Diana
Christmas Eve was like nothing I’d experienced before.
The only ‘good’ Christmas I had was with the Thomases, when I went to that private school. Winter break was my favorite time with them. I didn’t have to worry about school for just a little while.
I remembered how confused and surprised I was when they gave me Christmas gifts; a few Barbie dolls, new clothes, candy, new diaries, and a new smartphone— the recently released iPhone XS. My Barbie dolls were destroyed when I was sent to the group home, my clothes ruined, and my phone stolen. All I managed to protect were my diaries, which were all dirtied up and ripped apart.
Even then, I felt like an intruder. Like an extra person in the room. Receiving gifts made me feel guilty. They were very rich, but I still felt bad that they spent money on me, especially after everything that happened at school. Their kids were getting bullied because of me.
But here, with the Fields, somehow I didn’t feel the same. I actually felt like I belonged. It was weird, not feeling the usual guilt or awkwardness of being out of place in the family. Considering everything that happened, I was surprised at myself.
Each family member gave me a present. Kyle bought me some new Bluetooth headphones from the store he worked at. Jack got me a new PS5 controller, a yellow one that matched my style. Tommy gave me a set of sci-fi novels I’d been dying to read; the Starfleet Academy series, and Harry got me a smartwatch. It was perfect for when I went out jogging. Susan and Davis got me a bunch of new clothes for my wardrobe, from shirts to shoes, and a new collar for Lonnie.
I did feel kind of embarrassed that I wasn’t able to get great gifts for them. I made cards with poems of appreciation and got some clothes for all of them, but that was pretty much it. They reassured me that they loved my gifts, even saying I didn’t have to, but the guilt still lingered a bit.
I went to sleep in a joyous mood— merry, even. I’d never felt this happy before. Lonnie seemed to sense this, dancing around and chasing his tail before going to sleep.
Now, on Christmas Day, was a bit of a challenge. We were going to have dinner with the family today, specifically Susan’s side, the Dillons. Last year, they celebrated Christmas with Davis’s side of the family. I’d meet them next week for New Year’s.
I couldn’t help the anxiety as we drove. They told me that they’d talked to them about me and posted some pictures of us together after our snow day. But I wasn’t looking forward to the guaranteed stares and possible discomfort between me and the other family members. I’d only agreed to come because I figured I’d have to meet them sooner or later.
On top of that, Susan’s side was notoriously huge. We were going to her brother-in-law, Rodney Wellingsly’s family home. He was a well-off bookstore owner that married her sister, Caitlin, who died of stomach cancer a few years ago. They had ten children, two of which passed away, and some grandchildren.
I was pretty nervous about meeting him. My brothers told me how much he loved Amy. They’d assured me that the rest of our family knew my situation.
Im really happy for u, Tony texted me in the car as we drove.
Thanks, I said. Maybe we can hang out later on, after the holidays.
that sounds good
He then sent me a video. Once it loaded, I played it, instantly smiling. Addie signed, “Hi, Diana, Merry Christmas. I miss you. Bye!”
So cuuute, I said, tell her I miss her too!
yk, mom and dad were asking if u were coming (nervous laughing emoji)
Blood rushed to my cheeks. Really?
Yea ig they really liked u
they were worryed I wouldn’t have that many friends when we moved here
Why? You’re good at making friends, I replied.
(shrugging emoji) idk. ig bc i didnt have a lot of friends in NY
“Who are you talking to?” Kyle asked.
“No one.”
He leaned over. I leaned away, frowning at him. “What?”
“Is that Tony?” he asked.
“Yeah, so?”
“Then why’d you say, ‘no one’?”
“Because it’s nunya business, jerk.”
“Hey, no name-calling back there,” said Davis.
“He started it,” I said.
“I just wanted to see who she was talking to.”
Susan shook her head. “Kyle, let her text who she wants.”
“Who was she talking to?” Davis asked. His wife slapped his arm.
“To Tony,” Tommy said teasingly.
Harry grinned. “Probably sad he didn’t get her as a Christmas date.”
“Shut up,” I said.
“Maybe he wanted to come and meet the family,” said Jack. “‘I’m Tony, her future boyfriend!’”
The boys laughed. Peeved, I pinched Harry’s ear, kicked Tommy’s ankle, and reached over to poke Jack’s cheek. With Kyle, I pulled a lock of his hair. All of them groaned or said, “Hey!”, leaning away from me.
“Who else is coming?” I asked, changing the subject.
“Um… there’s Uncle Rodney, then our cousins, and our second cousins, and our other uncles and aunts and cousins…” Harry counted them on his fingers.
“That many?”
“Just about 15. Not everyone is coming,” said Susan.
“15? How big is this family?!”
“So big that half of us don’t even talk to each other,” Jack muttered, making the others laugh. Susan fixed them with a glare and they instantly shut up. He shrugged. “Just saying. We’re a lot.”
We soon arrived at the house. It was quite big; not as big as the frat house I went to a few days ago, but enough for a large family. There were many other cars parked around, the moonlight glistening off the windshields.
The house was decorated ostentatiously. Inflatable snowmen, trees, and reindeer dotted the large lawn. Two Santa Claus inflatables flanked the pathway leading to the house. One of them suddenly played music, making me jump and let out a little yell.
“Ho-ho-ho! Merry Christmas!”
The other one did the same right after. I stared at the two Santas, giving Kyle an inquisitive look. He shook his head and gently pushed me to keep walking. “Don’t ask.”
We reached the porch, dusting the snow off our shoes, and Davis rang the doorbell. After a few moments, the door opened to reveal a middle-aged man. He was slightly overweight and had thick red hair with red stubble growing on his round face.
The minute I saw him, a warm feeling registered in my stomach. His joyful smile was all I needed to know that I would like him.
“Merry Christmas! Long time no see!” He hugged my parents and brothers, always wearing a smile. His expression faltered for just a second when he noticed me, probably shocked. I swallowed, lowering my eyes.
“This must be Diana,” he said, his smile returning. His voice was light, but warm, and it made me smile more. I nodded shyly.
He gave me a tight hug. “Welcome to the family, sweetheart.” He pulled away and looked at me up and down, holding me by my shoulders. “It’s uncanny! They could be twins!” He sighed melancholically. “Caitlin would’ve loved you.” He noticed Lonnie and crouched. “And this is Lonnie, right?” He reached out to pet him, but stopped. “Ooh, forgot. He’s a cute boy!”
The warmth in my stomach grew, my heart swelling.
We went inside, where most of the family had already arrived. Three people our age were gathered in the living room with some children. The older adults were in the dining room or the kitchen.
“There they are!” A pregnant woman and her husband approached, hugging us. Thankfully, they didn’t seem too off-put at my arrival. The woman, with long ginger hair and freckles, introduced herself as Ellen and her husband as Mark, Susan’s older brother.
Susan’s mom was also present; her dad passed away ten years ago from a heart attack. The boys called her Gammy. She was a very sweet old lady who right away commented on how cute I was, pinching my cheek. “Just like Amy. So beautiful.” She stopped. “I’m sorry, dear, that doesn’t make you feel uncomfortable, right?”
“It’s okay,” I told her.
She smiled again. “You’re so sweet. She’s so sweet, Susan.” She started talking to my foster parents.
“You want to meet our cousins?” Kyle asked me.
“Y-yeah, sure,” I said nervously. Meeting people my age gave me more anxiety somehow.
The boys led me to the open living room. Three teenagers and five children, from maybe 5 to 10 years old, were playing on the carpet and watching TV. They hadn’t noticed us yet.
“Hey, guys,” said Kyle.
They turned, smiling instantly, and came forward to greet them. I hid behind Harry, still a bit nervous. Lonnie flashed me his usual dog smile, giving me some comfort.
“So… where is she?” I heard a girl say.
“She’s-” Jack stopped and chuckled. “Come on, Di. Don’t be shy.”
I peeked out and faced their cousins. Their smiles faded into shocked silence as they stared at me. I waved shyly.
“I saw the pictures, but… dang,” said one of the girls. She had short brown hair in a bob and chocolate eyes. She approached me with a smile. “Diana, right? I’m Sonya. My dad’s Rodney. And this is my brother Kurt.” She motioned to the boy behind her, who resembled her, except his eyes were more hazel in color. He seemed a bit more nervous, waving at me without saying anything.
“I’m Katie,” the other girl said, sporting ginger red hair and light freckles on her face. “I’m Ellen and Mark’s daughter. Did you meet them? My mom’s pregnant.”
“Yeah, I met them. They’re really nice,” I said to them.
“Aww, you have a puppy! What’s his name again?” Katie leaned on her knees, smiling at Lonnie.
“Lonnie,” I answered her.
“I can’t pet him, right?”
“You can right now, with my permission.” I crouched and scratched his ears. My anxiety was fading away with the cousins’ friendliness, but I was still cautious. There was a chance their attitudes would change.
Hesitantly, Katie approached and touched Lonnie’s head. She then pet him a bit more, gaining confidence. Lonnie relished in the attention.
“He’s adorable!” Sonya said, also petting him.
One of the kids ran over in tears. He was maybe 7, with red hair like Katie’s. “Katie! Lissa hit me!”
“No, I didn’t!” A little brunette girl ran over. “He hit himself! He’s such a liar!”
“Guys, if you keep fighting, Santa’s not coming, remember?”
They gasped, covering their mouths. The little girl looked at me and gawked for a few seconds. “Is that Dana?” She pointed at me.
“Diana,” Kyle corrected.
“She’s like Amy’s angel.”
I smiled, touched. “That’s so sweet. Thank you.”
The little boy, on the other hand, started crying and ran away. Jack shook his head. “He was really close to Amy. He might get emotional around you. Don’t feel bad.”
Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.
“He’s a crybaby,” the little girl said.
“Melissa, Santa doesn’t like when you call people crybabies,” Katie scolded her.
Melissa gasped. “I’m sorry.” She waved at me and ran back in the living room.
“They’re so cute,” I said honestly.
“Melissa’s my little sister and Jeffrey’s my first cousin. There’s a lot of us.”
“Yeah, no kidding.”
“Hey, guys!” A man came over, around Kyle’s age, sharing Rodney’s red hair and slight chubbiness. He greeted all the boys warmly. “This must be Diana,” he said smilingly. “I’m Robert, Sonya and Kurt’s brother.”
“You’re forgetting me, butthead.” A girl shoved him lightly as she approached. She had blond hair and was a bit heavier than Robert. “I’m Anita.” She hugged me briefly. “You’re so pretty! Not just because you look like Amy, but you’re pretty. There’s differences.”
“Thanks,” I said, blushing.
She gasped. “Oh-my-God, it’s a doggy!” She reached out to pet him.
“You can’t pet him,” said Sonya.
Her face fell. “Why?” she said sadly.
“It’s okay, I’ll let her,” I said. “He’s Lonnie, my service dog.” I pointed at the ‘DO NOT PET’ on his jacket.
“Oh, I’m sorry.” She stepped back. “It’s okay, you don’t have to-”
“No, you can pet him. Just a bit.”
She scratched his head and smiled. “He’s so cute.”
“Kurt, you good?” Jack asked. We all looked at the guy, who was pale as a ghost. His eyes were glassy.
“I’m fine.” He smiled unconvincingly and swallowed.
“You sure?” Sonya asked.
“Yeah, yeah… I’m just going to the bathroom. Be right back.” He rushed off. I played with Lonnie’s leash, knowing full well he probably wasn’t reacting well to… me.
“I’m sorry about him,” said his sister.
“No, it’s fine. I’m used to it.” I quickly backtracked. “I didn’t mean it that way- sorry-”
“You’re good. He was just… Amy’s death really affected him. He’s been struggling with depression ever since.”
“They were close, I bet.”
They all looked at each other. “You could say that…”
“Come on, sit down,” said Anita. “We can have a better conversation.”
I got along pretty well with the cousins. They asked a lot about me, what I liked, what I was doing now. I wasn’t too open, of course, but I did mention my uncle and aunt— I didn’t tell them they were on parole, though. They seemed hopeful that I would stay with the Fields until I aged out. All of them were very kind.
While Kurt was in the ‘bathroom’, they told me that he and Amy didn’t get along at all, since he would love to tease and prank her. Her death instilled a lot of guilt and regret. I didn’t get a lot of details before he came back, a bit more composed, and started talking to me. He, too, was very kind.
We soon went to the table for Christmas dinner together. The boys’ grandma, Rodney, Susan, Davis, and Mark were all getting the meal ready. I sat with the boys. The five little kids sat at a separate table with Sonya and Kurt. In all, we were over 20; a lot of people. To think there were more family members that didn’t show up was astounding.
Jack was sitting next to me, texting, his phone hidden under the table. From my angle, I could read his chat. He was talking to someone from college.
Justinnnn7808: i get it if ur not interested anymore, but think about it. not all of us r the same promise
sigma tau has good guys, it just gets problematic
they were mostly just joking
jackomattern: none of that was a joke bro. I can tell the diference
even if u wanted to ‘joke’, it wasnt funny. It was gross and sick. shes literally 16 yo and jokes like that arent funny at all. i thought u guys were helping a nobel cause, but ive seen enouf
im not interested so just focus on ur pervs and leave me alone
“Whoa. What happened?” I commented.
He jumped, glaring at me. “Nunya business,” he mimicked me.
“Oh, come on. I wanna know.”
“No.”
“It’s the frat thing, right?”
“Shut up,” he whispered, paranoidly glancing around.
“Then tell me,” I whispered back.
“Wait.” He blocked the guy he was talking to and went to a different chat.
nevadareno4844: yo its cool man, glad your sis is ok
hey if your interested in rushing theta, lmk. Im recruitment pres this semester
i get it if u got turned off, but youll always have a place in theta
thanks man, Jack replied. Merry Christmas
merry Christmas
“So? What was that about?” I asked.
He sighed, glaring at me.
“Please?” I gave him my best puppy-eye look, trying to look like Lonnie. I didn’t expect it to work, but his face suddenly softened.
“Okay,” he said. “Remember the frat party?”
“Duh.”
“Well, one of them found out we were related,” he continued. “So at first, I thought they were going to press charges or something, but he seemed cool with it, and he even added me to a group chat with his other brothers. I thought it was all good. Then… they started making jokes. I sent a voice, said it wasn’t cool, and they all made fun of me and started making really… sick jokes about women in general. They even mentioned Amelia.”
“They know her?”
“No, but they knew I had a girlfriend, so they started making jokes about her. So I got out of the group chat, and the guy texted me saying they were just joking, and that I could still rush, whatever. And that’s what you saw.” He gave me a look. “Don’t tell anyone. Seriously.”
“Yeah, yeah. And what about that other guy?”
“Oh, he’s the guy that followed you guys when you were passed out,” he said. “He’s pretty cool. He asked if we were doing okay, and I told him what happened. He’s from Theta Epsilon Psi.”
“You gonna join them?”
“I don’t know.” He paused. “I don’t think a frat is right for me. At first, it seemed awesome, but now… I don’t think it’s what I want anymore. I should just stick to the football team.”
“At least you made friends,” I pointed out.
“Yeah, at least that. Sam said he’s gonna drop, too. He was in the group chat and he got ticked off, so he said he didn’t want to be in the frat anymore.”
“Sam’s a nice guy,” I said. “That’s good for him. So he wasn’t like the other frat guys when he was drunk?”
Jack chuckled. “The guy’s a puppy. Like Lonnie.”
We looked down at said dog, who smiled up at us curiously. What? Did I drool again? I imagined him wondering.
“He gets all teary and talks about how much he loves everyone,” Jack continued. “The other guys were fighting with the girls there. Even if he was drop-dead drunk, Sam would never treat a girl like they did.”
“I guess I got lucky that nothing happened…” I realized.
“I think some of them got intimidated because of how well you held your liquor. I couldn’t drink that much and live,” he said.
I shrugged. “My first taste of beer was when I was eight.”
His smile disappeared. “Seriously?”
“Stuff happens.”
His hand found mine, his thumb rubbing my knuckles comfortingly. I squeezed reassuringly.
“Finally!” someone said. Everyone in the kitchen came out with the turkey and the rest of the food. Once they set the table, everyone held hands for the prayer.
Rodney stood to lead. “Thank you, Lord Jesus, for letting our family come together again to celebrate your sacrifice. Thank you for the wonderful dinner we have in front of us, and please provide for those that live without food, or a family. Give them comfort, joy, and peace. We thank you for all your blessings, and for letting another beautiful daughter of yours be able to join our family today.” I smiled, feeling eyes turn to me. “With your love, we pray for another prosperous year. Amen.”
“Amen.”
He smiled at us. “Merry Christmas, everyone,” he said. “I’m so glad all of us could be together again, and if Caitlin and our youngest sons were here, I know they’d be smiling bright. Especially my wife; her smile was bright enough to light up the house.” He took his wine glass and looked over at me. “I want to properly welcome our new family member, Diana, who’s become a part of the Field-Dillon family. I’m glad she could join us today. And in memory of our beautiful Amy… let’s make a toast to celebrate her memory and keep it alive for the rest of our days. To family, to Amy, and to Diana. Cheers.”
“Cheers.” We raised our wine and grape juice glasses, clinking them together.
~~~
Harry
December 27th, 2023
My fingers hovered over my phone screen, my eyes fixed on Mildred’s name. I gulped and my hands turned clammy. My stomach was flipping like an eggbeater whisk.
With a deep breath, I tapped on her number and put the phone to my ear. I hoped she was free. This was probably my only chance; if she didn’t answer now, I’d be too chicken to try again later.
“Hey, Harry,” she answered.
“H-hi!” I squeaked out, clearing my throat. “How’d your, uh… Christmas go?” I started pacing around nervously.
“It was fun,” she said. “I got this adorable skirt I always wanted. And a cute necklace. I’mma show it off at school when we get back. What about you? Di told me she had a great time with your family.”
“Yeah, she got along really well with all of them. Especially our cousins.”
“Aw, that’s great.”
“Listen, um…” Just say it. “I-I was wondering if, um… you wanted to… if you were free… sometime this week? Before New Year’s?”
“Uh, I’m not sure,” she said. “Why? You wanted to hang out or something?”
“Yeah…”
“Sure. Is Di coming?”
“Uh- no, what I mean is…” I swallowed, my throat drying up faster than normal. “Just… you and me.”
“Oh… you sure? People might think we’re going out,” she laughed.
“Y-yeah, uh… um… yeah. I was thinking we… could?”
Silence. My stomach immediately dropped and I sat down on my bed.
“Harry… are you asking me out?”
“Yeah,” I choked out. “I just… you’re really cool, and… yeah.”
“Harry…” Her tone wasn’t the one I hoped for. “Harry, I-”
“It’s fine,” I cut her off. “Y-you don’t have to feel bad. I’m sorry. I was too… I’m sorry. I get it.”
“No, no… Harry.” She sighed. “Harry, you’re a great guy. I like you, a lot. But… not the way you want me to.”
“It’s okay. Don’t feel bad.”
“I’m sorry, Harry… I’d love to hang out, but just as friends. I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong idea, or led you on, or-”
“You didn’t,” I assured her. “I was just… I just liked you that way. You didn’t do anything to lead me on. I figured maybe you didn’t feel the same way, but it was worth a shot, right?”
She chuckled. “I’m proud of you for taking that shot. It’s a hard thing to do. I’m so sorry I had to let you down like this. I didn’t want to hurt you.”
“Trust me, Mill, it’s alright. I understand. We can stay friends, like always. No big deal.”
She paused. “You are a cutie pie, though.”
I laughed, my face heating up. She really thought I was cute? That was something, at least. “Thanks,” I said modestly.
“You are. I’m surprised you’re not taken. You’re an amazing guy, Harry. You’re going to find a girl that loves you as much as you love her. You’ll see. She’ll be perfect for you.”
Her sweet words warmed my heart, but the pain was still there. “Thank you, Mildred. I needed that.”
“And make sure she ain’t like your brother’s ex.”
I laughed once again. “Heck, no.”
“She moved, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Weirdo. Well. One less problem without her.” She hesitated. “You gonna be okay?”
“Yeah, I’ll be fine. I’m just glad we can be friends.”
“Sure. You know it. I’ll see you, Harry.”
“See you.”
The minute she hung up, tears leaked out. I didn’t expect it to hurt this much. Part of me knew she probably only saw me as a friend, but I stubbornly ignored the thought, holding on to that false hope. Every smile and sweet word she gave me was a ‘hint’ or maybe a ‘signal’ that just maybe she liked me back.
Tommy entered. “Hey, sorry, I just-” He stopped. “What happened?”
I shook my head, hiding my face as I lied down. I didn’t want to face the ‘single pringle’ jokes right now.
“Hey…” He sat down next to me, his hand on my shoulder. “Did you call her?”
I sniffled. “Yeah.”
“And… it’s a no?”
I nodded.
“Aw, I’m sorry, Harry. That… that hurts. I’m sorry.” He rubbed my back comfortingly.
“The thing is, I knew she probably didn’t like me back, and I still… now things are gonna be all weird at school.”
“Nah, I don’t think so. Mildred’s really cool. This isn’t that bad. She probably thought it was cute.”
“If by cute, you mean pathetic, then sure. She was just trying to be nice.”
The door opened behind me. “Hey, boys,” said Mom. “Davis and I-” She stopped. “Harry? What’s the matter, baby?”
“Nothing.”
“He just called-”
“Shut up, Tom.” I punched at his chest. He only rolled his eyes, hardly impacted by the strike.
“Hey, no hitting.” Dad walked over and sat next to Tommy, dipping the bed further. “Come on, Harry, what happened?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
After some silence, Mom said, “Tommy, could you let us talk to your brother?”
“Sure.” He stood.
“And we were wondering if you guys wanted to let us play PS5 with you. We asked your brothers already. You can tell Diana to come down, too.”
“PS5? You guys? You want to play?”
“Yeah, why not?” said Dad. “We played plenty of videogames when we were your age.”
“Yeah, on Nintendo 64,” Tommy said mockingly, though it was clear he was joking.
“Oh, like you can figure out our old games,” Mom challenged. “If you can play on a Nintendo 64, we can play your PS5.”
“Challenge accepted.” Tommy left.
Mom sat on the other side of the bed, her fingers stroking my hair. The feeling immediately brought comfort. “What happened, sweetheart?” she asked.
I sighed, wiping my tears. “I asked Mildred out just now. I called her.”
“And… she said she only likes you as a friend?” Dad guessed.
“Hence the crying.”
“Oh, Harry, that’s not a big deal. That happens to almost everyone,” said Mom.
“It didn’t happen to my brothers. No, they get the girls of their dreams.”
“What about Tommy?”
“Kyle and Jack got their dream girls, then. Amy had Rick. Diana has Tony.”
“Honey, did you ask her out because you liked her, or because you were jealous of your siblings?” Mom asked with a small chuckle.
“No, I really do like her.” I sat up. “That’s why I took the chance, got the guts to ask her. Because I figured, if they can do it, I can do it.”
“Well, that’s good. You took the chance. She said no. It’s fine. You’re still friends, right?” Dad said reassuringly.
“Yeah, she says that, but I know it’s going to be awkward when we’re at school.”
“Oh, yeah, it’s normal to feel a bit awkward. But it’ll stay awkward if you treat it that way. When you see her, act like nothing happened.”
“Well, no,” Mom disagreed. “Not too casual. Then she’ll be able to tell you’re trying to play it off. The first day, you need to let some of that awkwardness linger so you can clear it up. Then you can make it clear that you’re happy staying friends.”
“I just don’t know if I can face her,” I sighed.
“Well, what did she say?”
I relayed what she said to me during the call, including when she said I was a ‘cutie pie’. This made both of them chuckle.
“That’s a good sign,” Mom said. “If she felt… creeped out, let’s say, or weirded out in any way, she wouldn’t have said that. She would’ve been a bit colder. She cares a lot about you, Harry. She was honest and sweet. That’s good.”
“She was just trying to be nice.”
“Trust me, when I had to reject a guy, I wasn’t that nice.”
“Who’d you reject?” I cocked my head.
Dad scoffed. “Me.”
“You?” My jaw dropped. “You guys never told us that!”
“We didn’t? You sure?”
“No!” I laughed. “Mom rejected you?”
Dad sighed, blushing slightly. “I met her at my second job in 1999. She was just about to graduate. I instantly had a crush on her. Just look at her.” He gave Mom an enamored look.
“Yeah… okay, could you skim over the annoying parts?” I asked.
Mom playfully smacked me up the head. “Anyway… he had a thing for me. At the time, I was concentrated on my job, not romance. He came to my cubicle with a bouquet of flowers.” She looked at Dad with the same adoration. “And he asked me out… and I felt terrible, but I said no, I wasn’t ready for a relationship.” She flattened her hand over her chest. “His little face. He looked like a sad little puppy.”
“I didn’t look like a puppy.”
“Yes, you did. So, I said no, and he waited a year, and… I fell in love with him and decided to give him a chance. And we got married a year after that… now it’s been 22 years.”
“So quick?”
“When you find the one you love, you just can’t wait,” Dad said. “You know that’s the one God sent you. You’re ready to start your life with them. God just needed us to wait a bit.”
“Now… don’t expect this to happen with Mildred. I rejected other guys in high school, too,” Mom clarified.
Dad shrugged. “You’re young, Harry. This is going to happen, and it’s always going to hurt. When God decides to send you your woman, he will.”
“But how long?” I whined.
“How long? You’re 17!” Mom clicked her tongue. “You’ll find another crush. You’ll be a senior next year. Then there’s college. You’ll be able to date and get to know different women. Then you’ll be ready when your true love comes. You’ll tell the difference.”
“Not too many women, though.” Dad smiled. “When you date someone, make it clear you don’t want anything serious. Your career’s always first. Just like your mom said to me that first time.”
“Even then, I got my Master’s later than I was supposed to,” Mom added. “I finished a year after Kyle was born. You don’t want to do the same thing. It’s hard.”
I nodded. “Yeah, I know.”
“Seriously. It can distract you. I would be staring at your mom instead of working.”
“Don’t stare,” Mom warned me. “You’ll look like a creep.”
“I wasn’t a creep. I just looked at you every now and then.”
“I didn’t say you were a creep. I’m just advising him. So sensitive.” Mom rolled her eyes at Dad.
“No, no, I’m not gonna stare.” I smiled, now feeling better. “You sure Mildred will still want to be friends with me?”
“She’s a sweet girl. You’ll both bounce back. If she starts being weird about it, that’s her problem.” Mom frowned. “She’ll lose an incredible friend if she starts being… you know.”
“You feel better now?” Dad asked me.
I nodded. “A bit. Thanks.”
“You know you can talk to us about anything, right?” Mom took my hand. “Even when we’re working. Knock on our door, and we’ll talk to you. Don’t doubt. Okay?”
“Okay.” I hugged her, then Dad.
“Wanna go and play some videogames?” They rose.
“Yeah, I really don’t think you guys can handle the PS5.” I also stood up.
“Try us,” Mom said challengingly. We left my room.