when her voice cracked. Ace chuckled.
They
made their way into the kitchen, where her father was already sitting down with
a paper in front of him. He looked up, smiled at them both, and then set the
paper down and stood. After hugging her and clapping Ace on the back they all
three sat. Her mom came in moments later with a dish of lasagna. The table was
already set with dinnerware, a salad, garlic bread, and even a bottle of red
wine.
“I
am so glad you two decided to come over for dinner. It’s been forever since
we’ve had you two together under our roof,” her mother said and started dishing
out the food.
Before
they started eating, she wanted to just get this out in the open, make it known
why they’d really come here. “I actually want to talk to both of you,” Lauren
said.
Her
mother stopped dishing food out and sat down. Lauren looked at her dad, saw the
focus he had on her, and then he looked at Ace. Lauren was so nervous right
now, and she hated that, hated that she even felt that way. She loved Ace more
than anything, and nothing should make her afraid to express her feelings, not
even the opinions of her parents.
“You
obviously have something big to tell us,” her dad said, but there wasn’t any
anger or worry in his voice. He looked at Lauren’s mom and smiled. “Your mother
told me about the talk you two had a while ago, about you and Ace.”
Lauren
looked at her mom, surprised. “You did?”
Her
father nodded and reached out across the table to take Lauren’s hand.
“I
love him, Mom and Dad,” she said and swallowed. She grabbed Ace’s hand under
the table and gave it a squeeze.
“I
love your daughter more than you’ll ever know. And although I know I’m not good
enough for her, I’ll do my best every single day to be the man she deserves in
her life.”
Oh. God. She might just cry right now.
“And
you’re together?” her mom asked no emotion in her voice, but a small smile on
her face.
“We
are, Mom,” Lauren responded.
“Well,
I don’t know what to say,” her mother said, looked at her dad, and her smile
grew. “But I guess I should say I’m glad you two are happy, and I hope things
work out.”
“You’re
really okay with this?” Lauren asked, her heart beating a mile a minute.
“Are
you happy?” her mother asked.
Lauren
nodded.
“And
you’re happy?” her mom asked Ace.
He
tightened his hold on her hand. “More than I could even describe with words.”
Her
father smiled, and her mom exhaled slowly.
“Then
we’re happy for you. I was worried at first when Lauren told me about you two,
about how she cared for you, and although I love you like a son, Ace, I also
know you have had a tough life growing up.”
He
nodded. “Yes, but I would only ever show Lauren love.”
Her
mom reached across the table and grabbed his other hand. “I know, honey. I
know.”
“I
actually figured this would have happened long before now,” her father said,
and reached across the table to grab the salad. “Now, can we eat?”
They
all started laughing, and her mother and father started talking about their day
at work. God, that was easier than she thought. Lauren looked at Ace, saw that
he was staring at her, this small smile on his face. He leaned in close, and
whispered in her ear, “I have never loved anyone as much as I love you, and I
never will.” And just like that everything was right where it needed to be.
Chapter
Twelve
One year later
Lauren
held Ronan in her lap, smiling at the way the little boy giggled at something
his father, Toby, did across the room. Lauren glanced at where Toby, Shoshanna,
and Ace all stood by the TV. Ace was talking about something electrical with
Toby, and Shoshanna was drinking a sparkling cider and looking at the pictures
Lauren had just hung up that morning.
She
stared at Ace again, felt her love for him grow, and knew that life had a funny
way of making the most unpredictable things work out. Ace was still
They
made their way into the kitchen, where her father was already sitting down with
a paper in front of him. He looked up, smiled at them both, and then set the
paper down and stood. After hugging her and clapping Ace on the back they all
three sat. Her mom came in moments later with a dish of lasagna. The table was
already set with dinnerware, a salad, garlic bread, and even a bottle of red
wine.
“I
am so glad you two decided to come over for dinner. It’s been forever since
we’ve had you two together under our roof,” her mother said and started dishing
out the food.
Before
they started eating, she wanted to just get this out in the open, make it known
why they’d really come here. “I actually want to talk to both of you,” Lauren
said.
Her
mother stopped dishing food out and sat down. Lauren looked at her dad, saw the
focus he had on her, and then he looked at Ace. Lauren was so nervous right
now, and she hated that, hated that she even felt that way. She loved Ace more
than anything, and nothing should make her afraid to express her feelings, not
even the opinions of her parents.
“You
obviously have something big to tell us,” her dad said, but there wasn’t any
anger or worry in his voice. He looked at Lauren’s mom and smiled. “Your mother
told me about the talk you two had a while ago, about you and Ace.”
Lauren
looked at her mom, surprised. “You did?”
Her
father nodded and reached out across the table to take Lauren’s hand.
“I
love him, Mom and Dad,” she said and swallowed. She grabbed Ace’s hand under
the table and gave it a squeeze.
“I
love your daughter more than you’ll ever know. And although I know I’m not good
enough for her, I’ll do my best every single day to be the man she deserves in
her life.”
Oh. God. She might just cry right now.
“And
you’re together?” her mom asked no emotion in her voice, but a small smile on
her face.
“We
are, Mom,” Lauren responded.
“Well,
I don’t know what to say,” her mother said, looked at her dad, and her smile
grew. “But I guess I should say I’m glad you two are happy, and I hope things
work out.”
“You’re
really okay with this?” Lauren asked, her heart beating a mile a minute.
“Are
you happy?” her mother asked.
Lauren
nodded.
“And
you’re happy?” her mom asked Ace.
He
tightened his hold on her hand. “More than I could even describe with words.”
Her
father smiled, and her mom exhaled slowly.
“Then
we’re happy for you. I was worried at first when Lauren told me about you two,
about how she cared for you, and although I love you like a son, Ace, I also
know you have had a tough life growing up.”
He
nodded. “Yes, but I would only ever show Lauren love.”
Her
mom reached across the table and grabbed his other hand. “I know, honey. I
know.”
“I
actually figured this would have happened long before now,” her father said,
and reached across the table to grab the salad. “Now, can we eat?”
They
all started laughing, and her mother and father started talking about their day
at work. God, that was easier than she thought. Lauren looked at Ace, saw that
he was staring at her, this small smile on his face. He leaned in close, and
whispered in her ear, “I have never loved anyone as much as I love you, and I
never will.” And just like that everything was right where it needed to be.
Chapter
Twelve
One year later
Lauren
held Ronan in her lap, smiling at the way the little boy giggled at something
his father, Toby, did across the room. Lauren glanced at where Toby, Shoshanna,
and Ace all stood by the TV. Ace was talking about something electrical with
Toby, and Shoshanna was drinking a sparkling cider and looking at the pictures
Lauren had just hung up that morning.
She
stared at Ace again, felt her love for him grow, and knew that life had a funny
way of making the most unpredictable things work out. Ace was still
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