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Her father frowned. “So you broke up with him?”
“Look, it’s a long story and one I’m not really enthused about rehashing right now.”
“Annie, why are you telling us about this boy if he is no longer in your life?”
“Because, mom,” Ollie sighed, “I want all of you to know I’m not interested in meeting avery eligible Indian boy. I want to meet my own partner, I want to get to know them, have them get to know me and like me for who I am. Not what’s written on a piece of paper.”
Babytskedand Frankie snorted at her side, which made Ollie smile.
“And Ammachi, every boy you’ve found for me has issues with who I am. And honestly, it’s very demotivating to meet someone and think you’ve hit it off when they end up pointing out all your flaws.”
“There’s a right person out there for you somewhere,” Baby said in her rough English.
“I found that person, that’s what I’m trying to say,” Ollie added, noticing everyone’s eyes widening. They clearly didn’t expect her to dropthatbomb. It was one thing to tell them about Jackson, but a whole other thing to talk about him like he wasthe one. But he was. He had been. “He might have hurt me and his sister might have said things I will never forgive her for, but Jackson is the best kind of person.”
“You were never this sure about that Pierce,” her mother pointed out. Ollie shuddered and so did Frankie, and if her family noticed, they didn’t bring it up.
“Pierce was wrong for me, on so many levels. For all his faults, Jackson is great. He loves me for who I am.”
“So you will marry this Jack-son,” Baby said firmly and Ollie laughed.
“We’re not even together, so no talking about marriage.”
She muttered on aboutkids these daysin her mother tongue of Malayalam and Ollie saw her parents smile.
Baby cleared her throat. “Do you love this Jackson?”
Ollie swallowed and nodded, blinking back tears. “I do. I didn’t want to, but you know how it goes. He basically bulldozed his way into my life and made me love him.”
Her father’s eyes misted and Ollie gave Frankie’s hand a squeeze as she glanced at her best friend, who was also teary eyed. This was turning out to be a lot more emotional than she expected, but Ollie was glad she was finally having this conversation, because it was important that her parents know she had met someone. Even through his complicated situation, he was the one for her.
Except, Ollie wasn’t ready for him again. Not yet.
“All right, guys, Frankie and I are going out this evening. And we need to go g—”
Baby disconnected the call before anybody else could say anything. Ollie laughed, collapsing back against her couch as Frankie did the same.
“Baby is still such a riot. I would have been disappointed if she’d changed.”
Ollie snorted. “That woman is going to drive everyone crazy even after she’s dead.”
“That’s how I want to be when I get to her age,” Frankie said with a grin. “Sassy and unstoppable.”
“You’re already those things, more of it for the rest of our lives? God help us.”
“God can’t help you now, Anders, you’re stuck with me.”
