Page 68 of Family Bonds: Coy & Angel

“It isn’t a problem. I’m not sure why I said that. Maybe it’s not an issue because he doesn’t act it. Yes, he has a nice house and car, but other than that, he’s pretty down to earth.”

“I always found that about him too,” her mother said.

“But I know when it comes out we are dating people are going to make comments like that.”

“You have to take the good with the bad,” her mother said.

“I know.”

“I was calling to find out what you were doing for Thanksgiving and if you wanted to fly home. You said you had the day after off.”

“I’m going to have Thanksgiving at Coy’s parents’ house.”

“Oh,” her mother said. “So his parents know you’re dating?”

There was the hurt in her mother’s voice.

“No,” she said. “No one knows other than you right now. I have to tell Coy that you know too and hope he isn’t upset over it.”

“If he’s upset over it then I’m going to be upset. You can’t have a healthy relationship if it’s a secret. It means you two don’t go out and do anything, right?”

She sighed. “No,” she said. “We don’t. Right now it’s best to keep it quiet.”

“How is this all going to work out? I could read your face for years and that was when you were watching Coy from afar. Now that you’re dating, I’m going to guess you know what love feels like because I hear it in your voice.”

“I do love him,” she said. “But I won’t tell him. I can’t. He doesn’t need that pressure.”

It was one thing for him to know she’d had a crush on him but another to know she’d been waiting for him too.

That almost came off as too stalker-like even to her.

“There are all sorts of things the two of you have to overcome,” her mother said.

“It’s not as bad as you are making it out to be,” she said. “And we’ll be fine. But as for Thanksgiving. I was thinking of coming home because I didn’t want to be alone, but Helena came into the office on Monday. She had an appointment. After she talked to me, she asked me to join them if I wasn’t going home. I said I hadn’t decided but when the offer came in, then I talked to Coy, and he wanted me to go. He wants to spend the weekend together.”

“Doing what? Sitting in his house away from everyone?” her mother asked.

“And this is why I didn’t want to tell you just yet. I’m happy. Can’t you be happy for me?”

“I’m sorry. I’ll try. I shouldn’t have said that.”

“No,” she said. “You shouldn’t have, but you did. Now I know how you feel.”

“I’ll keep my opinions to myself.”

She grinned. “No, you won’t. But you’ll try.”

“I love you and just want you to be happy.”

“Which I just said I was,” she said. “Now I’m going to call Coy and let him know what is going on.”

“What if he wants to tell his family next week?” her mother asked. “Will you be open to it?”

“No,” she said. “Not yet. There is no reason. He has to figure out what to say to Spencer first. I shouldn’t be the one to do it.”

“Or maybe you can do it together?” her mother asked.

“We’ll see,” she said. “Not something I’m going to decide on my own.”

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