Page 62 of Forged By Sacrifice

My heart leaped at those words because they were and weren’t true. Georgie had agreed to give me this weekend as a way to get to know each other, but I didn’t want the family adding all sorts of pressure to that.

ME: We’re both bringing our roommate with us. Just like we brought Stan and Mel. And she’s hardly a girl.

MOM: You like her then, I see.

That I liked her was one way of saying it, but no way was I going to admit that to Mom at this point.

ME: I don’t know what Dani told you. Georgie and I are just getting acquainted. I’m not sure what I feel for her.

MOM: But you’ve never brought a woman home.

ME: Please don’t read more into this than it is. Like I said, we’re bringing our roommate with us, just like we have a gazillion times before.

MOM: So, don’t bring out your baby albums yet?

ME: ** Eye roll emoji **

MOM: You know I can’t tell which emoji means what.

ME: I’m rolling my eyes at you.

MOM: Just for that, I’m going to make sure the picture of you in the tutu is at the very front of the mantel.

ME: If she likes me after that, then it’s meant to be.

MOM: It’s texts like that which make me realize this is much more than bringing a roommate home.

I couldn’t continue to deny it. It was more. Mom would know that as soon as she saw me mooning over her like I’d never mooned over anyone. So, instead of lying, I just ended the conversation.

ME: Love you. I’m going to go pack now.

MOM: Love you too, baby. See you tomorrow.

I knocked on Dani’s half-open door. “Yep,” she hollered.

I’d learned early in life that you never entered a sister’s room without knocking first. Not if you didn’t want to see things that would scar you for life. Almost worse than seeing your parents naked. Almost.

“What did you tell Mom?” I asked, leaning on the doorframe.

Dani didn’t even look up from the suitcase she was packing with so many clothes I wasn’t sure if we were going home for a long weekend or a month. “What did I tell Mom about what?”

“Georgie.”

“Just that we were bringing her home with us.”

“You had to have said more than that. I just got the third degree.”

She smirked but didn’t stop shoving things into her luggage. “I might have said something about her being stunning and you knowing it.”

“I barely got Georgie to agree to come with us, so don’t all of you start putting pressure on her for being there with me. She’s not ready for that.”

“Is this still about her family?”

I didn’t say anything.

“I have to admit,” Dani started. “It isn’t ideal. It would definitely give your competition some fodder to burn, but if she’s clean and you’re clean, I don’t think it’s insurmountable.”

“Really?”

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