Page 16 of Tides of Discovery
I wanted to text back something that conveyed how much I hated that they made him feel this way, how I wished I could shield him from their judgment. I wanted to tell him he was perfect exactly as he was—successful, kind, incredible Cooper who deserved so much better than their conditional approval.
But I knew what he needed right now wasn’t words. It was my presence. It was a healing spell after a battle. It was someone who saw him completely and valued every part of him without reservation.
So, I kept my response simple.
On my way. First round’s on me.
CHAPTER SIX
Cooper
The restaurant was too warm, the conversations too loud, and the lights too dim—or maybe that was just me. Seacliff Steakhouse was my father’s choice, naturally. The same place we’d been going to for family celebrations since I was a kid, where the menu hadn’t changed in twenty years and neither had my father’s opinion of me.
I tugged at the collar of my button-down shirt and already regretted my decision to dress up. I was uncomfortable enough with this dinner as it was without feeling like I was being strangled. The familiar scents of grilled meat and spices wafted through the air, but my knotted stomach rebelled.
“Uncle Cooper!” Lily’s voice cut through my anxiety as she spotted me approaching the table in the back. She bounded toward me, her light curls bouncing with each step, arms outstretched for a hug. “You came!”
I scooped her up, grateful for the enthusiastic welcome. “Of course I came, munchkin. It’s your dad’s birthday, isn’t it?”
Over Lily’s shoulder, I could see the rest of the family already seated at a round table. Ryan stood with a genuine smile, while my parents remained seated, their postures stiff.
“Uncle Cooper, I made Daddy a card and put glitterallover it,” Lily informed me as I set her down. “Grandma says glitter has a shelf life longer than Twinkies. What does that mean?”
I bit back a laugh as my mother’s face tightened.
“Lily, we don’t repeat everything we hear,” Ryan said quickly, shooting our mother an apologetic look.
“It’s what you said when I got it on the couch,” Lily replied innocently.
Ryan’s ears reddened. “Let’s sit down, shall we?”
I greeted my brother with a hug and clapped him on the back. “Happy birthday, Ry. Sorry I’m a few minutes late.”
“You’re right on time,” he assured me, relief clear in his eyes. He’d probably been enduring our parents’ company alone for at least twenty minutes.
My father stood reluctantly and extended a hand for a formal handshake instead of a hug. “Cooper.”
“Dad.” I shook his hand, a familiar distance in the gesture.
My mother offered her cheek for a perfunctory kiss. “You look tired, dear. Are you getting enough sleep?”
And so it began. “The coffee shop opens at six. Early mornings are part of the job.”
“Well, it certainly shows,” she said with a taut smile.
We settled around the table, with Lily insisting on sitting next to me. Ryan sat on my other side and created a buffer between me and our parents. The server arrived to take drink orders, and I requested sparkling water. I knew I’d need my wits about me for this dinner.
“No wine?” my father asked, one eyebrow raised. “It’s a celebration, after all.”
“I’m opening the shop tomorrow morning.”
“Surely you have employees for that.” My mother smoothed her napkin across her lap. “That Jessica girl seemed competent enough when we stopped by.”
Jessica would laugh herself sick at being called a “girl” at twenty-five. “She is competent, which is why I like to model the work ethic I expect.”
My father made a dismissive noise. “That’s the problem with small businesses. They own you more than you own them.”
My jaw clenched, but I forced a smile. “I like being hands-on.”
