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“Girl talk and my jerk of a cat,” I said, as I leaned across the front seat and kissed his cheek and whispered, “Let it go for now.”
Blake nodded as he cranked the radio, and we all sang at the top of lungs the whole drive. At his parents’ house, Ellie had a feast awaiting us, and when I walked into the kitchen to ask if I could help, she wrapped me in a big hug.
“It’s been far too long since we’ve seen you, dear,” Ellie said with a warm smile. “Now, if you’ll put those dishes on the table, we’ll be ready to eat!”
We all gathered around the table and ate until we were ready to burst. Ellie and Alan had taken a trip to Costa Rica the week before and were full of tales of the rich, lush landscape, delicious food, and friendly villagers. As Nina cleared the table with help from her father, Alan pulled out the dominoes and began prepping the playing area.
“Aw, Dad, no!” Blake groaned, as he re-entered the dining room to grab a few more dishes. “Do we have to do this every time?”
“What?” Alan said, shooting his son a look. “Emily is good at the game, and I think she’d probably enjoy a game or two. Am I right, Emily?”
“I, well…I…” I stammered, looking back and forth between Blake and his father, unsure of how to answer.
“Fine!” Blake laughed, throwing his hands in the air. “Just steal my girl and play until the cows come home, Dad.”
“I believe I will,” Alan grinned.
Once the dishes were taken care of, Blake and Nina rejoined us at the table, bringing the cake and coffee that Ellie had prepared. Alan split us into teams, and he and I proceeded to make quick work of Blake and Nina’s team. We won several rounds before Nina pointed out that she had to be up early the next morning because Remy was coming to pick her up.
As we prepared to leave, Alan disappeared into his work room and emerged holding something behind his back.
“Emily, I’ve got something for you that I think you’ll appreciate,” he said with a grin, as he handed me a long, narrow box. It was surprisingly heavy, and I gave Alan a confused look as I sat down and unwrapped the present.
“Oh, Alan, this is lovely!” I said, as I looked at the lid of the box, which had a picture of a set of beautiful ebony domino tiles on it. “Thank you so much!”
“Now open the box,” he said, as he exchanged a knowing grin with Ellie. “There’s more inside.”
“Oh no, you shouldn’t have,” I said, as I lifted the lid and found a plain white envelope inside. I picked it up, opened it and gasped. “You really shouldn’t have!”
“What is it, Emily?” Nina asked, as she stepped up beside me and peeked around my arm then exclaimed, “Whoa, Gramps! That’s so cool!”
“Will someone tell me what’s going on, please?” Blake said, as he peeked over my shoulder.
“Your dad gave me the rest of his Celtics season tickets,” I said, holding them up so Blake could see them and grinning as I added, “If you’re nice to me, maybe I’ll take you to a game or two.”
“Geez, Dad,” Blake said, as he looked at his father. “I had no idea Emily was your favorite!”
“She’s a nice girl, and I knew she’d appreciate the tickets,” Alan said, as he grabbed his son and hugged him tightly. “Unlike my ungrateful sons who don’t know a basketball from a hole in the ground.”
“Now listen here, old man,” Blake laughed, as he returned the hug. “Don’t try and show me up!”
Alan laughed as he stepped back and let Ellie hug Blake. I moved toward Alan and hugged him tightly.
“Thank you so much,” I said, in a voice choked with emotion. “It’s really very kind of you.”
“Be good to him,” Alan said quietly. “He’s fallen pretty hard for you.”
I stepped back and nodded even though I didn’t quite understand what Alan was saying. I wasn’t sure he knew what had happened between Blake and me, and I definitely didn’t want to try and explain my parents to him and Ellie. They’d never approve of me dating Blake if they knew how my family had behaved toward him.
On the way home, I turned to Blake and said, “You know, Valentine’s Day is Tuesday.”
“Uh-huh,” he nodded, without taking his eyes off the road. “What’s your point?”
“Dad!” Nina yelled from the backseat. “Don’t be a total douche!”
“Hey, watch your language, young lady,” Blake warned.
“Douche is not a bad word, Dad,” Nina sighed, as she fell back against the seat.
