much trouble.”
“’Course not.”
