Hardwood - K.M. Neuhold Page 0,93
about how I should approach things with Livi, and we all agreed that being direct would be best, and then to answer any questions she might have about it.
“Liv, there’s something I want to talk to you about before we have dinner,” I say. “Why don’t we go sit down.”
“Am I in trouble?” she asks suspiciously, narrowing her eyes at me.
“You’re not in trouble,” I assure her with a chuckle. We head down the hallway toward the kitchen where Val and Jeff are working on dinner.
“Hi,” Val says. Her eyes land on Watson, and there’s an awkward moment of silence that hangs in the air before she sets down the knife she’s using to chop vegetables and hurries around the counter, pulling him into a hug. “I’m so glad you came.”
He looks stunned, his eyes widening as he pats her back gingerly and looks to me for help.
“Let’s not scare him away so quickly,” I suggest, pulling her off my boyfriend and stealing a hug of my own from her.
“Dinner should be ready in about five minutes,” she says when I let her go.
“Great. Livi, come sit down for a second.” I pull out a chair for her at the table and then go to sit on the other side. Watson hangs back, and I shoot him a grateful smile. “You know how I told you Mr. Black and I are friends?” She nods. “Well, actually, he’s my boyfriend.”
“But he’s my teacher,” she points out as if I’d missed that fact.
“I know, but he won’t be forever. In two years, you’ll be going to the middle school, which means you’ll have a different music teacher.”
We haven’t talked that long term, but as far as I’m concerned, we’re in this for the long haul. I glance over at Watson and find him with a sappy smile on his face.
Val and Jeff are quietly working on dinner still, but she shoots me an encouraging thumbs up, and Jeff nods as if to say you’ve got this.
“Do you have any questions?”
Livi twists in her chair to look back at Watson. “You said you have a pet hedgehog. Can I play with it sometime?”
Watson snorts a laugh. “Yes, you can. Maybe we can plan a slumber party where you and your dad can come to my apartment and we can play with Fermata, watch movies, and pig out on junk food,” he suggests. “I have a pair of shark footie pajamas I’ve been dying to bust out.”
Her eyes light up. “That sounds so fun. Can we, Dad?”
“Yes, we can definitely do that,” I agree.
“Awesome.” She bounces in her seat, and I release the last bit of tension from my chest. Everyone important knows the truth now, and they all still love me.
“Dinner’s ready,” Val declares. “Go wash up.”
Watson
Livi hops out of her chair and races out of the kitchen to go wash her hands. I can see the exact moment when the weight lifts from Ev’s shoulders, and he smiles more freely than I’ve ever seen. It’s the most beautiful sight in the world.
He stands up, and I go around the table, meeting him with a chaste kiss. He wraps his arms around my waist, and I can feel the curve of his smile against my lips.
“I’m so proud of you,” I whisper.
“I couldn’t have done it without you. You’ve made me braver than I ever thought I could be.”
“Stop, you’re going to make me cry,” I complain, feeling my eyes getting misty.
There’s a sniffle from behind me, and we both look over to see Val dabbing her eyes with a napkin. “Sorry, didn’t mean to ruin the moment.” Her boyfriend puts his arm around her, and she sniffles again. “I’ve never seen Ev so happy, that’s all.”
“That’s not true, I was over the moon the day Livi was born,” he points out.
“I know; I didn’t mean that. I just never noticed how…I don’t know…closed off you’ve always been. The second he touched you, everything fell away, and I feel like I saw the real Ev for the first time.”
Emotion chokes my throat, and I watch as an array of feelings pass over his face.
“I feel like the real me for the first time,” he admits.
Livi comes back into the room, and there’s a frenzy as we all dish up our own food and bring it to the table.
The food is delicious, and the conversation flows easily between the five of us. To my relief, Val is welcoming, and it doesn’t seem like Livi