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My day has been completely derailed. If Mom and Dad wouldn’t have changed all of our plans, me and Helen would’ve had enough time to get ready for the convention and head over there. Of course, my parents decided they wanted to visit Gram first, and then Gram wanted to come too. Now everyone is joining us at the convention, which is why I’m now surrounded by family members donning elf ears. Mom and Dad don’t even have elfish clothes, it’s just elf ears with jeans and sneakers. Gram at least wore a sparkly dress, so she’s pulling off the elf look.

I don’t mind hanging out with my parents, but they can be pretty dorky.

We walk inside the convention center; it’s filled with people wearing cosplay and various booths where you can purchase books and cosplay accessories. There are a few authors signing books too, but the lines to see them are super long.

“Oh, girls! Look at these!” Mom says, clomping over to a booth in her white, New Balance tennis shoes. Dad joins her, wearing the same exact shoes but in a man-version. They might not look as bad if he weren’t also wearing pleated jeans from the nineties.

Mom points to a shelf filled with handmade flower crowns. Some are dried flowers and others are silk. They’re lovely and would look great with my Arwen inspired dress.

Helen rushes over and peruses the options. “They’re gorgeous!”

Dad grins. “Alright, flower crowns for all my girls! On me.”

“Thanks, Dad!” Helen gives him a peck on the cheek, then chooses a crown of baby’s breath and tiny, pink roses.

I join them by the shelf and select one that is all white flowers, but has fake gemstones woven throughout. Mom surprises me and picks one out too. She usually keeps things pretty simple: tennis shoes, t-shirt, jeans. But she looks cute in the crown of purple flowers she chose.

Dad pulls out his big, clunky wallet and pays the man running the booth with a wad of cash.

“About time he uses some of that money he inherited,” Gram’s voice mutters from beside me. I snicker and she joins me. My parents are usually very frugal, and they certainly didn’t get that from Gram.

“Oh, Mom, you pick one too!” Dad says when he turns and sees Gram is the only one not wearing a flower crown.

“Put your money away, I’ll be fine,” she tells him in a teasing voice, then links her arm through mine. Helen goes to Gram’s other side and follows suit. The three of us walk in a row with Mom and Dad behind us.

Looking ahead into the crowd, a man dressed as Gandalf the Grey towers over the crowd. He’s holding a small child, who’s dressed as a hobbit, hairy feet and everything. His face is covered with a beard, and together they’re the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. I allow my imagination to fly away for a second, and I picture coming to events like this someday with my husband and children, all dressed up together. How fun? I try to picture Dexter Hawthorne dressing in fantasy cosplay, but I can’t quite see it. Something about him seems too prim and proper for all this.

To my surprise, Gandalf and Frodo walk straight toward me, stopping right in front of me, Gram, and Helen. It’s the waggle of those dark, dark eyebrows that puts it all together for me. It’s Colby. And this cute little Frodo has to be his sister because she is a teeny-tiny version of him.

Something I can only describe as butterflies, flurry deep in my stomach. Not only is this the cutest thing I’ve ever seen, but he came to this convention knowing I’d be here, and he’s reading The Hobbit.

But why?

Sure, he’s flirted incessantly with me over the past year, but that’s just Colby. He flirts with Mel and Andie, too. It’s his personality. But why would he make so much effort to like what I like, to show up where I am?

Because we’re friends now? Yeah, that has to be it. He’s helping me get Dexter’s attention, after all. He wouldn’t have agreed to be my dating coach if he was pursuing me for himself.

I huff a laugh. Even the idea of Colby Knight making such an effort to pursue me is ridiculous.

“Hello, young ladies. You all look lovely,” Colby says, disguising his voice to sound like Gandalf. The child in his arms giggles, showing off her dimples. My goodness, she really is a tiny Colby, dimples and all. I’d never stopped to wonder what Colby looked like as a child, but he must’ve been beautiful, just like his sister. Goodness, what will his own children look like?

A strangled whimper leaves my parted mouth and Gram looks at me with raised eyebrows. She has to recognize Colby’s blue eyes and dark brows.

Helen, who’s completely oblivious to the famous athlete standing before us, says, “Oh, my gosh! I love your costumes.” She claps her hands together and Colby’s sister does the same, making us all laugh. “You are the cutest little hobbit I’ve ever seen.”

“Tanks!” Colby’s sister says to Helen, then turns back to Colby. “I gotta go potty.”

Those dark eyebrows go all the way up to is white wig. His eyes are so wide, it makes me wonder if he didn’t think he thought this through beforehand. Because he definitely didn’t anticipate having to take the little hobbit to the men’s restroom.

“Would it be okay if I took you? The ladies’ restroom is much nicer than the boys’.”

Helen’s head snaps in my direction, probably wondering why I’d offer to take a random child to the restroom. Ruthie—I think is her name—looks to her big brother for confirmation that it’s okay and he nods.

“Thanks, Noel. You’re a lifesaver.” Colby sets his sister on the ground, and she grabs onto my hand with one of her small ones and Colby’s with the other. Together, the three of us walk toward the restrooms, and it feels strangely intimate. Like a glimpse of what it would be like to have a family. I shake the thought.

“So,” I say. “What are you doing here?”

Colby gives me an abashed grin through his sleek, white beard. “Thought it would be fun to surprise you with our amazing costumes.”