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“She’s rejecting mine too, isn’t she?” My dad doesn’t back down.
When my mom keeps glaring at him, he throws up his hands in surrender. “Fine. I won’t say anything else.”
“What do you need, darling?” My mother continues.
I exhale. How did these two people live with each other for so long? The only thing they have in common is their suffocating love for me.
“My boss is in a bit of a fix. You see, we are working on a somewhat secretive project, and a reporter is looking into his personal life. If they don’t stop, they may uncover information about the project that might fall into the wrong hands.”
I turn on my smile for my mom. “I was hoping you could help since you have a lot of experience in that regard.”
She smiles. “Hm. I see. Well, it is easy to get a nosy reporter to back off, but-” she gives me one of those curious looks, “you have never asked me for a favor before. Not even regarding yourself, and now you're asking for your boss. Tell me, is he just your boss, or is there something else you are not telling me?”
“Is your boss making a pass at you?” My dad asks again.
“Do you think she’d ask me for help if he was being a dick?” Asks my mom.
“I don’t know,” my father gestures with his hands, “I have no idea what is happening in her life. She cut us off the day she decided to do something else and move out.”
At least he got the order right.
“Is he handsome?” My mom leans closer. “Do you like him? I’d like to meet him. I promise I won’t be overbearing. It could be an indirect meeting where I stare at him from across a restaurant if you know what I mean.”
“Mom,” I groan, getting frustrated, “I don’t like him like that.”
A lie.
“Are you sure?” She continues to inquire.
“He is my boss. We are working on a project with other people, and I thought,” I puff out air and shake my head, “You know what? Never mind. This was a bad idea.”
“Why would asking for help be a bad idea?” She looks genuinely confused. “We are your parents, and we care about you. If you’re having issues at work…”
When my dad interrupts, and they begin to argue, I bury my face in my hands and wish I sent a gift instead of coming.
***
“What are you doing here?” I find Gabriel in front of my door.
“You know what we were discussing yesterday?”
“Yeah?”
He takes my hand. “I think I’ve found a solution.”
Oh, great, I sigh in relief because I cannot use my parents.
“Will you come with me to my apartment to discuss?”
We end up going to his apartment, and Gabriel offers me something to drink while he quickly attends to something. He returns with an envelope in his hand and sits down beside me. “So, I thought about how to handle this situation all night and throughout today, and then it came to me when I was driving home.”
I rub my palms together happily. “That’s great. Let’s hear it.”
He exhales and straightens his back. I do the same. Gabriel takes my hands in his. I smile.
“Let’s get engaged.”
“Sounds like a…wait, what?” My mouth falls open.
