Page 19 of The Puck Decoy

“Hals?” My mom’s voice hits me from behind before my dad can even respond, and I turn to offer her a smile.

“Hey mom,” I croak, the nerves frying me from the inside out, and without hesitation she pulls me into an embrace, not lingering for longer than she knows I can stand, before pulling back and tucking an escaped curl behind my ear.

Her stare is unwavering as she studies me closely, before she glances at my father. “Jer, it’s a hot chocolate kind of morning,” she tells him, giving him the order of my favorite drink they always used to make whenever I was feeling sad, before she focuses back on me. “Come and sit in the den with me.”

I don’t bother with a response, not when she tucks her arm into mine and leads me through the kitchen into the room they had converted into a space where they can relax. It’s stacked with bookshelves and a big chair where my mom likes to read, and a large oak desk with a computer where my dad likes to work. There is also a corner sofa by the window surrounded by plants where we usually sit and have our game nights. It’s probably my favorite room in their house and somehow feels like it’s been around forever, despite the fact they have only lived here for a few years.

It isn’t long before we are joined by my dad, who comes with a tray of hot chocolates that are overflowing with whipped cream, tiny marshmallows, and chocolate sprinkles. Clearly he thinks this is a major emergency, yet I can’t help but smile as he bows while he serves us, before taking a seat beside my mother and focusing entirely on me.

“Did you kill someone?” he asks without pause, totally serious, and I stare at him wordlessly, praying that he’s joking, as my mom laughs. “What? You know if she killed someone, I would totally go to jail for her, but I just need to get some things in order first.”

Knowing that he is dead serious, I force myself to reply, “No, Dad, I didn’t kill anyone.”

His relief is clear as his shoulders completely untense. “Oh, great, you had me worried for a second there kid.” He takes a deep slug of his hot chocolate, not caring for the cream mustache that it leaves across his lip, as he leans back on the sofa and relaxes.

“But there is something really important I have to tell you, and I’m just going to say it all to get it out there, and you can ask questions at the end, okay?” I flick my stare between the two of them, and my dad looks relaxed now knowing I didn’t kill anyone, but my mom still looks a little on edge.

“Okay,” they both nod in unison.

“Mayor Peters tried to force a business marriage on Maddie but she fell in love with someone else, so Josh stepped in to take her place under the conditions that he leave her alone. So now Josh has to have an arranged marriage, and I agreed to be his wife so I could help him dig up some dirt on the Mayor and give Josh the upper hand, and we are getting married today.” I rush through every word barely stopping for a breath, and then holding it slightly as I wait for their refusals and judgment, but it doesn’t come.

In fact, my mother bursts out laughing, and I mean full on tears in her eyes laughing, making my father join her, as I sit there dumbfounded while they both lose their minds.

“Oh, Hallie,” she chokes out in between laughs. “I thought it was drugs, or you really did kill someone,” she gasps, giggling all over again. She holds her chest as she tries to calm herself down, my dad wiping tears of joy from his eyes, as they both compose themselves.

“But didn’t you hear what I said, the part about where I am getting married today?” I repeat, looking between them in total confusion.

My dad laughs again, but my mother looks at me in sympathy as she replies, “We know you’re getting married, honey, Josh told us.”

My jaw hangs open in shock. “What? What do you mean Josh told you? No. I’m telling you, I’m getting married today.”

They both share another look, doing that silent communicating thing they always do whenever they think I ambeing ridiculous, and it stresses me out. I have to reach for my hot chocolate and take a sip, just to ensure I can actually taste it and that I am really here right now having this conversation.

As always, it’s as if my dad can read my mind, and he puts his own drink down and leans forward, gently pulling my hand into his. It’s something he would do as a kid when I couldn’t stand to be hugged, he would come and sit by my side and hold my hand and tell me about his day. It feels just as comforting now as it did when I was younger, and I can’t stop myself from squeezing his fingers.

“Hallie Bear, Josh came to see us the morning after Thanksgiving. He told us everything about what has been going on with Hugo, and apologized for allowing you to be involved in such an elaborate plan.” His voice is loud and clear but it’s as if I’m not hearing him right, because what? Josh came to see him on Thanksgiving, how the hell is that possible? “The three of us talked everything out, and then he asked for my permission to marry you, and I said yes.”

So many words to process but all I do is focus on the last three. “You said yes?” I repeat. “He asked for your permission to marry me, and to be clear you know this is a fake marriage, and you said yes?”

I look between the two of them again, and once again they nod.

“We know you guys have history, and Josh ensured us that he wouldn’t let anything or anyone hurt you, and we trust him,” my mom finally says, smiling at just the mention of him. She always did have a soft spot for him. Like mother, like daughter, I guess.

Still failing to comprehend this whole situation, and the fact that Josh not only came here and spoke to them, but he told them the truth, and asked for permission to marry me. Even more unbelievable is that they saidyes.

“So what you’re saying is, the existential dread I had all night about this, that caused me to get out of bed at 5am and drive over here, was pointless then?” I say slowly, curling my hands around my hot mug just so I don’t pick at them.

“Yeah,” my dad nods, as my mom adds, “Pretty much.”

Perfect, just perfect. I’ve been in a manic hellhole all night, and all along they knew everything anyway and were completely fine with it. Why the hell didn’t Josh tell me?

We talk some more and they insist I stay for an unofficial wedding breakfast, before politely declining my invite to attend the actual wedding. Apparently watching me fake getting married doesn’t count. So with that all squared away, I tell them it’s time for me to leave, much to my father’s dismay.

“Oh, let her go, Jer, you know she needs to go make herself look good, she’s always had a crush on the Peters boy and now is her chance,” my mom cuts in with a laugh, as she follows me to the door.

“His name is Josh,” I scoff, as if they didn’t live next to him for almost a decade and treat him like their own son. “And I do not have a crush on him.” I don’t add on the fact that ‘crush’ is now a tame word in comparison to what I feel for him, but hey, everyone lies to their parents right?

Unfortunately for me, growing up in such a loving and accepting household means my parents can see through my bullshit, and are never afraid to call me on it. “Yeah alright,” my dad roars with laughter. “You just loved freezing your ass off and letting him beat you at hockey because he’s yourfriend.” He says the word friend with an exaggerated tone as he rolls his eyes at me. “A friend you’ve now agreed to marry,” he adds with another laugh.

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