They held hands. “All at once. How is that even possible?”
“Stop being so sentimental, you guys.” Steph scoffed. “This is a celebration.”
“Actually, it’s not our birthday till tomorrow,” Ade said.
“But it’s our birthday eve, spoilsport. Time to get the party started.” Steph plugged her cell into the portable speaker and scrolled to her playlist.
Her dad chuckled and looked at Ade. “Made any more plans yet?”
“For what?”
“Long-term job prospects. Plans for when you get home.”
Ade shrugged, not wanting to get into that. “I told you about that opening at the marine center.”
“What does that mean? Staying in France?” he asked.
“Maybe.” Ade dug her nails into her palm. “You know, you could just give me a break for the next few days. We could enjoyourselves without scrutinizing my prospects.” She dipped her head.
Her pops shook his head. “She’s right, Nate.”
“Why would you want to stay in France? You’re better off at home.”
Steph strolled back into the room holding a half-eaten carrot stick. “Because of Sylvie, of course. K-I-S-S-I-N?—”
“Can you just shut up!” Ade pushed her chair back, and the legs screeched against the tiles.
“Girls, you may be twenty-five tomorrow, but you’re acting like you’re seventeen. Sit down, and we can talk about this.” Pops rested a hand on Ade’s shoulder. “Stephanie, take your place at the table and stop embarrassing yourself in front of the nice people who are waiting on us right now.”
“So you want to extend your stay in the south of France because of Sylvie, huh?” Their dad picked up his line of questioning with a scratch of his head.
“I’ve been mulling it over, yeah.” Ade inhaled, preparing herself for the onslaught of questions. “I’m serious about our?—”
“Relationship?” their Dad asked, the angle of his brow softening. “I liked her a lot. The question is, do you like her enough to put the brakes on the rest of your life?”
“Would it be putting the brakes on though, Dad?” Ade asked.
“Sounds more like taking the training wheels off from where I’m sitting.” Steph guffawed into her baba ghanoush.
“Stephanie, please. I’m trying to have a serious talk with your sister.” Dad frowned. “You think Sylvie feels the same? I mean, would she welcome you sticking around?”
Ade imagined the weight of Sylvie’s head resting against her chest. “I think so. We’ve talked about it.” Ade fudged the fact that she and Sylvie had talked about her going home rather than staying.
“Your dad and I will support you no matter what happens, honey.”
Her fathers’ eyes met, a deep understanding, built across thedecades they’d spent together, passed across the busy dining table.
“Pops is right. If you think Sylvie is worth hanging around for, you should stay. We’ll make it work.” He smiled, a glint in his eye betraying the depth of his love for everyone at the table. “First things first: you need to work out how to extend your work visa.”
“Does this mean I don’t have to rush home either?” Steph threw an olive in the air and caught it between her teeth.
“Stop fooling around. You’re coming back to start your nursing internship by this summer. No excuses.”
Steph folded her arms. “But what if I find the love of my life in some mysterious European town, and I fall head over heels?”
“We can talk about it when it happens. In the meantime, your flights are booked.” Dad raised his glass. “To family. Happy birthday to our baby girls.”
Ade joined in with the toast, grateful for his U-turn, but his blessing was only part of the solution. The bigger challenges were how she’d secure a job after this academic year and whether Sylvie would welcome her staying in France. One thing was for sure: she couldn’t wait to tell her. Maybe she was ready to plant roots somewhere other than her dads’ backyard after all.
