Page 84 of My Scorned Best Friend

Marla bites her lips and looks at my dad.

I look between them to try to figure out what they’re thinking, but I have no clue. “What?”

“We have something else for you. We didn’t want to give it to you until you and Clara were well… together,” my dad says.

“I wanted to surprise you both with it at your wedding, but Hank thinks now that you’re together, it’s nice for you two to see it.” Marla pours out a bag of chips with dip. The woman always wants to feed us, but sometimes I think it’s her nervousness when we talk about my mother.

It’s my mother’s jewelry box on the counter. Each of us boys were given an item to hold on to for the woman we love.

“Just keep the bracelet handy, okay? But what’s the other item?”

My dad goes into the dining room and pulls out a box. “Open it together,” he instructs. “That’s all I ask.”

“Okay…”

“Xavier, are you thinking about proposing soon?” Marla asks the question my dad probably wants to.

“Um… I don’t know. I don’t want to rush her.”

They both laugh and share a look.

“What?”

“Son, the two of you built a solid layer first. You built up your friendship and now you’re embarking on love, but that friendship is what’s going to get you through all the hard times so you can enjoy the triumphs of your love.”

“I just don’t want… I mean…”

“Are you not sure?” my dad asks with a frown.

“No. She’s the only one, but we have one last hurdle.” I sigh. “The press.”

“Clara is beautiful. What could they possibly say?” Marla asks.

“It’s too easy to pick on someone when you don’t know them. Some of these women tore Giulia apart. Too thin, resting bitch face, the dresses she wore. How she never wore my jersey. You name it, they picked it apart. It’ll happen to Clara too. Probably more if the world knows how much she means to me.”

“Well, she’ll do fine. She’s self-confident enough to handle it.”

“I know, but even I’ve doubted myself because of some of these assholes behind a computer. They love you when you’re up and hate you when you’re down. Some might even say my relationship is why the end of the season went to shit.”

“You have to be secure within yourself, son,” Dad says. “We’ve been over this several times throughout the years. You do your best out there. Everyone’s a Monday morning quarterback. But they weren’t drafted, they aren’t playing.”

I nod because I know all that. I do. I just never want anything to hurt Clara again. I want to be the one who makes her feel better, not be the reason she’s unhappy in the first place.

I pick up the box. “Thanks for this. Whatever it is. It’s not embarrassing pictures of us bathing together or something, right?”

“No.”

I give my dad a one-arm hug. “I love you. I’m so happy you’re in remission.”

My dad claps me on the back. “Love you, son.”

I hug Marla and leave the two of them standing in the doorway, waving. My dad’s arm is around Marla’s shoulders, and when I look at them, I realize I want to be them. I want that to be Clara and me waving goodbye to our son someday.

After all my dad and Marla have endured together, they’re still going strong. Merging two families, their oldest sons hating one another at first, cancer, grandkids, older parents. They make it look flawless.

Of course I’m ready to ask Clara to marry me. I want my forever to be with her. I just hope she feels the same way.

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