43. Will #2
Avery and I walk slowly back to the parking lot. I open the passenger door, reaching in to grab the bunch of flowers I got for her.
I hand them to her. “These ones are for you.”
She smiles and leans in to sniff them. “They’re beautiful. Thank you.”
Her lips press against mine before she hops into the truck. She pulls the other two bouquets into her lap without even saying a word.
I love that she already knows who they’re for. There aren’t any other women in my life I would buy flowers for, so she has absolutely nothing to worry about.
When I park in front of my parents’ house, she gives me a warm smile. “You’re a good man, Will.”
“I try.”
“Not trying… you are,” she says confidently. The flowers I picked out for my mom are in her hand before she hops out of the cab of the truck.
I shake my head, following her.
Not ten seconds after I knock, my mom swings the door open. “How many times do I need to tell you that you don’t need to knock? Just walk into the house.”
“I guess one more time,” I say, shrugging.
“I’m assuming these are for you,” Avery says, handing the flowers to my mom.
Mom’s face lights up. “Thank you, sweetheart,” she says, pulling Avery in for a warm hug.
“I’m the one who bought them for you,” I say, stepping into the house behind Avery.
“Good for you,” my mom says, patting my chest. She turns right back to Avery, shuttling her toward the kitchen.
The smell of my mom’s homemade chili hits my nose. I stifle a groan.
Her chili is probably my favorite food in the entire world. When I was a kid, it’s what I would pick to have for my birthday dinner nearly every year.
“Did you bring flowers for your mama so she’d let you stay for dinner?” Dad says as he walks out from the hallway.
“No,” I say, laughing. “I probably would have, though, if I’d known what she was cooking.”
“You didn’t need to bring flowers. All you needed to do was bring your girl. Now you aren’t going anywhere anytime soon,” he says, whacking my shoulder a few times on his way into the living room.
I glance into the kitchen. My mom and Avery are leaning over the stove while my mom stirs the large pot. I can’t hear what either of them are saying, but I love seeing them together.
My parents have welcomed Avery into the family, like she was the missing piece we had all been waiting for. She really is.
When we told them about our relationship, my dad took a total of thirty seconds to process the information. He looked at all of us, and said, “If you’re happy, I’m happy.”
As he walked away from the table he added, “All of you might be my sons, but if any of you hurt that sweet girl, I will…” He made a slashing motion across his throat.
Message received.
On the other hand, my mom looked at all of us like it must have been our first day here on Earth. “Duh,” she said, then went right back to peeling the potatoes she was prepping for dinner.
It was clearly not brand-new information for her. I think we all know where Lyla gets her stealthy detective skills from.
My parents would never try to replace Avery’s parents, but I love how she has them in her life now. In much the same way, Avery will never fill the hole losing Liv left in my parents’ hearts, but having her around is like having a bonus daughter. They’ve told me as much, multiple times.
So lost in my thoughts, I startle when Avery touches my arm. “Your mom says we’re staying for dinner.”
“Oh, are we?” I laugh, shaking my head.
“Yup,” she says, popping the “p.” “Your mom said her chili is your favorite.”
I wrap my arms around her. “It is.”
“Mmm…” She snuggles in against my chest. “I guess I’d better learn how to make it.”
I don’t know why that hits me straight in the chest, but it does. I don’t know what to say, so I just kiss the top of her head.
“I’ll call Owen and tell them to come over,” she says.
We both know she’s calling Owen because Miles isn’t the most reliable at keeping his phone on him.
“Avery,” my mom calls from the kitchen. “Do you want to help me make the cornbread?”
“I’ll be right there, Shana,” Avery shouts, but she keeps hugging me. Just as she’s pulling back, she whispers, “Love you.”
“I love you, too,” I say, letting her hand go. It doesn’t hurt like it used to when I’d have to let her out of my arms, even for a few minutes.
The difference now is that I know she isn’t going anywhere. This isn’t some fleeting romance that will come to a crashing demise. This is the real deal.
It’s the kind of love I grew up seeing my parents have and always wanted for myself. It might not be perfect, but it’s damn near close.
I walk into the living room and plop down on the couch. My dad is watching a baseball game with two teams I know he doesn’t really care about.
“It’s real, isn’t it?” he asks.
He doesn’t need to specify. I know what he means. “Yeah, it is, Dad.”
He nods a few times. “I could tell when all of you told us you were together, but I swear every time I see her with any of you….” He swallows. “I’ve never seen you or your brothers like this. You boys deserve it.”
His eyes dart toward the kitchen. “So does she. She might deserve it even more than all of you.”
There’s a softness in his gaze that warms my heart.