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After a week of recuperation, I was ready to face down my parents, and whatever they thought they had decided for me. I was going to fight it. They weren’t going to be happy, but I’m almost eighteen, and it’s time to stand up for what I want.
They waited for me in the dining room, where we usually had all our family meetings.
“How are you feeling, sweetheart?” Dad stood, helped me into my chair. I was still tired, but the aches I woke up with this morning were gone. Zach told me to take it easy on my ankle, but I shouldn’t have anything more than twinges—and even those would go away, once it finished healing. He was getting a giant gift basket from me—a month’s supply of roast beef sandwiches from Lily’s takeout would be a good start. Dad waited until he was seated to start talking. “Alex, I know this attack wasn’t your fault—”
“Dad.” My heart skipped at the serious look in his eyes.
“But your mother and I agreed that we can’t ride this rollercoaster anymore.”
I twisted my hands together, under the table so they wouldn’t see how scared I was. “Can you please get to the bottom line?”
Dad smiled. “We are well aware that even if we forbid you, Alex, you would find a way to be involved. And we don’t want to take away your friends, not when you just found them.” He held Mom’s hand, and she nodded, her eyes bright with tears. “We want to be part of it. All of it.”
I stared at them. “You—want to be...”
“In the loop,” Mom said. “Privy to information, in the know. Whatever cliché you care to choose. What your father’s trying to say is we want to know before, instead of walking into the aftermath.”
I was waiting for the but. They watched me, no sign of deceit or imminent grounding on their faces.
“You mean it,” I whispered. Stunned didn’t even begin to cover how I felt. “You’re not going to keep me from being with Sam?”
“Your mother’s parents weren’t exactly thrilled with her choice,” Dad said. She smiled at him. “It worked out quite well, I think.” Did I say my parents are awesome? “But.” And here it came—the conditions that would wrap me in a straitjacket of rules. “Your mother wants to see the haven, meet the—residents you’re around every day.”
“She—what?” Just when I thought they couldn’t surprise me anymore. “Mom—”
“This is a huge part of your life, and I can see how important the haven is to you.” Mom squeezed Dad’s hand. Hard. “When I said I wanted to be part of your life, I did mean all of it.”
I covered my mouth with one hand, because I was going to start crying in a minute. Dad came around the table and pulled me into his arms.
“Let it out, Alex. I know you keep a great deal inside, to protect us.”
The tears started, flowing hard and fast. Dad led me to the living room sofa and wrapped his arms around me. Mom sat on my other side, her hand rubbing my back. Once I cried myself out I let them soothe me. It felt so good to be a unit again, to know I didn’t have to duck out of the house to avoid lying to them.
“I should tell you,” I cleared my throat, wiping at my face. “I’ve been taking self-defense lessons.”
Dad studied me. “Karate? Kung fu?”
I shook my head. “Tai chi.”
His laughter wrapped around me, as warm as his arms. “Tai chi caused all that damage?”
“Dragon fan. It’s much more effective than I expected it to be.”
Mom left while I finished mopping myself up, returning with a tray of finger foods. Trust her to think of my stomach. We all munched, the silence comfortable in a way it hadn’t been for too long.
Dad leaned back, let out a satisfied sigh. He held out his hand, and I moved past it, wrapping my arms around his waist. “We’ll have to set ground rules, Alex. For all of us, I suppose. You’re almost an adult, as much as it pains me to admit that. I know once you turn eighteen, your life is your own. I hope we can always be part of it.”
“Dad.” I held on, reached one hand to Mom. “That’s a no-brainer.”
They both laughed, and the tension that had been coiling through me for longer than I can remember finally let go. No matter what, I had them on my side. Better, I had friends who would walk through fire for me. I’d do the same, without hesitating. Those are the kind of friends worth waiting most of my life for.