Lena felt her phone buzz in her lap. A text from Theo: “How bad is it? Scale of 1 to ‘I should fake my own death’?”
“They want to meet you,” she said, leaning against her car. “Full interrogation. Dad will ask about your ‘intentions.’ Mom will ask about your salary. Jamie will ask if you own a suit.”
“That’s enough,” Lena snapped. But underneath the irritation was a strange, warm thread. Her family’s chaos was a language she’d been forced to speak her whole life. Loud, critical, but present. Family sexy video
Theo laughed—a low, steady sound. “Are you asking me to walk into a war zone for you?”
Her younger brother, Jamie, snorted. “Last month she brought a guy who thought ‘gluten’ was a yoga pose.” Lena felt her phone buzz in her lap
A pause. Then, softly: “Lena, I’d learn to cook gluten-free casseroles for you. A dinner with your family? That’s the easy part.”
Later, in the driveway, she called Theo. “Full interrogation
“I’m asking if you’ll hold my hand under the table while it happens.”
“He’s an engineer, Dad. He just likes motorcycles.”
She bit back a smile. “Yes. His name is Theo.”