“We already did,” I pointed out, grabbing a glass from the cupboard and filling it with water. “That’s why I have this handy glass of water to revive my mother.”
“Right, but maybe we should tell her you were joking.”
“Are you getting cold feet?” I accused.
“No, I’m just saying…I’m already injured. I don’t think I need another hole in my body while I’m still recovering.”
Shoving past him, I headed for the living room. “Don’t be such a baby.”
Mom was coming around by the time I returned, but she was sweating. She didn’t look like she’d just gotten bad news. Since when did Mom ever pass out, anyway?
“Are you okay?” I asked, wrapping my arm around her shoulder as I held the glass out in front of her.
“Oh, I’m fine. I just got overheated.”
“It’s the middle of winter.”
“Hot flashes,” she murmured.
I was pretty sure she was already past that point in her life. Not that my parents were old, but menopause should have already passed.
“See what you did?” Dad snapped. “You freaked out your mother.”
“Ben, that’s not?—”
“You could have killed your mother.”
“That’s a bit of a stretch,” I laughed. “I’m pretty sure words never killed anyone.”
“Then why did she pass out?”
“Ben, I’m fine! Can we please stop arguing?”
Dad clenched his jaw, but took his seat next to my mother and held her hand. It was times like this that I really appreciated my family. Through everything, the one thing we could always count on was each other.
“Krista, why are you moving to Pennsylvania?” Mom asked.
“Well, Rob and I have decided to give this a chance. His work is in Pennsylvania, and?—”
“So, he’s taking you away from us?” my father snapped.
“Sir, all due respect, I’m not taking her away from you. We’re married?—”
“For five minutes! You didn’t date her. You didn’t ask me for her hand in marriage. You went into a chapel with an Elvis impersonator and exchanged cheap rings. That is not a marriage!” Dad shouted.
“But it is legal,” Rob countered. “And believe it or not, I do respect your daughter, and I care about her a lot.”
“Then date her.”
“That’s what I intend to do, but I can’t do it out here. I need to be where my job is.”
“And she needs to be where her family is.”
“Dad, this is my decision,” I cut in. “There’s nothing here for him.”
“But there’s plenty here for you, or have you forgotten that?”
I flinched back at the accusation in his voice.