My mother comes outside on the porch, cutesie apron on and all. “I’d say this feels like empty nest syndrome all over, but you’re literally putting the least amount of effort into moving as you possibly could.”
“Yeah, sorry to be such a slacker. If you want to we can move to Kinseltown or something, but you won’t be allowed to visit more than once a week.”
“Oh don’t be silly, how would I be able to feed you on a regular basis if that was the case?” She’s standing there, looking all proud of her cooking, while I’m seriously questioning her life choices. “By the way, after you’ve finished up moving, I’ll have dinner ready.”
“Are you forgetting I’m living with a chef now?” I ask incredulously.
“Poor Dean deserves a night off too. Besides, this will be a nice home cooked meal.” My mother seems adamant in this thing, and my dad is giving me ‘abort-mission’ looks. But hell no, I’m a grown ass woman, sort of, I’ll make this happen.
“Because Dean can’t cook a home cooked meal?” I ask sarcastically, right when Dean walks up on the porch, overhearing what I’m saying.
“You cooking for us, Miss Pike?” he asks when he grabs another one of my many, many book boxes.
“Yes, I thought it’d be well deserved after you all are helping Morgan move out. Again.” Wow, way to kick me below the waist, mom.
“What are we eating?”
“Tuna casserole.”
Dean lets out a huge roar, until his eyes finally land on me. “I think your mom is a bit upset you’re moving out, and she’s taking it out on us.”
“Why would you think that?” dad asks.
“Why the hell else would she be making tuna casserole?” He gives me a huge smile showing all of his teeth before he takes off to take my books inside of O’s, or well, our house. My mother looks a little guilty, so I guess he’s onto something.
“Why are you hating on them?” I ask her with my hands on my hips.
“They’re stealing my little girl!”
I throw my hands up in the air. “I’ve been away for eight years! I’ve lived with guys all that time!”
“Yes, but they were never going to keep you. These boys? They’ll never let you go.” My mom scrunches her nose. Dad wraps an arm around her.
“Let her go, Sadie. She’s finally found what she’s been looking for all these years. It’s not like you’re in a position to tell her anything.”
I get what he’s implying, and ew. I didn’t need to know that.
O walks onto the porch, seeing the look of disgust on my face. “What’s wrong?”
“My parents have a sexlife, and I’m being totally hypocritical and judgy about it.”
He snorts. “Well, best to get you out of the hands of these deviants as quickly as possible in that case.”
Instead of grabbing a box, he wraps his arm around my shoulder and walks me over to the house next door. All my boys are busy getting my shit into their house, laughing while they’re working and a warmness spreads in my belly.
No, this isn’t how I imagined what my future would look like. It’s anything but ordinary. But I no longer care if it is what society thinks is right, it’s right for me, and that’s good enough.
When I walk up the three small steps to O’s porch, he twirls me around, grabs me in his arms and pulls me close.
“Ready for the future?” he asks as his hazel eyes look down on me with a twinkle in them. The corners of my mouth curl up, and I nod. His mouth comes down on mine, and my foot unwillingly pops up, just like all the clichés I swore I was done with. I moved back home because I was done with love, but instead, love found me. Nothing is set in stone, all options are open, and I couldn’t be more excited.
Once upon a time there was a girl, who had her whole life spread out of her in her parents’ front yard. Turns out, she lived happily ever after.
I guess there’s a story in there somewhere after all.
Dean
The day after Meggy got rescued