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“Almost got knocked over by her and her new man,” he exclaims, shooting me a knowing wink.
“Uh, Mom? What’s going on?” Natasha asks nervously, making both her parents look over at each other and smile before they both look at me.
“Isn’t it wonderful?” Renee asks her husband, who’s already beaming with satisfaction.
“Just great!” he exclaims looking at his daughter with pride.
Okay, either something’s in the water or these two know something we don’t.
Renee finally puts an end to our suspense.
“Suze told us, sweetie,” she says to her daughter in a formal tone, shifting her gaze back to me.
“Told us everything,” her dad echoes, pumping his brows at me, making me shift in my seat. Uncomfortable.
He looks a little like a ventriloquist doll next to Renee, like her mood is generating his expressions somehow.
All eyes are on me, Natasha’s pleading with me to help her understand what’s happening here.
“Isn’t it just romantic though?” Renee says with flair, looking off into an imaginary distance. “Three girls on a train. And each of them finding new love… well, some re-visiting an old flame,” she adds, blushing a little as she hooks her arm in her husband’s.
Natasha looks like she’s about to faint.
“I’m not sure what Suzanna’s said,” I say, but only to try and calm Natasha down.
“It’s alright. It’s alright,” her dad says, giving me that knowing look again.
“We’re just glad you’ve met someone, sweetie. And we actually don’t mind if you were going to surprise us with it,” he says, squeezing Renee’s hand.
“Surprise you with what?” Natasha blurts out, still confused as to what is going on.
But I feel a smile starting to form on my lips. Catching on to what I think her parents are trying to say.
Maybe I judged these people too soon. Living where you do doesn’t make you a better or worse person, not by a long shot.
Both her mother and father give a knowing look in her direction before their eyes settle on mine.
“We couldn’t be happier,” her dad exclaims again.
“And all because of some silly dare,” her mom adds with another wistful sigh.
Natasha looks stunned, her eyes shifting from her parents to me as her mouth moves but nothing comes out.
Like she’s just landed in an alternate universe where her parents are actually happy for us and the turn of events that have led us here.
I let out a breath too, relieved we won’t have any drama or need to explain anything too much.
I knew if I just let things run their course… It’s nature. You can’t deny nature.
“I think what Natasha’s trying to say is how surprised she is, how surprised—”
Natasha practically shouts over me. “But he’s twice my age! Look!” she calls out, pointing at herself and to me.
I frown a little.
Age is just a number, right?
I think what she means is she expected her folks to be angry because of the age gap.
She thought her mother would be mad because she didn’t go straight home with Suzanna.
Either way, Natasha seems to be the only one even close to upset right now. Her confusion is obvious, she never expected her parents to take the news of us together so well and I have to say I never expected this either.
All I can do is comfort her.
“Are you really happy for Michael and me? Or is it only because you never thought anyone would be interested in me?” she finally asks her parents.
Her mom and dad look troubled and are quick to remind her of a few things.
“We love you, sweetie,” her mom says. Her dad nods at her mom’s every word.
“We just want you to be happy. Nobody said you’d never find anyone, except you…” she says with a little shrug.
“We’re glad to have you, Michael,” Renee says honestly. We all turn at the sound of the front door opening before I can say a word.
It’s Suzanna.
I figure her face will turn sour once she sets eyes on me, but she actually smiles wide, excited as she makes a beeline for her best friend.
“I couldn’t not tell,” she gushes. “Sorry... But it’s just too romantic, isn’t it?” she continues, almost nudging me out of the way so she can hug her bestie.
“Where’s Patrick?” I hear Natasha ask, and she explains rapidly.
“He’s got a job interview, so I dropped him off. Sorry if I had to tell some white lies to get you both over here… But it was the only way,” she laughs.
“You lied?” Natasha asks accusingly, but I lean in, eager to hear more.
“We came back early, but only because neither of you would answer your phones,” Renee says in a slightly stern tone.
Natasha’s dad flushes as he agrees. “We didn’t realize how busy both of you girls were,” he murmurs, reminding Renee quietly they could have had some extra time themselves if it wasn’t for ‘all that driving’ he had to do to get back in such a hurry.
