Page 95 of Tiny's Law

My dad’s strong hands grasp my face as he looks down at me. He kisses my forehead, hugging me to him. “Ah, my angel. I’ve missed your beautiful face.”

“I’ve missed you too, Dad. So much.”

I turn, and my mom’s glassy eyes match my own. She kisses my cheeks and squeezes me. “My baby girl, you look stunning. Why are you crying?”

I shake my head, laughing. “I don’t know!”

After another few minutes of them fawning over me, Tiny guides us into the living room, where he introduces my parents to his mom. Evie’s been locked in her room for the last two weeks, only coming out to eat and for the therapy appointments Emily forces her to go to.

To my and Tiny’s amusement, my parents settle on the couch without even a second glance at the damn throw pillows Emily spent so much time arranging.

My heart is so full as I watch my parents and Tiny’s mom get on perfectly. I tuck myself into Tiny’s side and wallow in the absolute bliss of having all of these important people in one room. The only thing that will make this better is tonight when Reggie, Owen, and Emma come for dinner.

All of the most important people in the world to me will be in one room.

Emily fusses over my parents, and I think my dad is low-key enjoying it. He’s usually the one fussing over my mom and me. Even when they would come to my house in Phoenix, Dad didn’t let me lift a finger. But Emily really isn’t giving him a choice as she pulls out a beautifully arranged charcuterie board and pours everyone a glass of wine.

I smile to myself as I realize that when I first met Tiny, I never in my life would have imagined he’d be sitting on a plush couch with throw pillows, eating a charcuterie board, and drinking wine with his girlfriend's parents.

“Something amusing?” his deep voice rumbles against my ear.

“Just happy,” I admit, looking up into his eyes. He presses his lips to mine.

Pulling away, we both turn to our audience, who are now very quiet. Our parents stare back at us with pure awe in their eyes. I roll my eyes, blushing.

Later that night, while my dad and Emily work in the kitchen, my mom and I sit at the counter and watch. Tiny excused himself to get some work done. He’s been working from home since he got shot. It's a little harder to code with one hand, but somehow he does it– even though he keeps complaining how slow he is now.

Resting my elbow on the counter, I drop my head against my closed fist and yawn.

“Tired, honey?” my mom asks, brushing my hair behind my shoulder.

I nod. “I’ve been so exhausted with everything going on. I just can’t get enough sleep.”

“Hm,” my mom eyes me curiously in that assessing way most moms do.

“What?”

I yawn again, causing her to laugh. “Well, with how tired you apparently are, I’m surprised to say you’re also positively glowing.”

I scoff, grabbing my wine glass and pulling it closer to me to finish it. I frown at my mom as she swipes the glass out of my hand and polishes off the last swig of my wine. “Hey!”

“Have you noticed anything else going on with you, Kourtney?”

I eye her curiously. What is she getting at? “Like what?”

She taps her finger against her chin, thinking. “It’s not like you to cry when Dad and I come to town.”

“Yeah? So? I’ve had a pretty emotional past few weeks if you ask me.”

“I don’t doubt that, my dear. Just odd for you.”

“Mom, I feel like you’re trying to get me to solve a riddle. You know I was never good with riddles.”

“Oh, I have to hit the lady's room really quick.” She hops up and spins on her heel.

Just as she goes to pass me, she stops and leans down. “Do you, by chance, have a panty liner or a pad? This dwindling cough from that cold I had and my old bladder are not getting along.”

At the mention of a pad, all the blood drains from my face. I shake my head at her. “I, uhm, I haven’t had to buy any in a while.”

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