Page 43 of Wildest Dream

I could see my mom getting more and more antsy as Isaac spoke. He was socially wonderful, and he could read my mom's demeanor, but the truth was eating away at him. He couldn't wait to let my family know—especially now that my mom came in being skeptical of his intentions.

I wanted them to know, too. It was an interesting, amazing story, and the part that really mattered was that I thought I might actually love Isaac. I was definitely ready to tell them everything.

"But we can't do this in here," I said to both of them.

My mom had no idea what to think. I could see that she was trying to process what Isaac said and could make no sense of it.

"Do you have that book?" I asked, looking at Isaac.

He nodded. "Do you want me to get it out right now?"

"Please," I said with a little nod.

He went to his bag and began to dig in it, and I focused my attention on my confused mother. By this time, my sisters, Jenny and Sasha, had gotten curious and were walking into the room.

"What's going on?" Jenny asked.

"They're trying to tell me something about a book," Mom said, looking at my sisters. "I think they're reading relationship stuff in a book."

They all looked at me like they were waiting for answers, and I couldn't help but laugh. "Where do I even start? We're not doing what Mom said, for one."

Isaac had been digging in his bag, and he came up with a paperback copy of the book.

"It's called The Café on the Corner," I said, trying to give them something. "It's a fiction novel. Look, let's all go in there, and I'll tell it where Jesse, Dad, Nick, you know, more people can hear so I don't have to repeat it so much."

I reached out and held Isaac's hand as we walked out of the room, and my sisters regarded me like they didn't know what to make of it. They were as obvious and frank as my mother and I prayed Isaac was holding up.

By the time everyone made it out of the room, Nick was curious enough to come looking for us. He had a friend in tow and they met up with us in the hallway.

"Turn around and go back the other way," Jenny called to him. "We're hearing a story from Ari."

Nick turned and immediately yelled over his shoulder. "We're hearing a story from Ari!"

I cringed a little and smiled, glancing at Isaac. He just shrugged.

"Okay everyone, oh, my gosh, I didn't intend to have everyone's attention like this, but… you didn't have to mute the TV, Dad, I didn't plan on doing a big speech or anything… " I was nervous and on the spot even though it was my own family, and Isaac held my hand a little tighter. I glanced at him and he smiled at me.

"Ari came to Seattle last May to see her friend graduate." Isaac took over the first part of the story, but he paused and waited to see if I wanted him to continue. I nodded at him, and he understood that I wanted him to tell the story. All eyes were on us, and I glanced around, wondering how much and what Isaac would say.

"My family owns a restaurant in Seattle. I work there full-time, and manage it."

"He's part-owner, too," I added proudly.

Isaac smiled. "Yes, so I love this place, and I'm there all the time. Ari and her friend came in last May, and she was wearing this t-shirt."

Isaac was not finished, but I cut in again. "I'm so sorry," I said, looking at him. "I told you to tell it, and now I keep interrupting."

Isaac gave me an easy smile that made me want to melt. "You go right ahead," he said.

"Well, n-no, I just want to say that the shirt was the one you, Jenny, got me for my birthday that year when I was like a sophomore in high school."

"What shirt?" Jenny asked.

"The gray one with the horses on the front. The group of stampeding horses."

"Stampeding horses?" she asked, making a silly expression. "The only t-shirt I got you was the My Little Pony one. You said it was the same toy you had when you were little. It was mine that got handed down to you. I think it was a yellow shirt with the blue horse."

"No, no, it was the pony with the rainbow hair," Sasha said. "I remember that shirt."

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