Read Online In the Stars by Joan Duszynski - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Joan Duszynski
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I remember Sam. It is good to see both of you again too, and I always love to see Mom.” I gesture over toward Raleigh with my hand. “This is my best friend, Raleigh Jefferson. Raleigh, this is my mom’s boyfriend, Mark, and his son Sam.”
Mark extends his hand to shake Raleigh’s. “Well then, it is lovely to meet you, Raleigh. I have actually heard a lot about you.”
She finally seems to recover her own composure back. “Very nice to meet you, as well. I hope everything you have heard about me didn’t all come from Caroline. She tends to try and make me the fault of all things wrong. Victoria knows better, though. So, if what you heard came from her, then I am sure it is true.”
Mark laughs. “Oh, I like her; she is exactly what Caroline needs to keep her balanced.”
I get a shocked look on my face, and put my hand to my chest. “Hey now, how did this turn into dog Caroline? This is still my house, too.” With that, everyone starts laughing. Everyone but me, that is.
Mom takes my hand. “Oh Caroline, dear, you know everyone is just having fun. You would have said the same type of thing. This time Raleigh just beat you to it. How about we all have a seat?”
As mom and Mark walk away, Sam finally speaks up. “Hey Caroline, good to see you again.”
I go in for a quick hug. “Good to see you too, Sam. It has been a long time now. Glad you could make it for dinner.” He then extends his hand to Raleigh. She pauses for just a second before shaking it. “Hello Raleigh, very nice to meet you. You must be a real trooper in order to stay best friends with Caroline.” He gives me a big smile, and Raleigh laughs.
“It truly is a challenge, but honestly I couldn’t live without her.”
With that, I stomp my foot. “Seriously guys, all of you are in on it now? What the hell? I am not that bad!”
Raleigh gives me a hug, and makes a scene of rubbing her hand up and down my back. “Poor Caroline; it’s ok, we all love you.”
I pull away from her. “Yeah, I can tell. Maybe I should leave and head on back to school now. You guys can enjoy dinner without me.”
Mom is getting plates and glasses down from the cabinets, and Mark is getting food out of the fridge. “Ok now everyone, that is enough picking on my daughter for one evening. I am very happy to have you all here in our home. Also, Mark and I really want to talk with you about something. So, let’s enjoy our evening.”
Raleigh, Sam, and I all sit at the island. Mark has sat out some finger foods in front of us. Once mom has gotten us each our drink of choice, her and Mark go sit back at the table.
We start loading our plates, casually chatting with each other. Then Mark clears his throat and stands. “It is very special to Victoria and I that both our children could be here tonight. It makes it even better now that you have joined us as well, Raleigh. We wanted to share with you some very wonderful news. I have asked Victoria to marry me.”
Mom stands and takes his hand, looking him in the eyes. “I, of course, said yes.”
I hop up quickly from my stool, followed by Raleigh. I give Mom a hug and kiss on the cheek, then do the same to Mark. Raleigh does the same to my mom, and then hugs Mark. “Oh wow, guys this is great news. My mom hasn’t seemed this happy in many years, Mark. I can’t tell you how good it feels to see her this way.”
Mom is now crying, and Sam has walked over to us as well. He gives my mom a hug and wipes a tear from her cheek, before walking over to his dad and reaching for his hand. Mark pulls him in for a bear hug and pat on the back. “I really am happy for you two, as well. Victoria, you seem to be a wonderful woman, and Dad has always been a great man in my eyes. You both deserve true love and happiness.”
I notice Sam and Raleigh catch each other’s eye again, and they both smile. Raleigh and I gush over Mom a little more, then we all go sit back down at the island.
We all talk for a while, while
Mark extends his hand to shake Raleigh’s. “Well then, it is lovely to meet you, Raleigh. I have actually heard a lot about you.”
She finally seems to recover her own composure back. “Very nice to meet you, as well. I hope everything you have heard about me didn’t all come from Caroline. She tends to try and make me the fault of all things wrong. Victoria knows better, though. So, if what you heard came from her, then I am sure it is true.”
Mark laughs. “Oh, I like her; she is exactly what Caroline needs to keep her balanced.”
I get a shocked look on my face, and put my hand to my chest. “Hey now, how did this turn into dog Caroline? This is still my house, too.” With that, everyone starts laughing. Everyone but me, that is.
Mom takes my hand. “Oh Caroline, dear, you know everyone is just having fun. You would have said the same type of thing. This time Raleigh just beat you to it. How about we all have a seat?”
As mom and Mark walk away, Sam finally speaks up. “Hey Caroline, good to see you again.”
I go in for a quick hug. “Good to see you too, Sam. It has been a long time now. Glad you could make it for dinner.” He then extends his hand to Raleigh. She pauses for just a second before shaking it. “Hello Raleigh, very nice to meet you. You must be a real trooper in order to stay best friends with Caroline.” He gives me a big smile, and Raleigh laughs.
“It truly is a challenge, but honestly I couldn’t live without her.”
With that, I stomp my foot. “Seriously guys, all of you are in on it now? What the hell? I am not that bad!”
Raleigh gives me a hug, and makes a scene of rubbing her hand up and down my back. “Poor Caroline; it’s ok, we all love you.”
I pull away from her. “Yeah, I can tell. Maybe I should leave and head on back to school now. You guys can enjoy dinner without me.”
Mom is getting plates and glasses down from the cabinets, and Mark is getting food out of the fridge. “Ok now everyone, that is enough picking on my daughter for one evening. I am very happy to have you all here in our home. Also, Mark and I really want to talk with you about something. So, let’s enjoy our evening.”
Raleigh, Sam, and I all sit at the island. Mark has sat out some finger foods in front of us. Once mom has gotten us each our drink of choice, her and Mark go sit back at the table.
We start loading our plates, casually chatting with each other. Then Mark clears his throat and stands. “It is very special to Victoria and I that both our children could be here tonight. It makes it even better now that you have joined us as well, Raleigh. We wanted to share with you some very wonderful news. I have asked Victoria to marry me.”
Mom stands and takes his hand, looking him in the eyes. “I, of course, said yes.”
I hop up quickly from my stool, followed by Raleigh. I give Mom a hug and kiss on the cheek, then do the same to Mark. Raleigh does the same to my mom, and then hugs Mark. “Oh wow, guys this is great news. My mom hasn’t seemed this happy in many years, Mark. I can’t tell you how good it feels to see her this way.”
Mom is now crying, and Sam has walked over to us as well. He gives my mom a hug and wipes a tear from her cheek, before walking over to his dad and reaching for his hand. Mark pulls him in for a bear hug and pat on the back. “I really am happy for you two, as well. Victoria, you seem to be a wonderful woman, and Dad has always been a great man in my eyes. You both deserve true love and happiness.”
I notice Sam and Raleigh catch each other’s eye again, and they both smile. Raleigh and I gush over Mom a little more, then we all go sit back down at the island.
We all talk for a while, while