Page 93 of Love and Other Chances

“Together,” he says quietly. I nod and reach forward to open the door.

“Knock, knock!” I call out as we step into the foyer of my dad’s house. We hang our coats on the rack as Dad comes around the corner to greet us. He pulls me into a tight hug.

“Thank you for coming, hon,” Dad says quietly. I hug him tighter.

“You’re welcome. I’m sorry again for how I first reacted,” I respond, voice barely above a whisper.

Dad pulls back to look at me, hands still on my shoulders. “You know I forgive you. I know it caught you off guard. I’m sorry I didn’t somehow prepare you better.”

“Let’s just move forward,” I say, forcing a smile. “Is Sonya here already?”

“Yep. She’s in the kitchen talking with Logan.” Dad walks that way, and Brooks laces his fingers through mine as we follow.

Entering the kitchen, I see Logan talking with a woman with salt-and-pepper chin-length hair. She’s wearing black-rimmed glasses, flowy black pants, and a red floral blouse. As my dad announces our presence, she turns to me with a wide smile.

“Teegan, I’ve heard so many glowing things about you. I’m delighted to meet you,” Sonya says, reaching out to shake my hand.

Brooks gives my hand a small squeeze before letting go, which gives me the strength to lean all the way in and hug Sonya. I don’t miss my dad’s grateful smile over her shoulder.

“I’m glad to meet you too, Sonya,” I say. “And this is my boyfriend, Brooks.”

We make small talk for a few minutes before sitting down to eat the chicken, potatoes, and roasted Brussels sprouts they’d prepared.Sonya asks each of us lots of questions about our lives, listening intently and smiling encouragingly.

“Tell us more about you, Sonya,” I say after sharing about my job at Townsend. “I’d love to know more about what’s important to your life.”

“Well, I’m a few years older than your father, so my two children are both married, and I have two grandchildren,” Sonya begins. “Of course, they’re the most important thing in my life. They all live here in the metro area, so I get to see them frequently.”

“Wait till you meet little Lottie—she’s two years old and the cutest little thing,” my dad says. He must see the spark of shock in my eyes because his soften as he adds, “I met them at Thanksgiving, but it was my decision to wait longer to tell you and Logan.”

Sonya picks up the explanation. “I wanted to introduce Morgan to my family and see how they responded before things got too serious between us. This is the first time I’ve dated since my husband passed away four years ago, so it was a big step for my kids to meet someone.” She pauses to smile at my dad, warmth and affection filling her eyes. “Of course, they agreed with me that he’s extraordinary.”

My knee begins bouncing under the table to the increasing tempo of my heartbeat.My dadisextraordinary. But so is my mom. But so is Sonya. I’m so happy that he’s found someone who is so kind and looks at him like he hung the moon. But I still remember when Mom looked at him that way. Why do I have to feel so conflicted about this? Why can’t I just grow up and be like Sonya’s kids?

I hate the confusing swirl of negative thoughts in my head. The air in my lungs doesn’t feel like the right amount of oxygen. My mind automatically cues up my default coping mechanism.Fly away, Teegan. Ocean. Breeze. Sunset. Anything.

My mind comes back to the present moment when I feel one of Brooks’ hands squeeze my knee under the table, his other arm draping around my shoulder. He pulls me close enough to press a kiss to my temple before covertly whispering in my ear, “We got this.”

Sonya is explaining her job as an insurance agent to Logan, so I pull my attention back to listen. Conversation continues to flow naturally, especially once Brooks steps in to entertain with teaching stories. Thegenuine laughter serves to temper my flight instinct, and by the end of two hours, I can truthfully say I enjoyed getting to know Sonya.

We say our goodbyes to Sonya, promising to meet again soon. After she leaves, Brooks wraps me in an extra-long hug before announcing that he should head home to his dad’s house. Dad thanks him for coming, and Logan gives him a bro hug with a slap on the back.

Logan claps Brooks on the shoulder an extra time as he says, “I’m glad you were here, Murph. I was wrong at Christmas. I want you to know that I’m glad you’re back.”

“Thanks, man,” Brooks responds, giving Logan a second bro hug.

I follow Brooks onto the front porch and bury myself in his embrace. Breathing in his scent to ground my emotions, I sigh into his chest. “Thank you. Us against everything, right?”

I feel his nod before he kisses my cheek. “Always.”

“What time do you want me to pick you up to head back to Brooklyn tomorrow?” Brooks asks, pulling back to look at me. He keeps one hand on my waist and brushes the hair out of my face with his other.

I bite my lip, thinking. Brooks skims his thumb across my bottom lip, pulling my eyes to his. “No doing that right now,” he says wryly. “I’m trying to be strong for you emotionally, not make out with you on your dad’s doorstep.”

Laughing, I playfully slap his chest. The distraction from my tangled thoughts has made them clear.

“I think I need to go talk with my mom tomorrow morning, by myself. I’m sure my dad will let me borrow his car,” I say. “Could you pick me up after lunch, maybe?”

“Sounds like a plan,” Brooks responds. His expression tightens thoughtfully. “I may go talk with my mom tomorrow morning too.”

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