“What’s she like?” Mom asked, leaning in. “Is she cute?”
My dad gave her a playful nudge, pushing his way back onto the screen. “Of course she’s cute, Alice. Look at him. He’s a handsome kid.”
I didn’t even correct my dad, because to him, I would always be a kid.
“She’s really cute. Beautiful, actually.” The most gorgeous woman I’d ever seen.
“You know, lots of wolven have human mates,” she said expectantly.
I winced at the word. There was no way that Tegan and I were mates.
“Uh, I think it’s a little too soon to tell, Mom.” Even though I had intense feelings for Tegan, I was just coming off a failed engagement. Mating was the last thing on my mind.
“When are you going to bring her to visit?” she asked.
“She owns a bakery in town so she’s pretty busy, but maybe we can come visit soon,” I said, just to pacify my mother. Tegan and I had just started dating. There was no way I was taking her to meet my parents yet.
“We would love that,” Dad said.
Mom gripped his arm, nodding aggressively. “We really would. I could set up the guest room, and your father could cook a nice dinner—”
I cut her off with a laugh. “I’m sure she would love that, Mom.”
She was getting ahead of herself, but I couldn’t remember her ever being excited about Jade visiting like that.
Was everyone trying to point me toward the red flags, but I’d been too complacent to notice them?
Mom peered around the tablet—I assumed out the window that sat behind the kitchen table. “Oh, the sun is starting to set, sweetie. We better get going.”
“Alice,” Dad said, “let me have a minute alone with Atlas, please.”
Mom gave him a questioning look. Some sort of fated mate “we’ve been married forever” understanding must have passed between them before she turned back to the screen and said, “I loveyou, Atlas. Have a good full moon and we’ll talk to you soon. Oh! And tell your girlfriend we said hello.”
“I will, Mom. Love you, too.”
She waved goodbye and slipped out of the room.
My dad turned around, making sure she was out of earshot before he launched into whatever it was he had to say. “I just wanted to tell you how proud of you we are. It takes a lot of guts to admit that something isn’t working out. Jade wasn’t right for you, and we know that. We’re not upset that you called off the engagement. As long as you’re happy, we’re happy.”
“Thanks, Dad.” I knew they weren’t disappointed I didn’t follow through with the engagement, but hearing it put me at ease.
“Enjoy yourself tonight, son.”
“You, too.”
Before I hung up, I heard my dad yell for my mother.
“Alice—how the hell do I shut this thing off?”
I chuckled, hitting the button to end the call.
It had been a while since I’d last been home, but every time I talked to my parents, I was reminded of how happy they were together. To me, they were the gold standard for a healthy relationship, and when Jade and I first started dating, I’d hoped to grow into something like that. Even when things felt wrong or uncomfortable, I forced myself to stay. Convinced myself that she was what I wanted—what I deserved. In reality, we couldn’t have been more wrong for each other.
Being with Tegan was opening my eyes to what a healthy relationship could be. There was an undeniable sexual chemistry between us, but more than that, there was communication and respect.
My past made me realize just how lucky I was in the present.
How lucky I was to have Tegan in my life.
