35. Sunny
35
SUNNY
I gripped Carter’s hand a little tighter as we walked up the stone path to my parents’ front door. The warm glow of the porch light illuminated the entryway, casting long shadows across the lawn. The house was as pristine as ever, but tonight it felt different—like a stage set for an uncomfortable confrontation rather than a family dinner. My chest was heavy.
I took a deep breath, steeling myself. The last time I was here, my father and I had barely spoken. The tension between us had become suffocating, settling into every pause in conversation, every sideways glance. And now, after everything that had happened, after Carter and I had become something more than just a reckless fling—I wasn’t sure how this night would go. Dad’s last remarks to me were so hurtful; I couldn’t shake the way he looked at me.
Carter must’ve sensed my hesitation. He squeezed my hand and murmured, “We’ve got this.”
I nodded, but my stomach twisted into knots anyway. It wasn’t just Dad I was worried about. My mom, Luna—how would they react to the news? That I planned to stay here in LA to be with Carter, and would their reactions have any sway over what Dad thought about the whole thing?
Before I could dwell on it any longer, the door swung open, and my mother’s bright smile greeted us. “Sunny, Carter…Come in, come in.” She gestured as we stepped across the threshold, and my stomach felt like a brick.
Her voice was cheerful, but I saw the flicker of something else in her eyes when she looked at me—concern, maybe even sympathy.
As we stepped inside, the house was exactly as I expected—immaculate, quiet except for the low murmur of conversation coming from the dining room. The air carried the familiar scent of home, a blend of expensive candles and something faintly floral, like the arrangements my mom always had the maid refresh before guests arrived. Everything was carefully curated, designed to be inviting yet controlled. I was used to this; what I wasn’t used to was the ache in my chest, the fear of the unknown.
Luna was the first to notice us. She glanced up from her phone, her lips curving into a smirk as she pushed back from her chair and made her way over.
“Well, well,” she teased, giving me a quick hug before turning her attention to Carter. “You actually showed up.”
Carter chuckled, unfazed. “Wouldn’t miss it.” His grip on me tightened slightly, as if he could read my emotions and knew I needed that added boost.
Luna arched an eyebrow. “Brave man.” Her snicker brought a warm chuckle from Carter which vibrated my chest as his fingers dug into my hip, but something overpowered it.
I felt it—that heavy presence that had been waiting for me since the second I walked through the door. My sixth sense kicked in—dread.
Dad sat at the head of the table, his posture straight, his gaze unreadable as he took us in. His eyes flickered to Carter first, assessing him the way he did with everything, overly critical and looking for weaknesses. I glanced at Carter who seemed collected. Then his attention settled on me.
“Sunny.” His voice was even, measured.
I forced a small smile, paused, nodded slowly. “Hey, Dad.”
“Come in,” he said finally. “We’re all waiting.”
Carter, to his credit, didn’t hesitate. He pulled out a chair for me first before taking the seat beside me. Dad watched the small act with mild interest, his expression unreadable, but I could feel his disapproval hovering beneath the surface.
Luna slid into her seat across from me, a knowing look on her face as she watched the three of us settle in. “So,” she said, drawing out the word, her tone intentionally casual, “are we going to pretend this isn’t weird, or should we just get it out of the way now?”
Mom sighed, already exasperated. “Luna.”
“What? I’m just saying.” She shrugged, then shot Carter a mischievous grin. “Dad looks like he’s trying not to break something.”
Carter smiled, but my father didn’t.
“I don’t break things,” Dad said coolly. He snapped his napkin a little more violently than necessary, and Mom scowled at him. She sat as the maid walked around serving our dinner to us. Any other night, Mom would’ve done it. Nights like tonight weren’t normal. It meant Mom wanted to be present for the entire thing, which meant she probably thought there would be trouble.
“Only our will to live,” Luna joked, which drew a deep scowl from Dad, but he calmed and turned to me.
“How are you feeling, Soleil?”
Compassion for him bubbled up as I realized, as a father, he was probably worried about me after days of not hearing from me. Motherhood had already started changing my heart, and I’d barely found out about the twins.
I reached for my water glass, mostly to buy myself a moment. Dad’s question had been simple enough, but I knew him well enough to recognize the layers beneath it. He was searching, dissecting my every movement, my tone, my hesitation.
“I’m fine,” I said, keeping my voice even. “Still adjusting, I guess.”
Dad nodded slowly, leaning back in his chair. “Adjusting,” he repeated, like he was turning the word over in his mind, deciding whether or not to challenge it.
Carter’s hand brushed my knee under the table, a silent reassurance. I glanced at him briefly before looking back at my father. “I know this probably isn’t what you wanted,” I admitted, my voice softer now, “but I am happy.”
Mom exhaled, setting her fork down gently. She folded her hands together, steeling herself, and then, in the bravest move I’d seen from her all evening, she spoke.
“I think what your father means,” she began, her voice measured but firm, “is that we’re trying to understand. You and Carter—this happened so fast, and we haven’t really had a chance to talk about it.” Her gaze flickered between us, searching, hesitant. “So, how are you two doing?”
I felt Carter straighten beside me, his hand steady on his own glass. I knew he was ready for this conversation, prepared in a way that I wasn’t sure I was.
I swallowed, then met my mother’s eyes. “We’re good. We’re…really good.”
Carter set his glass down, his fingers tapping against the rim for a second before he spoke. “I know this isn’t what you expected,” he said, his voice calm but sure. “And I know the age difference probably makes this harder to accept. But I care about Sunny. A lot.” He paused for a beat, glancing at me before looking back at my dad. “I love her.”
My heart gave a small, unexpected squeeze at the way he said it—casual but not wavering, like it was just a fact. Because it was.
I turned to Dad, speaking before he had the chance to. “I love him too,” I said, keeping my voice even. “This isn’t some phase, or some bad decision I’m going to regret later. I know exactly what I’m doing.”
Dad let out a sharp breath, dragging a hand down his face. “Jesus, Soleil.” His tone wasn’t angry, but it was edged with frustration. “Fifteen years of an age difference. You don’t think that’s a lot?”
“I mean, yeah, it’s a lot,” I admitted with a small shrug, feeling blood tinge my cheeks pink. “But it doesn’t feel like it. It’s not like I don’t know my own mind, Dad.”
He shook his head, muttering under his breath before taking a sip of his drink. “You’re twenty-eight,” he said finally, his eyes flicking between me and Carter. “You’ve still got a whole lot of life ahead of you. He’s—” He stopped, exhaled through his nose, and shook his head again. “Hell, Carter, you’re in your forties.”
Carter didn’t react, just nodded like he understood where Dad was coming from. “Yeah. And?”
Dad frowned. “And in ten years, she’s gonna be at a totally different stage of life than you. You don’t think that’s gonna matter?”
Carter’s expression stayed neutral, but I could feel him tense slightly beside me. “Look, I get the concern. I really do. But I don’t see Sunny as someone who’s just passing through my life. And I don’t think she sees me that way either.”
I nodded. “I don’t.”
Dad sighed, rubbing a hand over his temple. “I just…” He trailed off, his brows drawn together, clearly struggling with how to say what he wanted to. Finally, he settled on, “I just want you to be happy.”
I softened a little, some of my defensiveness melting away. “I am happy.”
He didn’t look convinced, but he also didn’t look like he was gearing up for a fight. Which, for now, I’d take as a small win. The difficult part of this conversation had gone over like a storm cloud, but it was out of the way and we could move on to happier things, though I knew Dad would revisit this again later, probably to nag me about making sure I was doing the right thing.
I shifted in my seat, resting my hand over my stomach as the conversation started to settle. The tension in the room had eased—at least a little—and now felt like the right time. I glanced at Carter, who gave me a small nod like he knew exactly what I was about to say.
“So,” I said casually, looking between my parents and Luna. “I had my first big ultrasound the other day.”
Mom’s eyes flicked up from her plate, her expression brightening. “Oh? How did it go?” Her warm smile was so welcoming. I’d missed that for so long. It felt like things were back to normal now.
“Good,” I said, suppressing a smile. “Really good. The doctor says everything is looking great. Heartbeats are strong, measurements are right on track.”
Luna sipped her drink, nodding along. “That’s good,” she said, clearly waiting for me to get to the point.
I smirked. “ Both heartbeats.”
There was a brief pause. The soda in Luna’s straw froze halfway to her mouth. Mom’s eyes narrowed slightly, like she was trying to process what I’d just said. She looked at me with confusion as my smile grew brighter.
Then Dad spoke. “Both?”
I nodded. “Yes. There are two.”
Luna nearly choked on her drink. “Wait. What ?”
“Twins,” I said, this time letting the full smile break through. “I’m having twins.”
Mom blinked, then exhaled a small laugh. “Oh, Sunny.”
Dad set his fork down and just shook his head. “Well,” he muttered, rubbing a hand over his face, “that’s…something.” I was certain that wasn’t what he wanted to say because he looked like he was controlling himself. I guess Mom really had reined him in.
Luna, of course, was the loudest. “You’re telling me you went in expecting one and came out with two? That’s insane. That’s what you’ve been keeping from us?”
I chuckled. “It wasn’t exactly intentional.”
Carter just leaned back in his chair, amused. “Surprised us too.”
And just like that, the tension snapped. I was no longer the black sheep and Dad didn’t hate me anymore. He started asking questions about the babies and how we’d manage. Carter and Dad fell into relaxed best-friend type conversation while Mom and Luna daydreamed about each having an infant to be their favorite, and I felt the growing sense of warmth that Carter had been right all along.
A little time to process was all my parents needed, and they were already growing more comfortable with the idea of me and Carter, and I was glad. I planned to keep him around for a very long time.