I must have spoke aloud because Phil claps his hands, delighted. “Rhoswen, that’s epic. A time warp.”
The sisters talk over each other so fast I’m not certain at this point if they slipped something into my drink or if I’m seriously hallucinating. “I told you she was smart!”
“She’s a professor, of course she got it.”
“Oh, Iknewshe was the one.”
My heart starts to pound—not in panic, exactly, but in terror. “You’re planning mywedding?”
“Not planning,” Cassidy corrects. “Discussing.”
“Pre-planning,” says Alison.
“Light scheming,” Phil offers.
I press a hand to my chest. “You cannot do that. You absolutely cannot do that.”
“Why not?” someone asks, genuinely confused.
“Because—because I don’t even know if Charlie wants that.”
All the commotion in the room stills. Five feminine eyes soften. Phil’s grin fades into something thoughtful. “Well,” Corinna says carefully, “he brought you here.”
“I know. And I don’t take that lightly. I just—” I take in a deep breath to give credence to my next words. “I love him. Truly. If marriage is something he wants someday, I’d say yes. I’ll scream my answer. But if it’s not… that’s okay too.”
They listen. Really listen.
“I’m not here to steer him away from who he is, from the man he’s worked so hard to become,” I continue. “I’m here because I choose him.”
The quiet that follows isn’t awkward. It’s awed. Finally, it’s Phil who breaks the silence. “That is the perfect answer to all our questions.”
Corinna steps forward and squeezes my hand. “You’re already one of us, you know.”
Emily nods, curls bobbing. “Charlie doesn’t bring people here unless they matter.”
Alison smiles through suspiciously shiny eyes. “And anyone who loves him the way you just described… well. We protect our own.”
My throat tightens unexpectedly. “I didn’t expect this kind of acceptance.”
Holly finally hops down from her perch, camera bobbing around her neck. “Nobody ever does,” she says cheerfully. “That’s how we get you.”
I laugh, swiping beneath my eyes. “You’re all… a lot.”
“Thank you,” several voices say in unison.
Cassidy pulls me into a hug. Then more and more arms wrap around us. They’re warm and overwhelming in the best possible way. I’m mid-laugh, mid-hug, mid-how did this happen, when I feel him.
Charlie’s presence registers before I can unearth myself from the group hug to get to him. Then I feel his warmth press into my back, solid and familiar, and I exhale without realizing I was holding my breath.
His mouth brushes my ear, low and amused. “Not now, but who knows what the future holds.”
I lean back into him. “You shouldn’t feel pressured.”
He spins me around. “Never from you, Rhoswen.”
Deciding to lighten the mood a bit, I tease, “Besides, if all family events are like this, it might take me a few decades to accept.”
His body vibrates with laughter. “Actually, they’re normally worse.”