We all start talking at once.
“Hey, guys!”
“You must’ve driven all night!”
“Merry Christmas!”
“Oh my God, you got a puppy!” Elle rushes to my mom and kisses her cheek before loving on the English bulldog.
“Wegot a puppy,” I tell Elle.
“What?” She looks up at me.
I grin at her as we pet the little guy and my mom hands him to me. He’s red and white, with the patches over his eyes. He’s adorable.
“He is hilarious,” Mama says. “I’m already in love with him.”
“Hey there, aren’t you the cutest thing,” I say. I lean into my parents for a side hug to not squish the puppy. “So, we have some news.”
My parents stand there beaming.
“Thought you might,” Dad says.
Elle’s cheeks are pink when I glance at her. I lift myeyebrows, asking if it’s okay that I spill. She laughs and leans into me.
“Tell them,” she says.
“We’re together.Elle is in love with me,” I lean my head back to say it loudly, “and we aretogether.”
Elle giggles and my parents hug her and me. My mom does a little dance.
“It is about time!” she cries.
“Do you know how hard it was to stay out of it when it was so obvious that you guys were right for each other?” my dad says, laughing. “We knew how Rhodes felt and thought we might know how you felt, Elle, but he made us swear we’d leave it alone. Bloody hell, I thought I might be on my deathbed saying, ‘Can I please just say one thing before I go…’”
We all laugh.
“This has made me the happiest mama ever,” my mom says. “I have wanted this from the time he called home and said ‘I met a girl named Elle.’ I wrote your name in my journal that same day, and next to it I said: I think we will be hearing more about her.” She reaches out and squeezes Elle’s hand. “And when I met you, there were no doubts. I saw the way he looked at you, and that’s never changed, not once in all these years. Well, I take that back. What is the word for…the longing...”
“He’s been pining for her,” my dad helps clarify.
I groan and Elle laughs.
“I’ve been pining too,” she says.
“I wish I’d been clued in to that pining.” I roll my eyes, laughing.
“Have you told her just how much you were pining?” my mom asks.
I shoot her a look. “I have been on tenterhooks trying not to scare her off. One thing at a time.”
My mom tilts her head likeget after it. “We’re not getting any younger, son.”
Elle looks up at me with curious eyes and a bright smile, and I kiss the side of her head.
“Isn’t he so cute?” I ask, changing the subject.
My mom snorts, but everyone lets me get away with it for now.
