Page 220 of The Charlie Method

I laugh, the absurdity of the situation hitting me. I glance at my parents. “Swear to God, if you two tell us you’re swingers or something…”

Dad finally puts his fork down, shaking his head with a grin. “Absolutely not.”

Mom, meanwhile, wears an uncertain expression as she looks around the table. “Just so I’m clear—were you all keeping these significant life changes from us because you thought we would disapprove?”

Oliver is first to answer. “No. I was just embarrassed,” he admits. “Never saw myself as being a divorcé.”

A sheepish Ava goes next. “I didn’t think that either. I was still coming to terms with it myself. I guess I needed the time to work through it.” She glances at me. “That’s why I never said a word about the Harrison thing, Char. It was frustrating seeing you keep it from everyone, but I was doing the same thing, so I stopped pushing the issue.”

I nod. It makes sense now. I was always so surprised she didn’t tell my parents about Harrison.

“Charlotte?” Mom prompts.

I lick my suddenly dry lips. “I thought you might disapprove,” I confess. “Dating two guys isn’t exactly normal.”

“Nah, poly’s all the rage,” my sister argues. “It’s basically mainstream now.”

I shrug. “I have two boyfriends. That’s fucking weird, okay?”

Oliver snorts.

Mom speaks up again, her tone brooking no arguments. “Guys, here’s the thing: we love you. All of you. For who you are. It doesn’t matter if you have two boyfriends or no boyfriends or you’re getting divorced or dating a girl. We love you, and nothing will ever change that.”

Dad nods, his usual laid-back demeanor settling back into place. “Yeah. As long as you’re happy, we’re happy.”

I can’t believe what I’m hearing. I expected awkwardness, maybe even disappointment, but instead, they’re just…accepting. Like it isn’t a big deal.

Mom notices my expression and offers a gentle smile. “If you love this second boy, sweetheart, then we want to meet him too. Invite him and Will over. It’ll take some getting used to, sure, but if they make you happy, that’s what matters.”

I blink back tears, overwhelmed by how simple she makes it sound. I’d spent so long worrying about how they’d react, about keeping everything a secret, and here they are, telling me it’s okay. That I’m okay.

For the first time in a long time, I feel truly secure—both in my choices and in my family’s unwavering love.

“And if you really want to attend grad school in Sydney, we’ll support it,” she adds. “We don’t care about whether you attend an elite school, Char. We care about you following your heart. But gosh, we’ll miss you so fucking much.”

I grin in amazement. “You just cursed.” Mom never curses.

“That’s how much I’ll fucking miss you,” she says, and everyone bursts out laughing.

Later, I’m clearing the table with Ava, listening to her tell me about Ashley—who sounds both really cool and really strange—when the message I’ve been waiting for lights up my phone.

HARRISON:

Be there in 5.

I bite my lip as I study the screen. Nerves gather in my stomach.

Ava nudges me with her shoulder. “Is that him?”

I nod. “He’ll be here soon.”

This is the part of the day I’ve been stressing about the most. Harrison is in town again this weekend. Because I invited him. I saw him last night, and we sat in Will and Beck’s kitchen, talking for hours.

It took me a while to respond to the long letter he sent me on the app. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to continue a relationship with him. If it was worth it. The heartache, the pain, the guilt. But I was wrong when I told my parents that with Tiger gone, so were all links to my past.

I still have a link. Harrison. And if he’s willing to start fresh and try to build something that’s free of guilt and resentment, then so am I.

When I open the front door, I find a terrified Harrison on the porch. He’s dressed in perfectly pressed khakis, a white button-down shirt, and loafers rather than his trademark sneakers. In his hand, he holds a bouquet of pink peonies. My mom’s favorite flower.

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