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“Yup.” I punched a pillow under my head. “She’s here for Benny’s transplant.”

“Oh. Can I meet her?”

I laughed a little. “You want to meet more of my people? You haven’t had enough?”

“Well, I didn’t enjoy Doug very much, but I liked Alexis and Daniel.”

“Okay, Doug is not my people. I do not claim him.”

He chuckled.

“My mom actually does want to meet you,” I said. “And your family.”

“Great. Let’s set it up.”

Again with the enthusiastic meeting of my inner circle. This man was really putting in the work for this charade.

“What if your family slips?” I said, lowering my voice. “About the kidney. Benny and my mom don’t know you’re his donor.”

“We could just tell them.”

I wrinkled my forehead. “Tell them? I thought you didn’t want a bunch of people knowing.”

“I can handle two more.”

I twisted my lips. “I don’t know…”

“What?”

“These two people are going to be a lot. There’s probably going to be crying and hugging.”

“It’s okay.”

It was a little weird that he was so willing to do this. All of this. I mean I had to know his family for the thing, but he didn’t necessarily need to know mine. It seemed like extra work for him.

“You’re so social lately,” I said.

“I want to know your friends and your family.”

I don’t know why, but his words gripped me right in the heart. I guess because that’s what a real boyfriend would do. Want to meet the people I loved. He was probably doing this because introducing my family to his made this fake relationship feel more authentic. I couldn’t really think of another reason why he’d want our families to meet, especially because meeting people he didn’t know was his least favorite thing in the universe.

“Okay,” I said. “How do you want to do it? Do you want me to tell them you’re Benny’s kidney donor before you see them? I feel like if I do it in front of you, it’ll be awkward.”

“Sure.”

“When do you want to do the family meet-and-greet thing?”

“Let me call Mom and see what day works for her.”

“All right.” I yawned.

Then we just stayed on the phone for a moment, not saying anything.

This time last night I was in bed with him in Wakan. I wished I were in bed with him now too. I’d see him at work tomorrow, but it wasn’t the same.

“Jill came back over today,” he said.

It was weird, because I felt like he said it to remind me that we were supposed to be living together. Like he was thinking about me being there with him too.