After that, we all shot the shit. Dad came back with the cake. It was ridiculously fancy. We sat down to lunch. Byron shocked me again by getting into a convo with Dad and Knox about the Suns, and it sounded like he knew what he was talking about.
So maybe that “bro” was an authentic “bro.”
Throughout this, I reveled in the fact that this didn’t suck. My guy fit. Dream’s guy fit. Dream and I were getting along.
And Knox had another extension of family.
Watching him, I saw he was not only comfortable in it, he not only fit, it fed him.
I couldn’t say he blossomed under Mom and Dad’s attention, but there was a set to his shoulders that told tales. Happy ones.
So yeah.
Doing lots of reveling.
After cake, which was also ridiculously delicious, Dad requested, “Men, Louise and I need to talk to our girls quickly. Do you mind?”
They didn’t mind because Dream and I both got pecks before Byron and Knox (and about half of the dogs) went to the living room (in case you were wondering, Jacques went with Knox—see? totally defecting, for that, I blamed the human food thing).
“Okay, your mother and I have discussed it,” Dad started. “But it appears some things have changed. So now you both need to decide whether you want to leave your money with us, where I’ll manage it and do my best to make it grow, and then, when they happen, we’ll see to your weddings. Or if you want us to give it to you, so you can do with it what you wish, we’ll just give it to you.” He turned to Dream. “And we won’t be deducting anything from yours, sweetheart. I was out of line suggesting we would. It’s our job to look after you when you need it. Your mom explained that to me, and I apologize I lost sight of it.”
Right.
It was weird I was watching Dream sit there, looking like she was fighting tears.
But it was also cool.
Her gaze came to me.
“I don’t want you to pay back what you owe me either,” I said. “Because if I needed it, you’d do the same for me.”
Her eyes got squinty.
“Stop being awesome,” she groused.
“You stop being awesome,” I returned.
“You’re so annoying,” she said.
“You’re so annoying,” I replied.
“Girls,” Mom broke in for the eighty-nine thousand, six-hundred and first time in our lives.
“I’m totally in for you to keep my fund until my wedding,” I declared, returning to the matter at hand. “Especially after what I went through yesterday. And today. That was a chunk of change day. One word. Scary. More words. I want an awesome wedding gown like Alexis’s.”
My goal: Make Knox lose it.
A man being moved to tears by the sight of his woman?
Forget about it.
“All right, love,” Dad murmured. Then, “Dream?”
“I don’t know,” Dream said.
Mom, Dad and I exchanged looks because…
Dream didn’t know if she wanted Mom and Dad to save her wedding money?
