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“Well, I would like to say,” Raelynn chimed in. “That I’m also glad my girl beat the charges against her, which resulted in this glorious meal we’re about to partake in.”

“Your hungry ass just wanted a reason to eat,” Lincoln teased, earning himself a slap on the back of the head from our mother.

“Watch your mouth in my house, boy.”

“Okay, okay,” I snickered. “Before Linc starts losing brain cells from Mama whacking him upside the head, I want to say that although things have been rocky lately, I couldn’t have asked for better people to have in my corner during such a rough time. We might not have always gotten along, but we’ve always, somehow, made it work. I appreciate all of you more than you know.”

“Awe,” Rae wiped away an imaginary tear. “Anytime, friend.”

“You know we got you sis,” Lincoln winked.

“Y’all done yapping yet? I’m ready to say grace and eat.”

Snorting, I shook my head. “Yes, Daddy. I’m done.”

“Thank you. And we love you too, Baby Girl.”

“So, what’s the plan now?” Lincoln questioned after my dad prayed over the food, and we’d begun passing bowls around.

I’d told my family a little bit about the women I’d met at the pub who’d asked me to be part of their creative team, but this was the first in-depth conversation about the subject.

“Well, the group I’m helping found is having weekly meetings about the rollout for all the social media pages. We have a photo shoot booked next week, and I’m meeting with the café owner in a few days to talk about setting up a small recurring event as a tester before we move forward. Baby steps.”

“I’m so proud of you, honey,” my mom gushed.

“Me too, girly,” Rae grinned. “You got away with kicking that man’s ass, and now he’s out of your life, and you’re well on your way to glowing up.”

“Raelynn,” my mother sang, making me laugh.

“I wouldn’t say I got away with kicking his as—behind,” I corrected myself quickly after seeing my mom’s face. “But this was a life lesson for me to be more careful with my heart, pay attention to my discernment, and above all else, to⁠—”

“Control your temper,” everyone at the table finished for me.

“Alright now, was that really necessary?”

“What about that man?” My dad, of all people, questioned, shoveling mac and cheese into his mouth.

“Yeah, the half-decent one I never got to meet,” my mom piled on with a frown.

“Oh, he was more than half-decent,” Raelynn snorted. “He was a once-in-a-lifetime, and this stubborn one is on the cusp of allowing him to get away.”

“I told her if it happens, she’s going to be sick,” Lincoln said, cutting into his chicken.

“I’m sorry, are we in the Twilight Zone right now? There’s no way the four of you are jumping on me simultaneously.”

“We’re your family. That’s what we do when you’re making a mistake,” my mom pointed her fork at me. “You have such a pep in your step lately, and as much as you might try to deny it, I know he likely had something to do with it.”

Since they were already in my business anyway, it couldn’t hurt to be vulnerable with them about my fears about reaching out to Jamie.

“When we first met, you could barely pay the man to smile, let alone express his feelings,” I sat back in my chair, reaching for my sweet tea. Before I left, he begged me to give him a chance, and I just…walked out. I don’t know how I’m supposed to face him after that.”

“The same way you faced him then,” my father shrugged. “We make mistakes, Nyx. That’s life. This was a highly emotional and touchy situation. There’s no handbook on how to handle those perfectly. What sets you apart is how you step up to the plate and take accountability for what was done and how you handle things moving forward.”

“You’ve allowed fear to cripple you for entirely too long, boo,” Rae nudged my shoulder. “It doesn’t have a place here.”

They were right. I knew it. As much as I enjoyed celebrating closing Shane’s chapter in my life with my family, there’s nothing I would have loved more than sharing it with Jamie.

“You know the showcase is tomorrow,” Raelynn said. As if I could forget. “You should pop up to support him like he did for you. Then ask him to dinner or something, I don’t know. But get your man back and snatch your happily ever after, girl. You deserve it.”