“Tell Rowan too,” Dad adds. “We’ll go to the Grand Canyon together—we haven’t done that yet.”
“And Vegas!” Daddy shouts excitedly. “You’ve been wanting to go to Vegas since it was legal for you to get into a casino.”
I throw my head back in loud, rib-aching laughter. “Okay, Vegas. Yes, please.”
“We miss you, baby,” Dad says softly. “I’m sorry we haven’t been around.”
“It’s okay,” I say, my voice hoarse. “I get it.”
“We don’t,” Daddy says. “We’re sorry. We’ll stay longer next time, we promise.”
“For however long you need us,” Dad adds. “We’ll be home soon, I promise you, baby.”
“Okay,” I croak. “I’m sorry. I know I’m an adult and that I should be able to?—”
“No, no,” Dad says. “Don’t you do that, Natty. You’re an adult withfeelings.Believe me, we miss you so much.”
“You have no idea,” Daddy adds. “We will be home as soon as we’re done here.”
“Okay—Okay, yeah.” I wipe my cheeks with my sleeve.
We talk for a few more minutes, the time feeling too shortby the time we say goodbye. I’m okay with my dads living their life, enjoying retirement. They deserve it after everything they’ve been through as individuals and as a couple. But it’s going to feel so good to have them home, even if only for a little while before they explore another part of the world. I expect them to keep travelling, because they deserve it.
Perhaps one day, that will be something Rowan and I do together…
“Natalia?” His knuckles rap against the door.
“Yeah,” I rasp, “come in.”
The hinges creak quietly as he slips in between the crack of the door, Binx following after him. He picks up my cat and plops her down on the bed as he sits beside me.
“Hey,” Rowan breathes. “So?”
I sniffle, chuckling and tugging at the sleeves of my long-sleeve tee. “My dads want you to come to Vegas with us.”
He blinks, the corners of his lips tipping up. “What?”
I laugh softly, entertained by my dads’ love for Rowan and this relationship. Something that had started as a way for them to stop worrying about me and my anti-socialism, or whatever it was that had them sick over me, became this.
With Rowan Asher of all people.
“For my birthday, probably,” I explain as I pet Binx’s soft black fur. She purrs and pokes my thigh with her nose as she curls into me. “They said we’d take a trip to Vegas.”
Rowan laughs, his shoulder shaking in rhythm with the deep, beautiful sound. “I thought Vegas was more for twenty-first birthdays, not twenty-eighth birthdays.”
I lift my shoulders wearily. “I told them I missed them.” I frown. “They said sorry.”
Rowan scoots closer, pulling my legs over his lap. “I didn’t mean it like that, sweetheart. I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Nat.”
“Don’t say sorry, it wasn’t you,” I rasp. “They just…they promised we’d go once, a really long time ago—after I turned eighteen. I never got the chance to go though, and I was planning to go with Lana, Isa, and Elena but…” I shrug. “We didn’t get around to it.”
“I’m sorry.” He kisses my jaw. “I’m sorry. I promise I didn’t mean to laugh at you.”
“I know you didn’t,” I assure him and find his lips with mine. “It’s okay.”
“I’ll take you to Vegas, sweetheart.” He kisses me back. “Let’s go right now.”
With my legs on his lap, I push him back down as he starts to stand. “No.” I laugh. “No. For my birthday, we’ll go. If you want to go with me.”
