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“No, you never should’ve lied to us,” her dad says.
“I’ve been trying to figure out a way to tell you a few things. Now isn’t the time, but I’ll call soon or come home so we can talk about all of it.”
“Just tell us.” David throws his hands up. “What could be worse than you not wanting to be home before your schedule picks up even more? You just thought Georgetown was difficult. Law school will far surpass that.” He looks at me for agreement, but I keep my mouth shut.
I’m here for support, nothing else.
Felicity swallows hard and her gaze meets mine. What she sees in my expression seems to steel her nerves.
“About a year ago, I started to reconsider what I wanted to do with my future. Before that even, I was questioning it, but I tried to press on anyway. I know how important it is to you and Mom that I’m a lawyer, that I come to work with you at Shaw & Shaw one day. But I haven’t been able to make peace with it.”Her voice is shaky, but it gets more confident as she keeps going. “I’m not going to law school in the fall.”
“What?”David’s voice thunders and Felicity winces.
Lane touches David’s arm and he takes a deep breath.
“Honey…you were overworked,” Lane says to Felicity. “You graduated early. It’s no wonder you reached burnout—you need a break. I didn’t want you to work at all before you start back to school, but you had this job before we even knew about it,” her mom says, shaking her head. “By the time fall rolls around, you’ll be ready.”
“I won’t be ready,” Felicity says. She gives her mom a sad smile. “It was never my dream to be a lawyer. It was your dream for me. And I’ve spent my entire life, from the time I realized it was your dream for me, trying to fulfill that for you. But I can’t do it. I don’twantto do it.”
“This is nonsense.” David tosses his hand up in frustration. “You’ve been talking about being a lawyer since you were a little girl.”
“Because you let me know that’s what was expected of me,” Felicity says softly. “I don’t have the competitive streak that Olivia and Weston or the two of you have. I’d rather keep the peace than argue facts in court.”
“But you were outstanding on the debate team,” Lane says, her eyes welling with tears. “I still just think you need time.”
“Do you know how much anxiety I had doing the debate team?” Felicity laughs. “I’ve put an agonizing amount of thought into this decision, and I’ve dreaded telling you so much because I didn’t want to disappoint you and let you down, but I hope you’ll let me figure out what my passion is and encourage me through it.”
The only sounds now are of the crowd filling the arena, the suite is silent.
“Hey, what’s going on in here?” Olivia walks through the door and comes to a stop where we’re all four standing. “What’s wrong?”
“We’ve got a game to watch,” Felicity says. “And I need another drink.”
She lifts her empty glass in the air and walks past us, pausing when the guy walks toward her with the tray of drinks.
“What the hell did I miss?” Olivia asks, but no one answers. Her eyes narrow on me. “Why are you here?”
I wondered when one of them would get around to asking that.
“Don’t be rude, Olivia,” Felicity calls from across the room. “I invited him.”
“Weston didn’t offermeany free tickets.” She scowls.
A couple walks in and a few guys that the family doesn’t know. I’m introduced to Francis and Ken, family friends, and then we meet the guys Weston went to college with—Jeffrey, Connor, and Sam. It breaks the tension to have them in the room, and since the game is about to start, David and Lane move toward the seats. David looks like he wants to keep talking to Felicity, but she’s staying by the food for now. When David sits down, I walk over to Felicity.
“How are you doing?”
“I feel much better!” she chirps, taking a long gulp of her lemontini and piling a small plate with appetizers. “That has been hanging over my head for so long, I feel like a weight has just flown off my chest.” She sets her drink down and flutters her hands up in the air.
I laugh. “Was that supposed to be a bird?”
She points at me. “Perceptive.”
“Thank you. Did you have another lemontini when I wasn’t looking or is this what two does to you?”
She presses her lips together and nods, her expression serious. “Yes and yes. I’m a lightweight. Don’t judge me. Ha!” She points at me. “That can be our catchphrase from now on. Don’t judge me, Judge Landmark,” she says in a high voice. “Don’t judge me since I’m already a judge, Felicity.” She lowers her voice into a ridiculous impression of me.
“I do not sound like that.”
