Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 81423 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 407(@200wpm)___ 326(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81423 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 407(@200wpm)___ 326(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
I tried not to roll my eyes. “You act like we’re out there murdering people or something. I skipped lunch because of how things went at the last one I came to. I didn’t take your calls because I knew you would give me a guilt trip. And believe me, Mom, we’re lucky. We have no real issues in our family other than the fact that Meredith and I don’t do exactly as you and Dad want us to.”
“Hey! You make it sound like I’m some kind of Mom and Dad robot!” Phil countered.
“I didn’t mean it like that.” The thing was, I didn’t think Phil worked at Grant’s and enjoyed so many of the same activities as Mom and Dad because he was trying to earn their love or approval. He did it because that was him. Just like Mere and I did our own things because we were us. “Mere and I are different. Why do we have to do this every time? You don’t give Phil shit for his life, so why do Mere and I get it? You judge my friends, my life, Meredith living with Bruno… Let us be.”
“We have certain expectations, but no one is judging,” Dad said.
“You kind of do,” Phil said. My head whipped toward him so quickly, I was surprised my eyeballs didn’t fall out of it. “Let them live their lives. And sometimes I feel like my working at Grant’s isn’t good enough because I’m not Law. Does it really matter that the oldest, that Lawson Grant III, isn’t the one working at Grant’s?”
Holy shit. I hadn’t seen that coming.
“What?” Mom squealed. “That’s not true.”
“We’re not a perfect family,” I said, “just like everyone else. We should stop acting like it and get real. You’re putting pressure on me and Mere we don’t deserve, and to Phil, you’re making it seem like he isn’t good enough. Can’t we all just be?”
It became a tangle of words and admissions after that. It was something that had needed to happen a long time ago, but I was grateful it was happening now. It wouldn’t be fixed—Mom and Dad couldn’t change who they were, just like we couldn’t—but I hoped it would be better. They still didn’t seem to see it from our perspectives by the time we finished, but it was a start. We’d gotten it out there.
There were more laughs during lunch than there had been in a long time. When there was a break in it, I looked around the table and asked, “Is now a good time to tell you guys I have a boyfriend? And it’s serious.” Maybe my timing wasn’t the best. We’d already had one serious conversation, but I didn’t want to hide Remy. Or at least that there was someone.
“Oh…” Mom spoke first. “That’s nice, dear.” The tone of her voice made it obvious she still wasn’t used to this whole bisexual-son thing.
“Good for you,” Phil said. “’Bout time your old ass settled down.” He laughed.
“You can fuck right off with that old shit.”
“Language at the table!” Mom said, which made me, Mere, Bruno, Phil, and Alesha laugh. It felt good to have them join in, like for the first time, we were a united front instead of Mere and me being outliers, me even more than her.
“As long as you’re happy,” Dad said, surprising me. “Think he wants to work at Grant’s?” He was dead serious.
“No, Dad, I’m positive he doesn’t.”
“It was only a suggestion. It would relieve some pressure off your brother and me.” So yeah, it would be a long road before my parents really got it. That was definitely a dig at me.
“We’re fine,” Phil said.
“Is he someone we know? One of those men you’re always drinking with?” Mom asked.
I closed my eyes and shook my head.
“What? I’m just asking!”
“I’m not drinking all the time. You don’t know him. I hope you’ll get to meet him soon. Can someone pass the corn bread?”
Bruno handed it over with a grin. “Shit, you guys are entertaining.”
“Language!” Mom said again, but then sucked in a sharp breath when Bruno went to his knee.
“Mere…I love you. There’s nothing I want more than to be a part of your crazy family forever. Will you marry me?”
Mere screamed yes, then cried and hugged him. Everyone else clapped and laughed. I couldn’t say I thought Bruno was making a smart decision to tie himself to all this, but I was sure glad he had. The only thing missing was Remy.
I got out of my parents’ house later than I’d planned. The wedding talk didn’t cease for hours. Mere was happier than I’d ever seen her, and I’d wanted to stay and support her. By the time I left, I figured Remy would be home soon, so when I drove by his house and saw his car out front, goose bumps pricked my skin.