Page 53 of Eternal Hoptimist

Ethan visibly relaxed. “I’m not surprised. You lucked out with him.”

“Don’t I know it?”

“My parents are going to meet us at dinner, but my sister can’t make it. She’s working, but we’ll see her tomorrow. Are you sure you’re up for this?”

“For eating dinner?”

“Being exposed to my family.” He bit his lip.

My turn to offer him a reassuring squeeze. “Of course. I’m all yours this weekend. Whatever you need.” And I meant it.

* * *

ETHAN

I slid my knife through my steak as I listened to Parker politely answer my parents’ nosy questions about his job. We’d made it through appetizers and part of the main course relatively unscathed with polite and superficial conversation. Hopefully, my parents would be on their best behavior since I’d finally come home and brought someone with me. Them taking us to their favorite steakhouse meant they hoped to impress Parker. At least Parker drew their attention away from my perceived failures.

“For sure. Though, I spend a great deal of time doing paperwork. It’s not the most glamorous job, particularly given the long hours,” Parker said smoothly as though he were earnestly trying to impress my parents.

Bless him.

“Nothing wrong with a job that’s not glamorous. A lawyer is a steady, respectable job. Reliable income too.” My dad’s gaze slid to me.

I clenched my jaw. All it took was one disappointed dismissal from him to eradicate any benefit of the doubt I’d given them. If I hadn’t escaped to college about fifteen years ago, I couldn’t imagine the person I would have become. Certainly more bitter and less happy.

Rosie, who sat at the head of the table to my left, rolled her eyes. I bit the inside of my cheek to stop from laughing. She always had my back.

“How’s the brewery doing, Ethan?” Mom asked.

My entire body tensed until Parker squeezed my knee under the table. “Great. We’ve had lots of success since winning the Portland Pairing last year.” Not that they would know since they decided not to come out for it or the brewery opening or our one-year anniversary gala. “Two grocery store chains have signed on to carry our beer in their stores across Portland Metro and Southwest Washington.”

“I wish I could have made it out for that. Damn my bad hip,” Rosie grumbled.

I smiled at her. “Don’t worry about it.”

“I read an article recently about the slim likelihood of food service businesses succeeding after the first two years. It doesn’t look good.”

My fork clattered to my plate. “I’m not sure what you expect me to say, Dad.”

Parker rested his hand on my thigh, keeping me anchored.

“We’re worried about you because it’s such an unreliable industry. We’ve always wanted security for you and your sister, and a brewery is such a risky venture. How will you afford to retire?”

“The same way everyone else who runs their own business does. We didn’t go into this without a plan for the future. This is a dream we’ve had for years, and we’ve done it right. We’re going to succeed.”We’re going tothrive.

I covered Parker’s hand with my own and squeezed under the table. I was grateful for the physical release of frustration.

“I grew up in Dahlia Springs. My family speaks highly of the brewery and the impact it’s made on the community. It’s brought in tourism and has created opportunities for other businesses because there’s more traffic coming into town. Ethan and his friends have done something amazing. It’s changed the town for the better.” Parker smiled softly at me.

It took a couple of tries before I could swallow. No one had ever done that for me. I knew Rosie had my back, but her support centered on caring for me and probably a few intense private conversations where she told people off. I knew she’d protected me in ways I didn’t even know about. Having Parker do that so openly? I couldn’t even process my feelings as they flooded me. Big, scary ones that directly violated my New Year’s resolution. At least I could physically reward him later without breaking my promise to myself.

“Well, that’s great,” Dad said. He cleared his throat. “I hope it continues since you used your inheritance for the brewery. I don’t imagine you have a backup plan.”

I opened my mouth to tell him my backup plan was to take a life insurance policy out on him and start feeding him arsenic, but I didn’t think that would go over well. I disliked the person I became around my family. The real Ethan was the one in Oregon. Outgoing, carefree, and happy. In Kansas, I could never get out from under my family’s expectations and disappointment that I hadn’t become some corporate drone, a doctor, a lawyer, or something fitting my parents’ narrow view of success and stability.

I didn’t hate my parents. Our relationship wasfine.I knew they loved me, and I loved them, but I wished they could do it outside of the box they’d created for me. Our conversations were usually pleasant enough, but whenever they mentioned my career, I tended to go from zero to a hundred.

“I can’t wait to come out and visit. I’ve never been to the West Coast, and I’d love to see the ocean,” Rosie said. We’d video chatted periodically after my sister taught her how, but seeing her in person made it clear how much she’d aged over the past few years. She was still mobile and energetic, but her wrinkles were deeper, and I saw the stress in her eyes. I would do anything to erase her worry about being happy in the home she loved. It had to be killing her to wonder if the home she’d shared with the love of her life would be taken away from her.

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