I nodded. When I looked down at my shirt, the edges of my vision grew dark and I felt light-headed. I looked like I’d been in the fight, not just helping someone after. Without another word, Daddy slid a hand around to the small of my back. We stopped by my office and then he took me into the private bathroom.
I was ready for tonight to be over.
* * *
We didn’t get homefrom the club until after midnight. Everyone was more subdued following the incident. I kept waiting for my parents to say they weren’t comfortable with me working there, and I’d formulated a series of rebuttals for the protests that never came.
“You have a great work family,” Mom said as she started a pot of coffee. Yes, it was the middle of the night, but she’d likely be up for a few hours yet, and believed it was never too late for coffee. “It’s easy to see how much they adore you.”
“What’s not to love about Sam?” Theron mused. He kissed the top of my head before pulling a pack of cookies out of the pantry. I scowled at him. We had cookies and he didn’t tell me? He was a big meanie. “They all look out for one another. Believe it or not, I had to get through William before I could ask Sam out on a date.”
Calling how our relationship started a date, might be a bit of a stretch, but I was grateful Theron said it in a way that didn’t cheapen what we’d shared. And the only reason we’d jumped right into playing together was because I’d chickened out when he wanted to take me to lunch. If we’d done things his way, I imagined it would have taken longer to get to where we were because he was a noble man who didn’t want me to feel pressured into anything. I loved him for that, but in this case, my way was definitely better.
“I could see that.” Dad hugged me tight. “I’m glad you have friends who look out for you. It makes it easier to let you live the life you’re building. Are you planning on staying at the club after graduation?”
“I am,” I admitted. It didn’t feel as scary anymore. They knew where I worked and what I was doing. They saw me take charge when I needed to. They had both told me they were proud of how I’d handled myself.
We all made our way into the living room once Mom had her cup of coffee. They sat on the couch and didn’t say a word when I crawled into Daddy’s lap. Mom practically had hearts floating over her head as she cradled her mug, watching Daddy rock me to sleep. It was a bit odd, but it wasn’t like he’d pulled out my bottle or changed me into a diaper. I loved my parents, but I couldn’t wait for them to go home so we could get back to our normal lives.
I listened to Daddy talk about his students and the end of the school year. Mom asked him for his opinion on some initiatives she was involved with back home for underserved students. I smiled as I drifted off to sleep, finally believing that everything was going to be just fine. There were no more secrets and my parents seemed to love my Daddy almost as much as I did.
This was the life.
