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Dad approached the nurses’ station. “You did it! We have another chief in the family. Well done.”

I was oddly unexcited for some reason. Like it was happening to someone else.

I forced a smile and came around the nurses’ station so Gabby, Jessica, and Mom could give me hugs. Neil gave me a head nod of approval. “Congratulations.”

“What time are you off, princess?” Dad asked. “We can go catch dinner.”

“I’m off now actu—”

Gabby gasped next to me. “Oh. My. God…”

I wrinkled my forehead and turned around to see what she was gaping at, and my heart sank.

Daniel was walking toward me with flowers.

I was rendered completely mute. My mouth opened and closed, but no words came out.

“Isn’t that the squirrel guy?” Gabby asked from behind me.

Jessica didn’t take as long to catch on. “Oh, Ali…”

My ears started to ring. No. No no no no no no no, this wasn’t happening.

Daniel closed the gap between us, beaming. “Hey.”

I processed him in split-second clips of horror. He’d trimmed his beard down, and it somehow managed to make him look even younger than he was. He was in a faded T-shirt, and his tattoos were showing. All of them. He had on jeans and his leather bracelet, and his boots were muddy. Normally none of this even remotely bothered me. In fact, I liked how he looked. That was one of my favorite shirts, probably why he wore it. But I did not like this in the context of this situation. In the context of this situation, this was my worst nightmare.

He glanced at my parents, Neil. Then he nodded at Gabby and Jessica. “Hi. Nice to see you again.” He looked a little surprised to see them here, which made sense, since I’d never mentioned they worked with me.

“What are you doing here?” I breathed.

He smiled. “I thought I’d surprise you. Take you to dinner.”

My dad looked him up and down. “Alexis, who is this?”

I swallowed. “I…”

Daniel put a hand out. “Daniel Grant.”

Dad didn’t shake his hand. He looked at it like it was dirty.

And then, in some weird alternate universe move, Neil stepped in. “Neil. Nice to meet you.”

He shook Daniel’s hand, and pure panic ripped through me.

“I’m sorry, who are you to her?” Mom asked, looking confused.

“Um,” I licked my lips. “He’s my—”

Daniel looked at me, his eyes telling me he was starting to read the room, and for a split second I seriously considered lying. Saying anything other than the truth. My trainer. My friend. An old acquaintance who just happened to show up with flowers to take me to dinner. And then I grasped for what answer would give him the most protection from this situation. I knew it wasn’t boyfriend, but his eyes had begun to search mine, and I realized that he wouldn’t understand. He wouldn’t forgive me for this again, like he had when I did it with Jessica and Gabby. So I said it. I had to.

“He’s my boyfriend.”

Nobody said a word. Then Dad began to laugh. It was the maniacal laugh of a Disney villain, and I felt the whole room closing in around me.

“Your boyfriend?” Dad said, looking back and forth between us, amused. He nodded at my ex. “Did she tell you she’s living with Neil?”

I watched Daniel blink in shock.