Page 98 of Dear Mr. Brody
“Just Mom and Dad?” I asked, knowing her answer.
She glared at me with glassy eyes.
“He’s a bastard most of the time, and he makes me crazy, but he’s my second half, Vannie.”
“Hey… don’t call me that.”
“I’m feeling sentimental, fuck off.”
I huffed out a laugh and kissed her cheek. “He’s not moving.”
She sucked in a breath, and nodded, her hope palpable. “And what about you? Are you going to tell the parents about your boy toy?”
“Way to make it sound sleazy,” I said as we started back toward the house again. “He’s not my boy toy. He’s my boyfriend.”
She stopped suddenly, all wide-eyed and expectant. At this rate we’d never make it inside.
“Since fucking when. Last time you called me, you said it was casual. Why was I not informed the minute this label was created… unless. Wait, were you both in bed when—”
“Jesus, Liv. Can we not.”
“Okay, okay.” She pressed her lips together.
“I can’t believe you sometimes,” I said, and she was giddy.
I broke down and told her about what happened at the festival. About Anne and how she’d figured out that Parker and I were more than friends.
“She’s such an observant kid, Van.”
“I know. It’s scary sometimes.”
Olive shoved me in the shoulder. “Did you ask him to be your boyfriend after that?”
“Why does that sound childish?” I asked and she shrugged. “Yeah, Liv… basically. We talked about it last night.”
“When he stayed over?”
“When he stayed over.”
She crooned and mussed up my hair. “Aw… I can’t wait to meet him.”
God help us all.
When we finally made our way inside, we were greeted by the heavy scent of spice and peaches. I hadn’t been over here in what felt like forever, but was instantly at ease as we walked through the house. Nothing ever changed around here. The same old wallpaper, and couches, with their ugly floral pattern and worn seat cushions that sat in the den. It doubled as my father’s office, and as always, he was hiding away inside. Olive let go of my arm and headed for the kitchen as I popped my head in to say hello.
“What are you working on?” I asked and he lifted his head, his glasses sliding down his nose. A nose I swore got bigger every time I saw him.
“Oh, you know, this and that.” I smiled at his familiar words. “No little monster today?”
“She’s with Lanie.”
“I see.” He took off his glasses and set them on his cluttered desk. “Maybe bring her by next weekend? We need to finish that tornado puzzle she just had to have.”
“I can make that happen,” I said and loved the way his eyes lit up.
“Don’t see her enough. After this semester, I’ll be an old retiree. I need her to keep me young.”
“Sixty-five is the new fifty.”