Page 177 of The Plan

Dinner goes a bit better than whatever went down in the living room. Her mom keeps throwing slightly mean comments at me that I take, but for the most part, it’s good. Vidia is back to smiling, and it’s clear she missed her mom, so I’m glad we’re staying for the rest of the week.

“I wish Hazelnut would've stayed.” I’m very glad Hazel and August got a hotel instead of also staying here with us, but I don’t say that because Hazel may as well be her other daughter.

“I think she mentioned she is planning on hanging out with you while we’re here,” I say instead, and that makes her smile. We continue eating, talking about nothing in particular, and although I wasn’t that hungry, I asked for seconds because she’s a really good cook.

“No! That is not how it happened.” Vidia is in a laughing fit as we both try to tell the same story to her mom differently.

“Yes, it is.” I chuckle, and she shakes her head, still laughing. “Okay, so how did it happen?” When I glance over at her mom, she watches us with a warm smile on her face. I’m not one hundred percent sure if I won her over after dinner or if she’s only doing it for Vid.

“You tried scaring me, and my dog attacked you. There's no other way to put it.” I squint my eyes at her, and when she does it back, I attack her with tickles.

“Admit it, Vidia.” She laughs and shakes her head. “Admit it.” I continue tickling her, and when I hear her mom laughing in front of us, my smile somehow grows.

“She told the dog to attack you, didn’t she?”

“Yes!” We’re all a laughing mess on the couch. I did try scaring Vidia; that part of her retelling was the same, and Athena did end up attacking me. That’s true, too, but Vidia literally said, “Get him.” The only reason I still have my leg is because Athena thankfully recognized me and realized we were playing, so she only playfully bit me, but it still kind of hurt, and even her playful growls are scary.

“Even your mom knows. Just admit it, you little shit.” I shut my mouth as soon as that last part leaves my mouth, but I quickly relax when her mom breaks into a laugh at my nickname for her daughter. I definitely won her over.

“Fine, I did, but—” I immediately reach for her, and she tries to squirm away, but I grab her before she can, and I playfully bite her neck. She lets out a shriek, and I do it again.

“You don’t like it, huh?” She breaks into a laugh. “I’m telling Athena to get your ass, see how you like it.”

“You better not.” She squints her eyes at me, and I roll my eyes. I know I already knew she commanded Athena to get me,but I’m a bit shocked. She denied it so much I thought I was hearing things.

When I look back at her mom, she’s watching our interaction in a sort of awe. “You said you prefer cats, right?”

She nods with a smile. “They’re a lot calmer. Dogs need too much attention.” She waves off the idea of a dog with her hand.

“That much I agree with. Athena isn’t attention-obsessed like a puppy, and maybe that’s because she went through a lot of training, but she seeks attention quite a bit.” I think it’s because she’s getting used to all the attention August gives her when he comes over. Vid and I, of course, don’t neglect her, but we don’t sit on the floor with her hours on end like he does.

“No, I couldn’t have such a huge dog. V sends me pictures all the time, and she’s cute, but—aye, no, I can only imagine the drool on my couches, no, no, no.” I laugh at how she makes it seem like dirtying her couches would be a nightmare.

“She doesn’t drool... much.” I’m still laughing at the way she scrunches her face as she shakes her head no.

“I don't like dogsporque hacen un desastre.” I know that means a big something, but I turn to Vid in question.

“A big mess,” she whispers, and I nod. She turns back to her mom, and I don’t miss the smile still on her face. “Sire was the one that got me Athena.” I give her a small smirk for the way it sounds like she’s talking me up.

“And he’s crazy for doing such a thing.” I give a short laugh and wrap my arm around Vid, pulling her into me so she’s leaning against me.

“Estoy loco por ella.” I don’t have their heavy Spanish accents, but I don’t think I butcher it too bad or even at all because her mom gives me another smile.

“Did I show you the stingrays he got me?”

Her mom's brows rise a bit. “Stingrays?” I nod at her with a smile, and Vid pulls out her phone for a picture of the rays we adopted. “You’re so easily bought, V.”

“Why’d you say it like that?”

I look between them because I missed something.

“So… disappointedly.” Her mom did say it like that, but I think she was only joking.

“Aye, Vidia.” She rolls her eyes at us. “Everything is forgotten and forgiven because of a cute dog and a stingray? Or was it all the land he also got you? I didn’t raise you to be… tan materialista.”

“Gran podre de dios.” Vid looks up to the ceiling, clearly annoyed. “Ya me voy porque ni siquiera puedes intentarlo para cinco minutos.” She gets up and says we’re leaving, but I grab her hand, stopping her.

“I didn’t buy her anything to be forgiven.”

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