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“He told me,” I say.
Dad nods. “So any time anyone asked about his childhood, he’d make something up. The stories got more and more ridiculous as time went on. Half the unit through he grew up in a circus and the other half thought he’d been a child Broadway star. It was hilarious.”
“I did that because I never wanted to use it as an excuse,” Bennet growls. “And I don’t want to now, either.”
“It’s not an excuse if it’s the truth,” Mom says softly.
A momentary silence passes and some of the tension seems to dissipate around the table with it.
I don’t dare let myself hope too strongly just yet, but I can’t deny the feeling, whispering from the edges.
This could work. We might not have ruined everything.
Bennet looks at me, offers a tight grin, and then turns back to mom and dad. “I think what happened stopped me from ever getting too close to anyone. In the SEALs, we had our brothers, and I consider you a true friend, Rick. But there’s always been this… I don’t know, this hole inside of me that I never wanted to fill. Like I didn’t want to get too close to anyone just in case they were taken away from me.”
He breathes tremulously, and then goes on in a colder voice, as though finding it difficult to talk about this.
“But I don’t feel any of those reservations with Rory. It’s the exact opposite. I feel more certain about her than I have about anything in my entire life. I know that being with her is the right thing, the only thing I can do… even if I also know it’s wrong, because of my friendship with you. The contradiction makes no sense, I get that. But it’s how I feel.”
“Rick, you know Bennet,” Mom says. “You know he’s a good man. You know he’d never do anything to hurt our daughter. You know he’ll always do the best for her.”
“So you’re already convinced, then,” Dad mutters.
“Yes,” Mom says, a matter of fact. “I am.”
“What about you, Lorelei?” Dad faces me. “Doesn’t the age gap bother you?”
“No,” I say fiercely, with a quiver of fury. “I love how much older and more experienced he is than me. It’s so refreshing not having to deal with immature jerks my own age. The age gap is a good thing.”
Dad nods and sits back, as though contemplating my words. He runs his free hand over the top of his head, chewing the inside of his cheek.
“I know that look, Rick,” Mom says with a slight teasing note in her voice.
“What look?” Dad shoots back.
Mom stares at him. “You know what I’m talking about. I think you’re starting to come around.”
Dad grins. “Yeah, maybe I am. Maybe I’m starting to imagine what it would be like to have my best friend looking out for you, Lorelei, to support you and give you the life I know he can. But…”
The word cuts into me like a knife, slicing deep.
“But what?” I whisper.
“You’re so young.” Dad groans. “How can you know this is the right decision? What if you change your mind?”
“I won’t,” I say, the fierceness in my words is prompted by the ironclad certainty in my heart. “I know how it might look from the outside. We’re crazy. We’re living in some fantasy land. But I mean it, Dad. This is like nothing I’ve ever felt… no, it’s more than that.”
Everybody pauses. I can feel Bennet’s eyes on me, patiently waiting for me to continue.
“It’s more than I knew a person could feel,” I murmur. “And it’s not just a feeling. I’m ready to put in the time, the commitment, the loyalty to build a life together. I know it must make you uncomfortable, Dad, but we didn’t choose to feel this way.”
Dad looks at me for a few moments and then turns to Bennet. “You have to promise me you’ll always take care of her.”
“I swear, Rick,” Bennet says, emotion quaking in his voice. “I’ll do everything I can to keep her safe, to help her follow her dreams. There’s nothing else I want more in the world.”
“Then…” Dad looks at mom, who’s already smiling, beaming warmly. Dad mirrors her smiles and turns back to us. “Who am I to stand in your way?”
“Does that mean you approve?” I gasp, barely daring to hope.
“It means I’m not going to cause any problems. I won’t lie. It’ll take me some time to get used to it, but I want you both to be happy. I mean, hell, Bennet… I never thought I’d hear the word soulmate coming from you.”
Bennet chuckles. “Neither did I. But that was before I fell…”
He trails off, and the words fell in love bounce temptingly around my mind.
Suddenly Bennet stands. “Rick, can we talk in private?”
