Page 79 of The Minotaur's Valentine

“What? She is little! She is the queen of your heart, anyone with eyes can see that!” Mr. Angelakis snorts.

“Dear, you are embarrassing Milo. Libby, Milo tells us that you are working to become a vet. Tell me, how many years does that usually take?”

I breathe a sigh of relief. We’re off the topic of family. That was way too intense, too much pressure, too—

Awesome.

I feel like I’m glowing inside. Angela smoothes a random hair off my face and looks at me with wide, encouraging eyes.

My mom used to look at me like that.

I blink and cough. “Ahem. Uh. Pepper.”

Milo’s tail sneaks under the table and strokes my calf soothingly. He scoots his chair closer and takes my hand. “Want some water?”

“I’ll get her some water!” Mr. Angelakis flies out of the room, galloping on his hubcap-sized hooves, rattling the cutlery on the table.

“Stay out of those cupcakes, Christos!” Milo’s mother sighs and chases after him.

Milo and I exchange a long, silent look before I laugh and he visibly shrinks several inches, releasing a stressed-out sigh. “Oh, man. You like them?”

“I love them.”

He whispers, “I know they can come on a little strong.”

“It’s all good. Your mom—the way she looks at you when you’re talking to her—it just reminds me so much of my mother.” I swallow hard. “That’s a good thing.”

“But it hurts.” He pulls my head to his chest.

“I love that you get it.”

“Tea? Coffee?”

The parents are back. Christos has a blue enamel jug of ice water and Angela has my cupcakes arranged on a fancy plate.

“I persuaded her that it was time for dessert.” Christos waggles his eyebrows roguishly at his wife, who blushes and fluffs her hair.

“This is why he has the sweet tooth... because I can’t say no.” Milo’s mother rolls her eyes and allows herself to be on the receiving end of a forehead nuzzle from her husband.

These two are now the basis of my relationship goals. When I’m in my forties or fifties, I want my husband to look at me and make me blush and get all giggly.

“Back to the subject,” Mrs. Angelakis says with sudden firmness. “Libby, tell us about your career.”

Ooh. A career. And my mother-in-law—Oops. I mean, Mrs. Angelakis is being so supportive. It could all be an act, but I don’t feel like I have to have my guard up.

I let myself stay nestled against Milo’s chest and I talk about my second favorite thing in the world—helping animals.

Milo might be my favorite thing now, and his family just tips the scales more in his favor.

Chapter Sixty: Milo

“You survived.”

Libby shimmies out of her skirt and kicks off her heels as she enters the living room. She clucks lovingly at a sleepy Freddy and Felix, who we’d already dropped off before dinner, blink up at her from their sleepy ball of fur on the couch. “Yep. And your parents like me. Love me. And I love them.”

“Are you tipsy?”

“Only a little.”

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