Page 59 of Choosing Happily Ever After

Faith started laughing as the story was recalled. Katie was a sweet girl, and definitely led with love, but there was no doubt in her mind that she also wouldn’t hesitate to stand up for herself and right a wrong. Or defend a cookie, as the case may be.

“Hey,” Katie said in response to the laughter. “It was a really good cookie.”

“I was so proud.” Logan raised his hand for a high five. “I taught her those moves.”

Debbie shot her son a look, but it was clear that she wasn’t upset with either of them. “After that, well, after the two-day suspension and the apology you had to give him, the two of you were inseparable. You did everything together.”

They’d been two years behind her and Hope in school, but Faith remembered the pair of them well. It was true; they’d done everything together up until graduation when, last she’d heard, Damon had moved for college and had since invented some sort of computer chip that had made him millions.

“Whatever happened to him?” Debbie mused. “I suppose there’s not much of a reason for him to come home to visit much. Not since his mother died. He was always so much closer to her, wasn’t he? Damon and his dad never really saw eye to eye, that was for sure. But it’s so sad that Anthony’s out there on his property all alone. It’s such a nice house. At least, it was.”

It had beenthehouse in high school. The oversized log cabin in the woods that was outfitted like a fancy house in the city, complete with a full-sized swimming pool, had been the scene of many parties while Damon’s parents were out of town on one of their frequent trips. Faith had been to one or two, herself. It was an amazing house.

“Last I heard, Anthony wasn’t well,” Debbie continued. “He has some nurse or something coming in to care for him. He never was the same after Leona died. And to have a heart attack so young. So terrible.”

They all fell into silence for a moment as they absorbed just how terrible that was, but a moment later, Debbie raised her head and looked at Katie. “Sorry, honey. I went off on a bit of a trip down memory lane there. What’s going on with Damon these days?”

“He’s getting married.”

“Oh?” Debbie sat back in her chair. “That’s exciting!”

“Wow. Good for him,” Logan said. “Who’s he marrying?”

Katie dabbed her napkin to her lips and dropped it on her plate before answering as matter-of-factly as she could. “Me.”

---