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My mother wraps her arm around my shoulders. “Until we die. I think we’ve earned that right.” She brushes my hair from my face before tipping my chin toward her. I meet her gaze. “You seem on edge, honey.”

“I’m just hungry. And tired. And stressed. And my entire body hurts.”

“Professor Nelson told me about the request you made,” she says, which instantly makes me more annoyed. When you’re in college, your parents aren’t supposed to talk to your teachers anymore, right? Well, when your mother works at the school, that rite of passage flies right out the window.

“Look, I’ve already gotten an earful from Easton, but I know what I’m doing. I can handle it.” At least, I think I can.

She tilts her head. “It certainly is ambitious to want to finish early, and if there’s anyone who can do it, it’s you.” Hearing that confirmation from my mom makes my throat tighten. “But you need to be prepared that things might not go according to plan.”

My dad leans around Mom so he can look at me now. “Trust me, kiddo. Babies don’t give a shit about plans.”

My mom nods. “That’s right. My water broke in the middle of a lecture when I was pregnant with Blair. She was two weeks early.”

Blair flips her long brunette hair over her shoulder. “What can I say? I like to make an entrance.”

“And Nora was nearly born on the side of the road,” my father adds. “Thank God I’m also a paramedic because your mother thought we had more time until she was crowning in the wheelchair as we rushed her into the hospital.”

I scrunch up my nose. “Can we please not talk about Mom crowning? I thought we came here to watch the football game.”

“What’s crowning?” James asks from the other side of my dad.

He turns to face his grandson. “Well…”

Mom peers around my dad to look at James. “When you’re a little bit older, I’ll tell you all about crowning, kiddo. All right?”

James huffs as he crosses his arms over his chest. “I can’t wait to grow up so I’m not in the dark anymore.”

I laugh. “Trust me, James. Growing up is a trap. Enjoy being a kid while you can.”

Everyone directs their attention to the field—thank God—just as Easton reappears. But he’s carrying far more than food.

“Can you take this, please?” He thrusts an oddly shaped pillow toward Nora.

“Uh, sure…” Nora drags out.

Easton hands me a cardboard box with food inside, and the smell of it makes my stomach growl even more.

“Is that…”

“Melvin’s brisket,” he finishes for me as he takes a seat on the bench beside me. “They had it at the snack bar, so I grabbed that and some fries. I figured that should be easy enough on your stomach.” Reaching around me, he takes the pillow from Nora and then gestures for me to stand. “Stand up.”

“Uh, why?”

“Because this is for you to sit on,” he says, waiting for me to do as he asked. When my butt comes off the bench, he slides the pillow onto the steel and then pulls me back down.

I let out a sigh of relief when my ass hits the cushion, the pain in my hips immediately easing. “Oh. Oh, that’s nice.”

Easton smiles proudly. “I figured that would be much more comfortable for you.” He leans around me to address my parents. “So, what did I miss?”

My parents have knowing grins on their faces, but Blair speaks before they can. “Uh, Easton? You happen to have any more of those pillows lying around? Inquiring asses would like to know.”

The boys behind us laugh, but I focus on the game while shoveling fries in my mouth.

The man brought me a cushion to sit on for the football game.

I don’t know whether to be offended or worship at his feet for the pressure he just took off my tailbone.

“You can get them online or at office supply stores, Blair. But sorry, I just brought the one.”