“SHE MADE A B!” Mom shrieks. “OUR BABY PASSED A MATH CLASS! REALLY PASSED IT!” she squeals, coming around the couch and smothering my face in kisses.

Cameron laughs, and Dad joins Mom in the contest to see who can embarrass their daughter faster by picking me up off the sofa and squeezing me in a hug that only Dad can give.

Violet

The rest of the evening is spent in bliss. We watch movies late into the night, my head resting in Cameron’s lap. He runs his fingers through my hair, and I bite back a moan. My parents are in the room, after all.

When the current movie ends, Dad stands up and announces that it's bedtime for old people.

“Cameron,” he says, watching us on the couch. “If you don’t feel like making the trek home, you are free to stay here tonight.”

Mom’s jaw practically hits the floor. “Howard!”

“Hush, Judith. They’re both adults. Don’t you trust our baby?”

Mom crosses her arms, huffing, but doesn’t argue. She comes over to where I’m now sitting up and gives me a kiss on the forehead.

“Safety first,” she whispers, and my cheeks go red.

“Goodnight, dear.” Dad waves and follows Mom upstairs.

I stare after my parents, not entirely believing everything that just happened. I half expect Mom to do a flying leap off the stairs and catch Cameron in a chokehold the second he moves an inch.

We sit in silence for several minutes, Cameron on his phone and me waiting for a woman in her mid-forties to come flying over the couch. When I’m finally sure that Cameron is truly safe, I clear my throat.

“So… are you staying? Or…”

“If you’d like for me to, then I would like to,” he says, his eyes searching mine for any hint of reluctance.

“No! I want you to! I’m just… surprised.” I run my fingers through my short hair. “Do you want to watch a movie or… go… to bed?”

My face heats, and I can’t bring myself to look at him.

“Let’s go to bed. I’ll sleep on the couch if you’re more comfortable with that.”

Any other time, if my parents had agreed to let someone stay over, I might be fine with them sleeping on the couch. I may even offer to sleep there myself and let them have my bed. But the way my parents phrased their offer… and Mom saying… what she said…

“I’d… like for you to sleep… with me. But only if you want to!” I rush the last bit out. I don’t ever want to make him feel the way Allyson did.

He stands, and before I can join him, he scoops me off the couch.

“Where’s your room?”

“I can get there on my own, you know,” I mutter. “It’s upstairs, third door on the right.”

Cameron takes the stairs like a pro. It’s like he’s not even holding me. When we get to my door, he snorts.

A strip of condoms has been taped to it with a note that says, “Not ready for grandkids.”

“Oh my God, Mom.” I bury my face in his chest. That’s it. I’m officially disowning them… Actually, no. Not Dad… But Mom has gone too far.

Cameron adjusts me so that he’s holding most of my weight with one arm and opens my bedroom door.

He sets me gently on the bed and then goes back to grab the condoms and the note, shutting the door with a soft click before turning to face me.

He looks happy.

“We don’t have to do anything. My mother is crazy,” I mumble. I’m still not sure why or how any of this is happening.