My dad had been married four times in his life, the three women after my mom each only sticking around for less than a year. But I knew this one was it—the one that would last. It felt right, just like my dad said. And as Nolan and I talked about it, while everyone took their turns congratulating my father and Rosie, we realized we’d been pretty blind to their romance.

By the end of the evening, my dad finally made his way over to us, and I smiled when Nolan embraced him, and then Rosie. She loved them as much as I did. “So? What do you think?” my dad asked, reaching for Rosie’s hand and showing us the ring.

I just smiled at him, and shook his hand before he pulled me in for a full embrace. “You did good, Dad. Real good,” I said, noticing Jason standing behind, for once a genuine smile on his face, too.

“Yeah, you did good, Dad,” Jason said as my dad turned around to hug him, too.

Chapter 14

Nolan

The drama of Christmas Eve had exhausted me, and I was actually looking forward to the low-key traditional Christmas we always spent with my grandparents. My parents and I left early Christmas morning to spend the day with them, arriving just in time for Gran’s big breakfast. She made the most amazing French toast with bacon and eggs that always seemed like they came straight from a farm.

I slept a little in the car on our way. I had stayed up late with Reed, waiting for Christmas to arrive. We sat outside and watched the stars by the outdoor fireplace. We saw a shooting star, and both vowed to make wishes with our eyes closed. We kept them secret to seal them, make sure they’d come true. I knew it was a silly myth, but I was so happy in this moment, I was willing to grab onto any legend or mysticism with both hands just to wish it mine for keeps. I squeezed my eyes shut and whispered in my head for everything to work out for Reed and me, my wish mostly a direct assault on my enormous fear that as soon as Reed signed his name to a contract for an NFL team in the next few months that he’ll be lost to me forever.

My dreams were scattered and brief, and they continued throughout the car ride to my grandparents. I seemed to be replaying Reed’s fight with Jason, mostly hearing the harsh words his brother had said. Awake it was easy to rationalize everything. It wasn’t me. I could be any girl, and Jason wouldn’t be kind. He would threaten anything good in Reed’s life because he was jealous. It made me curious about the pictures I’d seen of the two of them as smaller boys, Reed the little boy under Jason’s wing. Year’s ago Jason had a look in his eye that he’d fight to the death to protect his little brother. Somewhere along the way, though, that look had been replaced by envy.

My parents seemed to have been spared the verbal assaults of the fight, only witnessing the two Johnson boys pummeling each other in Buck’s driveway. My mom worried about Reed during our drive, and I felt relief that she was on Reed’s side without even questioning it.

As the morning wore on, I was able to relax more, almost letting go of all of my stress. My brother Mike joined us before too long, and we were finally able to exchange gifts. Our holiday was a lot different from the one at the Johnson house, just the six of us sitting on my grandparents’ living room floor, and sliding mismatched wrapped boxes to one another filled with sweaters and homemade items. My grandmother had knitted me a scarf and a hat in ASU colors. Grandpa gave me his old pool stick, which of course led to a few rounds at the table. I was actually able to beat him from time-to-time, which I think made him proud.

My parents had given me a few ASU things, and each time I opened a box I felt a twinge of guilt about my dismal grades, and the fact that I could be in my last semester at ASU, flunking out and going down in fiery academic flames. My stress was once again picking up, when I felt a buzz on my phone and pulled it out to find a text from Reed.

Hey. So…my mom wants you to come over for dinner if you’re able. Do you think your parents would mind if I drove you home later?

I stared at the text for a bit, and then put the phone back in my pocket so I could dissect the message in my head. Why would Millie want me to join them? I was embarrassed by my reaction, always assuming the worst, like it was some sort of trick. I had to remind myself constantly that Millie was an adult. True, she was cold and lacked empathy, but she wasn’t calculating ways to attack me. I must have been making a strange face because my mom became suspicious and finally came to sit next to me on the sofa.

“What’s wrong, sweetheart?” she asked, leaning into me a little and whispering her words to keep our conversation among us girls.

“Nothing’s wrong,” I started, pulling my phone out again and looking at the screen a bit while I sucked in my top lip. “It was Reed. He…wants to know if I can join him at his mom’s for dinner. But…I don’t know.”