Chapter 15
Victoria
The only time we eat dinner as a family is on Sundays.
It’s the only day all of us are around, and even if I work, I’m home by five or six, so I don’t really have a choice.
My mom usually cooks something everyone likes, like her special two-cheese meatloaf, and either Ivy or I try to make dessert.
I had to work today so she made a peanut butter pie and I’m at least looking forward to having a piece of that.
“You’re late,” my father says when I walk in at five after six.
“We had a little trouble balancing the register,” I say as I wash my hands. “But it’s just a few minutes.”
He grunts. “I’m hungry.”
“You didn’t have to wait for me.” I shrug before sliding into my place at the kitchen table. There’s a formal dining room but we only eat in there on special occasions. Instead, we crowd around the smaller but cozier kitchen table.
“Tatoes!” Charlie says as my mother scoops mashed potatoes onto his plate. “Yummy!”
“So, I’m starting the class to get my real estate license,” Ivy announces once we’re all eating.
“Oh, that’s great!” I say enthusiastically. “How long is it?”
“Four weeks, two nights a week. I know I’ll be out of the house even more,” she says, looking at my mother apologetically. “But once I pass the test and get my license, I can make a lot more money.”
Dad snorts. “Money isn’t guaranteed. You could go months without a sale. Then what?”
“Rod.” My mother gives him a disappointed look but he widens his eyes.
“What? I’m not saying anything that’s not true. How is she going to pay her bills if she doesn’t have any sales?”
Ivy is currently the receptionist at a busy firm, and her boss has been hinting that she should take the test to get her license.
“I’ll still be working my regular job for now,” Ivy says quietly.
Dad shakes his head. “You should be looking for a husband to take care of you, not some sales job that doesn’t guarantee you a salary.”
Ivy sighs.
This isn’t the first time we’ve had this conversation but it’s been a while.
“At least your sister is getting a degree that will guarantee her a good salary once she graduates. And when she’s in the corporate world, she’ll be a lot more likely to find a husband.”
I roll my eyes. “Geez, Dad, this is the twenty-first century. There’s more to life than finding a husband.”
“Talk to me about that when you can support yourself.”
I bite back a snippy retort and focus on my dinner.
This is definitely not a good time to bring up Jordan.
Not that I was planning to tell them we’re back in touch just yet but after he told me he was going to talk to his parents, I started thinking about how and when I could do the same.
It seems like it’s way too soon for that, but at the same time, if we’re not serious, what’s the point of even starting at all?
Dinner’s quiet after that, and Ivy and I clear the table without saying a word. My father goes to sit in front of the TV and my mother takes Charlie upstairs for his bath.
“I’m so tired of him treating us like we’re stupid,” she mutters.
“Just ignore him.” I start rinsing dishes and putting them in the dishwasher.
“Do you want to get a place together?” she asks.
“What?” I glance up in surprise.
“You’re going to graduate in a few months, and I’m hopefully getting my realtor license. What if we got our own place?”
“I don’t think we can even discuss that until we have jobs.”
“It’s just theoretical, but would you want to?”
“What about Charlie?”
“If I start making real money, I can put him in daycare. If not, Mom is still going to help. There’s no way she’s going to say no to watching him.”
“I have to focus on graduating,” I say carefully. “And you know my plan is to save for a house.”
“I know but…” She leans against the counter. “I don’t know how long I can keep living here. It’s been three years—he has to get over me getting pregnant or I can’t stay here.”
“He isn’t the kind of man who’s going to just get over it,” I say. “You know that. He’s always going to judge us.”
“That’s why I want to move out.”
“Well, let’s talk about it again after I graduate and you get your real estate license.”
“Will you at least think about it?”
“Of course.” I squeeze her arm but I really don’t want to move in with her. I love both her and Charlie, but I want to live my life on my terms once I leave home. If I was going to live with someone, it would be Jordan.
Holy shit. Where did that come from? We’re not even officially back together, and I’m thinking about living together? My feelings are apparently a lot more intense than I’ve been willing to consider.
When we fell in love the first time we were trying to get through my senior year and his rookie hockey season. We had grand plans for the summer, me living with him while going to college, getting married once I got my degree.
And then it all went to hell.
Since then, I’ve been in survival mode. Focused on school and work, doing my best not to irritate my dad.
He hates every guy I date so I don’t bring anyone home anymore.
Not that there have been many guys I liked enough to do that, but it’s not worth the hassle.
He talks about me finding a husband but he doesn’t actually want me to date anyone.
I think he wants it to happen through osmosis.
Or maybe he thinks an arranged marriage is the only acceptable possibility.
As a retired military man, my father has a somewhat skewed view of the world, with everything based on structure and order and rules.
His rules. My mother can occasionally rein him in but that rarely happens, and these days it’s usually only when it has to do with Charlie. He’s my dad’s only soft spot.
Maybe he’s just mad he only had daughters because he seems to be a different man when it comes to his grandson.
My phone buzzes, and I check my text messages.
JORDAN: Three more days until I see you!
I smile, quickly typing out a response.
VICTORIA: What’s your schedule once you’re back?
JORDAN: We land fairly early on Thursday, so I’ll be free after about one if you want to go do something?
VICTORIA: I’m off on Thursdays so I’m available the whole day.
JORDAN: I can text you when we land and you can meet me at the house? We can figure out what we want to do from there?
VICTORIA: Sure.
JORDAN: There’s a new Spiderman movie out—you want to go see it?
I can’t help but smile.
That was our first date—going to see one of the Spiderman movies.
VICTORIA: That sounds perfect.
JORDAN: I’ll look up times and locations and pick up the tickets.
VICTORIA: I’m excited!
JORDAN: For the movie or to see me?
VICTORIA: Do I have to choose? They’re both pretty high on my list.
JORDAN: Okay. I guess I don’t mind sharing your affection with Spiderman.
VICTORIA: That was our very first date.
JORDAN: I remember.
VICTORIA: Do you remember our second date?
JORDAN: As a matter of fact, I do. It was your high school’s back-to-school carnival. I won you a pink stuffed turtle and four hundred of those friendship bracelets you loved so much.
VICTORIA: I still have them. The turtle and the bracelets.
JORDAN: Really?
VICTORIA: I know, it’s a little silly but friendship bracelets make me happy—I have dozens now. And the turtle, well, it came from you. I couldn’t bring myself to get rid of it.
JORDAN: I still have the keychain from Tiffany’s you got me for Christmas that year.
VICTORIA: I worked a lot of hours to buy it.
JORDAN: I know. And it’s from Tiffany’s. Why wouldn’t I still have it?
VICTORIA: Because you blamed me for nearly destroying your career?
JORDAN: Well, I guess there’s that. But the keychain was different. I can’t explain it. It’s not like anyone knew it was from you—and I genuinely like it.
VICTORIA: We’re both probably a little more sentimental and romantic than we’d like to admit. At least, when it comes to each other.
JORDAN: I think you’re right.
VICTORIA: Can I ask a tough question?
JORDAN: Fire away.
VICTORIA: Why do you think our bond is so strong?
JORDAN: I think about that a lot. And the truth is, I don’t know. We were so young, but the feelings were strong and they were real. We had so many outside forces working against us.
VICTORIA: We still do.
JORDAN: Well, less than we did before. I talked to my parents, told them we’re dating again.
VICTORIA: How did that go?
JORDAN: It was a little rough at first, but then I explained everything.
All the miscommunication, more of the details.
And I told them that we were going to give this a try regardless of what anyone thinks.
If they love me, they need to give you a chance.
In the end, they agreed that it was unfair to hold you accountable for what your parents did, or for my own bad behavior.
VICTORIA: I have to admit I’m shocked, but really appreciative too. I’d never purposely do anything to hurt you, Jordan. I hope you know that.
JORDAN: If I didn’t, we wouldn’t be here.
VICTORIA: I can’t wait for Thursday.
JORDAN: Ditto.