“Of course!” Everett put his hands on her shoulders. “Who wouldn’t want to hang out with your family?”
After Teddy was silent for a few moments, Everett said, “Oh.”
“Not that I want to talk about him anymore, but Richard always had some excuse for why he couldn’t come see my family. It was . . . well, it was embarrassing, you know? To constantly have to tell them why he wasn’t there.”
“I’m sorry.” Everett wrapped her in a hug and said into her hair, “You tell me the time and I’ll be there.”
“Yeah?” Teddy smiled.
“Of course.” Everett kissed her on the forehead, and Teddy couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so safe, so secure, so . . . well, so loved. As she felt the rise and fall of Everett’s chest under her cheek, she realized that she couldn’t imagine being happier, and this was all because she’d done the things that scared her. Because she’d taken a chance, she’d emailed Everett, she’d agreed to go out with him even though she was terrified.
It turned out that taking control of your own life was actually kind of amazing.
52
Dear Teddy,
I forgot to clarify: what should I wear to dinner tomorrow? Is this formal? Semiformal? Beachy casual (a real description from a wedding invitation I once received)?
Beachily,
Everett
Dear Everett,
Yes, beachy casual.
Thanks for asking,
Teddy
Dear Teddy,
Okay, seriously, I know that dinner at your mother’s house in Ohio in November doesn’t have a “beachy casual” dress code but now I’m worried. Am I going to look bad if I don’t show up in a Hawaiian shirt and board shorts?
Getting my feet flip-flop ready,
Everett
Dear Everett,
Frankly, I’m concerned that you own board shorts.
No dress code. Wear whatever you want. Everyone’s going to love you.
See you tomorrow,
Teddy
53
The next morning, Astrid texted Everett to tell him that their meeting with the Imagination Network had been bumped up, so now he had even less time to prepare. Everett wasn’t one to panic (he was more the silent-stress type), but he found himself pacing his apartment, tugging on his hair. He had zero idea what he was actually going to say to these people. How could he possibly convince them that his show belonged at their studio? He knew in his heart that it did, but knowing things wasn’t ever a problem for him. Translating what was going on in his head into something that the outside world could understand . . . well, that was the hard part.
I’ll be ready, he texted Astrid.
This is just a meeting!!! she texted back. Don’t go overboard on this. If you show up looking sleep-deprived and unshowered it will NOT be good for us. Get some rest.
Okay, so Astrid knew him. But if she knew him so well, then she had to understand that “being chill” wasn’t his style. That wasn’t the way he worked, and it never would be.
Everett sat down, grabbed a notebook, and started writing. He worked so hard, in fact, that he didn’t glance at his phone even once.
54
Teddy’s eyes kept bouncing to the giant decorative clock on the wall. It was one of those things that looked like an antique even though it had been purchased at HomeGoods in 2012.
“Let’s eat,” she said in a burst. “I don’t think he’s coming.”
“Maybe he’s running behind,” her mom said. “He might be stuck at work.”
Craig stopped, his fork halfway to his mouth. “Oh, were we waiting?”
“Craig,” Sophia groaned, “did you not notice that none of us were eating?”
“No, Craig has the right idea,” Teddy said, heaping a spoonful of macaroni and cheese on her plate. “We’re eating. Everyone’s eating.”
“Mom says we’re in charge of our own bodies and our own tummies and we don’t have to eat anything we don’t want to,” Emma said, staring at Teddy with big eyes.
“Your mom’s right,” Teddy said, giving Emma a spoonful of macaroni. “But you love macaroni and cheese, right?”
Emma nodded.
“Okay, then,” Teddy said, passing the bowl to Sophia, who tried to catch her eye.
Now everyone thought she was a liar. Her family likely assumed she’d had some sort of breakdown after Richard dumped her that caused her to create a fantasy relationship with a television host. Which might have been exactly what happened, because Everett, her supposed boyfriend, should have been there and he wasn’t, which could mean that she’d made the whole thing up.
She discreetly pulled her phone out under the table. Hey, where are you? she tapped out.
“No phones at the table,” Emma said. “That’s what we always tell Mommy.”
“Well, Mommy has a job to do, and sometimes bosses don’t respect Mommy’s personal time,” Sophia said crisply. “But you’re right, sweetie.”
What Teddy wanted to ask Everett was Hey, what the hell is UP? but she didn’t text that. Although being mad was an unusual and uncomfortable feeling for her, it was a bit of a relief to feel anger instead of fear. Invigorated, she took a too-large bite of mac and cheese.
They got through dinner by listening to Craig tell a story about how he’d discovered a kitten under the hood of a 2012 Honda Civic and had spent most of his day attempting to rehome it. Teddy suspected he was talking so much to take the attention off her and make the meal less awkward, which she appreciated, but she was still eager to get out of there. As soon as she’d carried her dishes to the sink, she said her goodbyes and headed out to her car.
As she was opening her car door, she heard, “Hey!”
She turned to see Sophia pulling her coat on as she walked down the porch steps, the front door swinging shut behind her.
“Did I forget something?” Teddy asked.
“No, I wanted to talk to you,” Sophia said.
“You did?”
Sophia rolled her eyes. “Don’t sound so shocked.”
“We just . . . We don’t . . .”
“We don’t talk a lot. I get it. But I wanted to ask you something. . . . Are you really going to take over the toy store?” Sophia stared at her with her arms crossed.