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“Did you talk to Mom and Dad about this?”
“Not yet. I wanted to figure things out before saying anything to anyone. If you didn’t ask me what’s wrong, we wouldn’t be talking about it now.”
She stood and stretched, a sign that this conversation is over.
“I know this is a big decision for you, but for what it’s worth, I’d be thrilled to have you back.”
Leaning down, she gave me a hug.
“Thanks. I’ll let you know when I have everything sorted out. I’m going to go shower then hit the road. Hopefully I’ll miss the worst of the traffic.”
CHAPTER16
Keera
I just finished settingthe table when the doorbell rang. My brother beat me to answering it and I gave him a warning look.
“Be nice.”
“I’m always nice.” He stuck his tongue out, then opened the door. “You must be Simon. I’m Keera’s brother, Kevin.”
With my brother’s hulking body blocking the door, I couldn’t see Simon. Kevin was being pleasant, basically making elevator conversation with my boyfriend while standing in the doorway. My sister-in-law Anna left for a business trip this morning, so unfortunately, she’s not around to rein her husband in.
I was about to go over there when Granny Vi said, “Kevin move out of the way and let him come in.”
Kevin stepped back and Simon walked through the door and smiled at me. He’s wearing khakis and another of those untucked shirts, this one is solid burgundy.
I looked down at the bags in his hand.
“You didn’t have to bring anything,” I said.
“Of course I did.” He leaned in and kissed my cheek then handed me one of the bags. “That one is for you. It’s nothing big, but when I saw it, I thought of you.”
“Those are the best gifts. Thank you.”
I took the bag from him but before I checked its contents, I re-introduced him to my parents.
“You’ve met my parents, Ellen and Marty,” I said. “And that’s my brother Kevin.”
“Yes, we met a few times at Party on the Patio,” Simon said as he shook their hands.
“It’s good to see you again,” my mom said, then looked at me. “What’s in the bag, Keera?”
I peeked inside then pulled out a big bag of cherry licorice nibs.
“You always used to keep them at your desk,” Simon said.
“What’d you get?” Granny Vi asked.
“Licorice nibs.”
“Very thoughtful.” She looked at Simon. “For future reference, I prefer the black ones.”
“Noted,” he said, then held out the other bag to her. “These are for everyone, but you can do the honors.”
Granny Vi peeked inside and smiled.
“Do I have to share?”
