“The things we don’t do,” I repeated.
She was right. So was Parker.
I glanced out the window to see Parker standing at the end of our dock, hands in his pockets. I felt warm at seeing him, but also at having a family that had friends like the Thaysdens. For my entire life, their house, their dock, the contents of their pantry… It had all been as much mine as theirs. I knew Parker felt the same. Growing up, I took it for granted.
And now, life as I had always known it was going to change. Mom thought it would take at least a few more months to get Tilley settled and the back house spruced for her and Daddy to live in. It was bittersweet. I was losing my home, but my parents were gaining their lives back.
Once word had gotten around that Dogwood was for sale, the realtor had received two offers that very day, both cash, both over the presumed asking price. She’d tried to convince them to sell right then, but Mom just wasn’t ready. Dogwood was one of the most valuable properties in Cape Carolina. Mom and Dad said the sale was contingent on the owner keeping the home intact, not tearing it down and developing the land. While, theoretically, that might work, in reality there was really nothing they could do to control the next owner’s whims once it sold. So we all just prayed it went to someone we knew and trusted.
I patted what I thought might be Tilley’s knee underneath her massive crinoline. “You’re right, Tilley.” In moments like these, I worried more than ever about what moving to a new environment might do to her.
“Of course I am,” she said, looking offended. “You should never doubt that.”
I smiled at her. “There is a boy out there on that dock that I need to talk to.”
“Little Parker Thaysden,” she said. “He is a doll, isn’t he?”
I winked at her. “A real, live, true one. You know what? I think I might bring him to the ball.” And then I raised my eyebrows and whispered, “As my date.”
She winked back at me. “I think that would be marvelous.”
Bare feet in the grass, the long hem of my white linen maxi dress swishing along my ankles, I made my way to the dock, where Parker was standing, almost completely still, his hands in his pockets. He appeared to be staring at his boat, which, mysteriously, was at our dock, not his.
“Admiring your great love?”
He turned around, startled. When he saw me, he pulled me close. “Now I am.”
I knew it was risky, but I couldn’t help it. I kissed his soft, full lips, and I didn’t want to stop.
“They’re going to see,” he said, resting his forehead on mine.
I shrugged. “Let them all see. I think I’ve changed my mind.”
“About getting married?” he joked.
I rolled my eyes. “Nooooo. About telling them tonight.”
His eyes sparkled, and he reached his hand out to me. “Then let’s get to it.”
Maybe we should have planned what we were going to say or how we were going to say it, but it wouldn’t have mattered anyway, because before we had even said the blessing, Olivia started. “Anything you two want to tell us?”
I could feel my mom kick her under the table.
I cut my eyes at Mom. “What do you know?”
Olivia shrugged. “Oh, nothing. We don’t know a thing. Just wasn’t sure if there was any news you wanted to share, in particular?”
Parker and I shared a glance.
He reached over, took my hand, squeezed, and said, “Well, it appears that you already know, but Amelia and I are dating.”
Mom let out a scream so high-pitched and long and loud that I thought perhaps my eardrums had burst.
Olivia gave her a look. “So it’s true! Is it new?”
I bit my lip guiltily. “Well, six weeks.” It wasn’t that long, but it was a long time to talk to my mother every single day and not breathe a word to her.
Now Mom gasped. “So all those times you said you weren’t seeing anyone special…”
I broke out in a grin that I absolutely could not suppress. “I lied. He is the most special.”
“Well, Robby is the most special,” Aunt Tilley interjected.
“But Robby is my brother, so, while he is special, he is not a man I will ever be in love with,” I replied.
“Right,” she said. “Of course. Your brother. Sometimes I forget.”
“So this must be serious, huh?” Mom asked.
She clearly wanted to ask when we were getting married. She simply could not accept it as true when I told her I wasn’t getting married again.
“Any important future plans?” Olivia asked, a little more boldly. “Anything I should get a diamond out of the safe for?”
Neither of us said anything.
“What about a baby?” Tilley trilled.
That was when I jumped in. “No, no, Aunt Tilley. I can’t have a baby. Remember?”
Evidently, the ball was over, because she said, just as clear and lucid as anyone else around the table, “Oh, but couldn’t you try IVF again? Don’t you have a couple more embryos?”
Perfect freaking time for her to come back to reality. I’m sure I looked horrified because Parker and I had never really discussed this. To be honest, I didn’t think we had to. We’d tried. We’d failed. We’d moved on. But when I looked into his face I could have sworn that I saw something almost hopeful in it.
I did a double take. “Wait. Do you want to try to have the other babies?”
The three sets of eyes around the table drilled into us, and I was suddenly thankful that our dads, Robby, and Mason hadn’t gotten out of poker night. I did wish, though, that Trina hadn’t had horrible morning sickness—for her sake, obviously, but also because she was always waiting with an upbeat smile during these emotional scenes.
He shrugged. “Well, I mean…” He sighed. “I don’t think this is the time or place for us to have this conversation, but it might be nice to try for a baby.”
Breathless, I felt like he had punched me in my very empty gut. “So you mean to tell me that we have been discussing our future ad nauseam, and you never felt the need to tell me that you wanted children?”
He turned to the table and said, “Excuse us.”
Then he took my hand and walked us out onto the porch. “Look, Lia, not necessarily. I want you more than I want children.”
I shook my head. “Has any of this been real?”
“Amelia, don’t do this. Yes, I kept it from you. I just didn’t want to hurt you because I love you so much. And I would rather have you than a baby.”
“Is that what this was all along? Some attempt to get me to be your surrogate again?” I knew I was spiraling, but I couldn’t stop.
He ran his hands down the length of my arms, a gesture I would have recognized as affectionate if I weren’t so angry. “Amelia, of course not. You know me better than that. I love you. I want to be with you. Let’s just forget the baby thing and go back inside.”
I knew before I said what I said next that I shouldn’t. I knew I couldn’t take it back. But it flew out of my mouth anyway. “Are you still pining away for Greer, too? Am I just a side distraction?”
“Stop,” he said firmly. “Don’t bring her into this.”