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“Me too,” I say. “I wasn’t so sure you two would make it based on all the travel delays.”
“There’s no way we were going to miss this,” says Dad.
Mom smiles and pushes a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “He’s right, you know. He even threatened to charter a plane and fly it himself if things didn’t start progressing.”
“Damn right,” says Dad. “Nothing was going to stand in the way of us seeing our baby girl crush another one of her goals.”
“Wow,” I say. “I’m just glad you didn’t have to dust off your pilot’s license, so you both made it here in one piece.”
I kiss Mom on the cheek and watch as she walks over with my Dad to join Rachel at the table I’ve reserved for my guests.
Last but certainly not least, Asher stands there with his hands in his pockets as Jacob lays in his stroller beside him. I know in an instant Asher’s playing with his lucky paperclip as Jacob finally crashes for his midday nap.
Asher opens his arms and welcomes me with a warm embrace.
“Nervous?” I ask. “I know you were fiddling with that paperclip in your pocket.”
He laughs and plants a soft kiss on the crown of my head. “I’d be a fool to not be nervous. This is only my third time meeting your parents in person.”
I laugh and squeeze him tightly in my arms. “You’ve talked to them dozens of times,” I giggle. “They don’t bite. Well, my mom doesn’t. I can’t speak for my dad.”
Asher chuckles again before leaning down to give me a kiss. His lips are just as soft and smooth as the first time we kissed. “I’m positive your dad will bite if necessary. It’s clear to me that you get your looks from your mom and that fiery attitude from your dad.”
I sigh and wrap my arm around his as we make our way to the table, the nanny we’ve hired following close behind with the stroller carrying Jacob. “I can’t argue with you there, but Dad is ten times worse than me.”
We stop at a narrow end table as I grab a menu for Asher. “Everything is so good, but I’m especially proud of the recipe I created for the main course.”
“You should be,” he boasts. “You should definitely be proud of everything you’ve accomplished over this last year. You set a goal, and then you knocked it out of the water. I love watching you do what you enjoy the most.”
“I couldn’t have done it without you,” I say, turning to face him.
It’s true, Asher has been a major part of my support team over the last year. He offered to take care of everything so I could focus solely on school, and that act of kindness has been a major help. While I couldn’t accept the offer outright, insisting on continuing my care for Jacob, I certainly couldn’t have made my dream come true without my full-time nanny, who puts me to shame with her extensive experience. She’s allowed me to focus on my schooling while enjoying my evenings with both of my men.
“Nonsense,” says Asher. “I’ve spent enough time with you to know how strong, smart and resilient you are. Since I’ve met you, I’ve watched you excel at everything you put your mind to. Your cooking skills were already there long before we met, so you most certainly could have done it without me.”
I smile and kiss him again. “You’re not giving yourself enough credit,” I say. “All of those late-nights with Jacob mean the world to me. Plus, I basically made you my live-in guinea pig, forcing you to try all my new recipes.”
Asher rolls his eyes and hands me a glass of Champagne off the tray of the passing waiter. “Yes, Jade, raising our son and tasting your delicious creations was so hard on me,” he responds with a heavy dose of sarcasm.
We laugh and I take a sip of the Champagne. It’s delicious, and I make a mental note to ask Ray where he got it from.
He definitely rolled out the red carpet for our graduation. Everything is so beautiful and all-round picture perfect.
“I know I keep saying it, but I can’t get over how proud I am of you,” says Asher.
“Aww, thanks babe. I forgot to tell you that Bradley picked me to be his mentee. Monday is my first day officially working as a chef.”
“See,” says Asher. “That’s exactly what I mean. Every time I blink, you do something amazing. Who would have ever thought our dinner date would lead here?”
I set my Champagne flute on the table and wrap my arms around Asher’s waist. “I never would have thought that night would ultimately lead me here, but I’m glad it did. So, either way it goes, I owe you big time, Mr. Jordan.”
