Page 42 of Father of the Bride
It was actually a bet she lost. Her friends all knew she’d never bet against their horrible team, not with Kez as a wide receiver. Sure enough, he won the stats race, but the team lost.
“Man, I swear, y’all better be glad there was no social media back then,” Drew said. “Y’all were worse than us.”
Sunny shrugged. “No face, no case.”
“Ewwww,” Sylvan whined. “You went to Freaknik, didn’t you?”
Mark burst out laughing, signaling for another glass. “Y’all youngins think you’re the first generation to doanything.”
The Dixon boys sat with their faces balled up, working through the realization that their mother had once been a…teenager.
“Alright,” Daisy said. “Moving right along. Davion, I think I skipped you.”
His jaw clenched. “I’m good.”
“Babe, you have to.”
Davion looked at his fiancée, sighing his resignation. He couldn’t tell her no even if he tried.
“Fine. Only because you want me to.” He picked up his card. “I once accidentally facetimed my mom while I was…busy doing things.”
Sunny fake gagged. “I blocked that out as soon as it happened,” she said, her lips curling in disgust. “You just had to remind me.”
Davion smiled. “Alright, well, my mama gave that one away. Number two, I once played ball with Michael Jordan. And three, I don’t wannabe like either one of my parents.”
“Oh,” Orion scoffed. “Three is the lie, that’s for damn sure.”
Silence ensued.
A beat.
Two.
Three.
Even the seagulls outside seemed to hush in anticipation.
Brooklyn broke the silence, forcing a levity that didn’t quite fit. “Babe, that was super obvious. At least try to make it interesting.”
Davion shrugged. “I think it’s interesting.”
“Nah, it was obvious,” Orion said.
“Maybe. But not for the reason you think.”
Father and son stared each other down, no blinking, no retreat. Mark watched it unfold, detached, but interested. Not his kid, not his drama.
“Truth is, I love my mama,” Davion said. “I hope I can be half the person she is when I’m her age.” He finally tore his eyes away from his father. “Hopefully that cleared it up for y’all.”
The silence that followed was even heavier this time. Orion’s face was tight, his jaw clenched as he sat still in his spot on the couch. He set his glass down and turned to look at Sunny like she could explain what just happened. Or maybe so she could fix it.
She opened her mouth. “Davion—“
Mark shook his head at her, just once. Firm. Calm. A silent directive.Don’t step in. Just let it be.
Sunny blinked, caught off guard, but she didn’t speak again.
Brooklyn frowned at the scene she’d just witnessed. The subtle shake of her father’s head. The way Sunny quieted down immediately. Her eyes flicked between them, her breath catching in her chest.
