“I’ve packed all the kitchen,” Miranda said, coming into the bedroom. “Are you sure about this, honey?”
“Yes, I am.”
“That’s all I want to know. I’m going to hear your father cursing this man for the next couple of weeks.”
“I don’t know why. He likes Drew.”
“I know. It’s a guy thing. It’s supposed to be accepted for them to hate each other.” Her mother threw her hands up. “I don’t get it. I’ll never get it, but I guess I’m not supposed.”
They all laughed.
“What’s this I hear about some trouble at Bobby’s bar?” Miranda said, folding her arms.
“How did you even know something had happened?” Raven asked.
“You’re our daughter, and Clark likes to make sure his girl is taken care of. Also Bobby and Clark go back a long way. He called us up, said that Drew handled it, but he heard enough to say he wasn’t happy.”
“Francine giving out some vicious rumors.”
“Ah, that kind of trick. Yes, it happened to me. Your father doesn’t know this, but I know he took care of it. He hurt the man who was making sleazy suggestions.” Miranda sighed. “Women, some of us can be right bitches, don’t you think?”
Cathy laughed. “Yeah, we really can.”
“What’s Drew said?”
“Nothing much. He doesn’t like the fact that I’ve been targeted.”
“You should have seen him, Mrs. Howard. He punched the fucker right in the face. A couple of times, too.”
“Damn right he should. No one should be talking shit about my girl.”
“Mom.”
“I mean it, honey. I’m proud that you haven’t let them push you away. You love a man strong enough then you stick by him, thick and thin.”
“Like you and Dad?”
“Exactly like your father and me. I don’t promise it will be easy. In fact it’s going to be hard, but if you love someone that hard, then you stick with it. Too many people in this day and age give up when the going gets hard. That’s not the way to make a strong marriage.”
“Some people just make mistakes,” Raven said.
“Either way, you’ve made a good choice with Drew. He’s a keeper, all right.”
Raven couldn’t deny it.
She loaded up the truck for a second time, and before she could enter the apartment to grab her last few items, Drew pulled her into his arms. “Are you ready for this next step of our lives together?”
“Hell, yeah. Are you ready to go to the DIY store?”
“Why?”
“I’d like to give the dining room a lick of paint, if that’s okay. It could do with a bit of sprucing up.”
“Putting your stamp on our place.”
She got a thrill from him calling it “our place”.
“Yep, and you better get used to it.”
He pressed his lips against hers, and told her that he would.