Page 86 of One Night

"Why are you still writing letters? You guys see each other all the time."

"Yeah, but she likes the letters so I just keep sending them."

"You're totally whipped," he says, walking away.

"Like you aren't?" I call back, but he's already in his truck.

I'm not whipped. If I didn't want to write the letters, I wouldn't do it. Okay, that's not entirely true. If the letters make Amber happy, I'll do it. I'll do most anything to make her happy.

***

It's Thanksgiving day and Amber and I are heading to my parents' house. Up until this morning, Amber kept trying to back out of coming to dinner, giving me a million excuses for why she couldn't be there. I told her if she didn't come, she'd have to let my mom know, which would disappointment my mom and my entire family, who are all excited to meet her. My little guilt trip worked.

"They really do live a long ways out," she says as we pass through yet another suburb. We've been driving for almost an hour, slowed down by all the cars trying to leave Chicago.

"We're almost there. It's the next subdivision."

"So let me make sure I've got this right. Your dad sells office equipment and your mom is a librarian at a grade school. And your little brother is in sixth grade and likes playing soccer and basketball."

I chuckle. "Yes, but you don't have to memorize everything about them. They're not going to quiz you."

She exhales a breath. "I'm nervous."

"You'll be fine." I reach over and hold her hand. "My family isn't intimidating."

"I'm still nervous."

"You've never had to meet the parents before?"

"Not since high school. As for people I dated in college, I never met their parents."

"Did you bring guys home to meet your parents?"

"I tried not to." She glances out the side window.

"Because your dad wanted to beat up any guy who dated you?" I ask in a kidding tone.

"It's not just that. It's also...never mind."

"What? What were you going to say? Something about your parents?"

"They just embarrass me. That's all."

"Embarrass you how? By telling funny stories about when you were a kid? If so, my parents do the same thing so be prepared to hear at least one of those stories today."

"Can't wait." She smiles at me. "I bet you got in a lot of trouble growing up."

I shrug a shoulder. "A few bank robberies. Grand theft auto. Nothing too serious."

She laughs. "I didn't know I was dating a criminal."

"It's all in the past. I'm reformed. Just a regular, law-abiding college student now." I point to my street. "Guess which house is mine."

She scans the street. "The one with the funny mailbox?"

"How'd you know?"

"Because it looks like a stack of books and your mom's a librarian."

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