I made my way over to the table and took the seat on the other side of Charlie. He tugged my chair closer and kissed me, right there in front of everyone. “I missed you, Firefly.”
I moved closer so only he could hear me. “Missed you too.”
Fillets were set down in front of Harper and me, and Charlie had the salmon. Everyone was raving about how good the food looked.
DJ Crazy Ass had quieted down for dinner, thankfully, and we could actually have a conversation.
My brothers were asking Charlie all about his business, and Paris was going on and on about what a great job he’d done over at my house.
“That was all your sister. She tortured me with all the changes,” he said with a laugh. “But in the end, her eye for design has made that place look like something out of a magazine.”
“I’d like to come see it tomorrow,” my father said, surprising everyone, as it was the first time he’d spoken since I sat down.
“We’re doing gifts in the morning, and then we’ve got plans for lunch in the afternoon,” Missy said as she cut into her steak.
“I don’t mind skipping lunch. I’d like to see Violet’s new home. Is there a time that works best for you?” he asked, turning his attention to me, as Missy’s eyes widened.
“I’m around in the afternoon, and you’re all welcome.”
“Well, we’re staying over there, and I have no desire to watch Velveteen and Ralph open toaster ovens, so I’ll be there when you come over,” Huntington said as he winked at Harper.
“Yeah, Mom, Ralph is not going to be waking up and opening gifts in the morning,” Paris said. “I’ll be sleeping in at Vi’s house, and we can all go have breakfast at the diner. I love downtown Blushing. It’s so cute.”
Missy’s gaze locked with mine, and I could see the panic.
Why did I care that she was upset? She’d always been terrible to me.
“Count me in. I promised Charlie and Harper I’d sleep over there tonight, but we’ll meet you guys at the diner in the morning. And you’re welcome to join us,” I said as I looked at Missy and my father.
“Yes!” Harper pumped her fist. “The Brown Bear Diner has the best pancakes. And then we can all go to Vi’s house after. Maybe we’ll see Chompers. He lives in her trees.”
“I’d like that. I’ll meet you there,” my father said. “And then we’ll go see your house.”
“What’s a Chompers?” Missy asked, her shoulders relaxing as if she wasn’t going to fight anyone about their plans for tomorrow.
“He’s a groundhog,” Charlie told her, and then he filled them in about all the damage he’d done to my house during the renovations.
We laughed and talked, and for the first time, I didn’t feel like the outsider.
I felt like I was exactly where I should be.
We finished up dinner, and Harper was having the time of her life with my siblings. They’d taken her out to the dance floor, and she kept waving at us. Charlie and I had danced a few times, but we’d spent sometime moving around and chatting with people as well. He’d followed my lead, and every time I’d ask if he was okay, he’d say the same thing.
“I’m exactly where I want to be, Firefly.”
We came back to the table once the cake was served. Ralph actually surprised me by not slamming the cake into Velveteen’s face, as I’d expected him to do. Instead, I noticed the way he’d inspected her bandaged palm and planted a kiss there. It was the most tender thing I’d ever seen that man do. He then pulled her onto his lap and shared a piece of cake with her.
It gave me hope that maybe they’d be okay.
Because even when Velveteen had been unkind to me, which was most of my life, I still loved her.
And tonight it felt like we’d made progress. Like we might find a new normal that worked for us.
But either way, I’d be fine.
Charlie carried an exhausted Harper out of the reception, and we dropped Paris, Huntington, and Brenton at my house before we drove the short distance to his.
Sweet Harper fell asleep in the back of the truck, and we got her inside and changed her into her jammies before tucking her into bed. We made our way out of her room as her little voice called out.
