Page 100 of The Parkers' Handsome Holiday
The crowd chuckled as Lina nodded earnestly.
I laughed too. “But they keep me grounded. And when things get tough, those two will be the ones I will turn to. And I can make you this promise, Pittsburgh. If I don’t know what to do, I will go to them, and I assure you, they will not lead me astray.”
I nodded at the room, and everyone stood up again to applaud. I stepped away from the podium, gave an awkward bow—and then made fun of myself for bowing—and waved at the room.
Asher bolted out of Lina’s arms and leapt into mine. I scooped him up. People lifted their cameras and phones and shot more pictures.
Then Lina came over, and I wrapped an arm around her. “Smile big,” I said.
And we all smiled.
I knew without a shadow of a doubt that our photo would be on the front page.
Lina rested her hand on my chest and stood on her tiptoes to press her lips close to my ear. “You’re going to win this, Cal. I can feel it in my bones. That was brilliant.”
I hugged her tighter. “We’re going to win this,” I amended.
She smiled, kissed my cheek, and turned to the crowd.
After the press conference, the three of us snuck out the back entrance to avoid more reporters, and I drove us to the other side of the city to an Italian restaurant. We went inside, where the hostess told us our other guest had already arrived and was waiting for us.
We followed her through the aisle of tables, which were lit with single burning tealights in their middle. A single, long-stemmed red rose also sat on every table. The petals were illuminated by the warm amber glow of the flickering candle flames.
The ambiance was pleasant and cozy. The tables and furniture were all dark, so Lina didn’t even see my father sitting at our table until we were nearly upon him.
She smiled. “Nick.”
My father stood up, and she wrapped her arms around him. He patted her back. “How are you, dear?”
“I’m good,” she said as she took her seat and draped her napkin over her lap. “Did you catch the press conference on TV this afternoon?”
“Of course, I did,” my father said, turning to me. “It was great, Cal. Truly.”
“Thanks, Dad.
My father smiled at Asher. “And how are you, kiddo?”
“Good!” Asher said as I tucked his chair in for him before taking my own seat.
“Are you still coming over for dinner tomorrow night?” Lina asked as she sipped her glass of ice water that had been sitting, waiting for her.
“Most definitely,” my father said. “In no universe would I ever be invited over for curry chicken and not show up.”
Lina grinned. “Excellent. I picked up all the spices this afternoon. This is actually perfect that you’re here tonight, Nick. I have some news I’d like to share.”
We all turned and looked at her. Lina swallowed. She was about to speak when the waiter arrived and asked if we’d like to order drinks.
Lina smiled at me and sat patiently as I ordered a bottle of red wine for the table. Asher, naturally, asked for chocolate milk. Once the waiter had collected our orders and slipped away again, Lina had the floor once more.
“Go ahead,” I encouraged her.
She took a deep breath and straightened her napkin out on her lap. I could tell she was nervous. She was working her way up to it.
She met my eye. “I’ve been starting to remember things. And people. And events. And my parents.”
I blinked. “Really? When did this start?”
“It hasn’t been long,” she admitted. “Only a couple of weeks. And at first, I wasn’t sure if it was real. But I called Kelli and started asking her things that I remembered from growing up in Judy’s house, and she confirmed they were all accurate. So, I went to see the doctor.”
