Page 80 of Late to Love

Dad opens the door with a raised brow. “Since when do you knock?”

“Since I behaved like an ass.” Might as well dive in headfirst.

With a chuckle, Dad steps back to let me in. “Son, that’s your default setting.” He slaps my back as I walk in. “Not sure I’d recognize you any other way.”

Well, if that’s not illuminating, I don’t know what is.

Stopping in the hallway, I turn to him. “Why didn’t you hug me earlier tonight?”

He considers me for all of two seconds. “Because you told us you didn’t like hugs when you were a kid. And we wanted to respect that.”

Shaken, I ask, “I…what? When did I say that?”

“It’s been a long time, so I can’t quite recall. Maybe when you were eight or nine?”

“You were ten.” Mom comes up behind Dad and wraps a slender arm around his waist. “And you declared that not only were you no longer accepting hugs, but that you didn’t want to be used as the twins’ personal jungle gym, either.” Her smile is affectionate. “It was nearly impossible to keep the boys off you, but your father and I figured respecting your boundaries ourselves was the least we could do.”

The memory niggles at the back of my mind, just out of reach.

“Is this about earlier?” Mom asks gently.

Shame flames my cheeks as I hang my head. “It is. I came to apologize.”

“Well, come on in, then. May as well do it with an audience,” Dad says, winking at me. Then he lowers his voice and smiles at me. “And if you want a hug, I’d love to give you one.”

My throat tightens. “I would.”

He opens his arms wide, and I step into them. His hug is strong, and it feels like home. We stand there, both of us gripping the other tight, for longer than is probably necessary. But it feels good, and I think if anyone deserves a too-long hug, it’s my dad. And my mom.

Releasing him, I turn to Mom, who’s got her own arms open. This time, it’s she who steps into my embrace, and I wonder when she got so small. “I love you, Mom.”

“Love you, too, firstborn,” she murmurs against my chest. Pulling back, she looks up at me. “You ready?”

I grit my teeth. “As I’ll ever be.”

Everyone’s here. Not just Ox, but Levi and Charlotte, all of whom look up in surprise to see me standing here.

“The fuck are you doing here?” Levi growls, an ice pack held against his eye.

“To say I’m sorry.” It’s more than a little gratifying to see the look of surprise on his face. The bruises are pretty great, too. Turning to my parents, I ask, “May I sit?”

Mom leads me to the smaller couch, and we sit side by side. “Tell us what’s on your mind, little one.”

I can’t help but laugh. “And here I was, wondering when you got so small.”

She places a hand on my biceps and leans into me, smiling. “When you got to high school.”

It’s a reminder of why I’m here. I take a deep breath. “I have some apologies to make.”

Ox grins knowingly at me. “Did Darcy give you hell?”

My neck heats. “Maybe.”

Charlotte laughs softly, and she looks at Levi with satisfaction. “Amazing what a good woman can do, isn’t that right, Levi?”

He doesn’t respond, merely palms the inside of her thigh and pulls her closer, the look of adoration on his face making him seem like a totally different person.

“Darcy?” Dad prompts. “As in Darcy Belle, the girl we briefly met tonight?”

---