AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Getting caught in a spiral never ends well. I need to stop holding everything in. Focus on the day, the hour. The time with my family.
The here.
The now.
“I’m dating Lark Summerlin.”
Everyone stops.
What the fuck am I doing?
I just stand there like Romeo, who just confessed their love for Juliet and not one person is going to rescue me from this tragedy. I grin, thinking about how amused this would be to my girlfriend. What would Lark do? She’d lean right into this romance, just like in the movies. “She’s my girlfriend.”
I don’t know what’s happening. I guess I expected a different reaction. Their silence is starting to unnerve me.
“You should invite her over sometime. We’d love to meet her.”
I turn around to the sound of my dad. He and Loch come toward the kitchen.
Mom’s quick. “I don’t think your dad met Lark at the fundraiser.” I glance over my shoulder as she says, “We could meet at a restaurant if you don’t want to intimidate her with a crowd.”
“Mom.” Marina hops off the barstool. “I should be there since I was there when they met.”
“You weren’t there, Marina,” I correct. “You wereinthe car.”
“But it’s only because of me that you met her. If I hadn’t wanted something to drink—”
“We have a class together, so the odds were already in our favor.”
“You do?” my mom asks, dinner entirely forgotten due to my love life announcement. Luckily, I had pizza earlier. “Is she pre-med?”
Dad moves around us and looks in the pot on the stove. “We’re having more than soup, I hope. I’m hungry.”
“If you’re that hungry,” Mom says with a laugh, but the humor isn’t quite reaching her eyes. “You should have come in here and helped to make dinner. You get caught up in work and forget you have a life. That needs to change, Port.”
“You’re right.” Coming behind her, he dips to kiss her cheek. “But I’m really good at ordering.” He pulls her hair behind her shoulder and kisses her neck.
“Ew.” Marina is the most vocal as we all fake vomit at the sight of my dad making the moves on Mom. Doesn’t matter how old we get, that’s just not something we should be subjected to. Though, as I’ve gotten older, I appreciate the playful side to their love story.
Laughing, they put space, and then an island, between them. My mom says, “I’m grilling steaks. Soup is just the appetizer because I love soup.”
The family disbands—everyone falling into their old jobs from when we were little. Marina oversees the distribution of napkins, Noah grabs plates, Loch walks out to help Dad with the grill, and I pull the silverware from the drawer. Mom pours a glass of wine.
I don’t know why it took me so long to find my way back “into the fold” as Mom calls it. Being here and being with them is good for the soul.
The teasing about my dating life ended after the first course. Although I’m ready to see my girl by the time dessert rolls around, the goodbyes are a little harder tonight with my family.
I carry that feeling with me, the one that adds to a great weekend that started with a girl I met at a gas station. Chuckling, I turn on music to pass the time until I’m back in her neighborhood.
Amanda tells me she’s at her dad’s place and gives me the address with some valuable insight. “Her dad lives for three things in life, in this order. His daughter. Pro sports. And cars.”
That’s some irony right there.
Seems to me that John Summerlin and I have quite a lot in common.
I drive over and park out front. It’s tempting to try the Jake Ryan move on her again, but I have a feeling her dad won’t be as entertained. I knock on the door and then step back, letting the screen door close again.
The door swings open, and her dad answers.
