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Nancy motions for me to continue.
“I mean, our families are super close. Me and her brother. Millie and my brother.”
“Excuses.”
I guffaw. “It’s not an excuse. Ben and Jonathan are two of the biggest… ”
I don’t even know how I want to finish that statement. Ben is my best friend, but he is also one of the most selfish people I have ever known. On more than one occasion I have questioned why his opinion matters to me so much. But Ben is also one of the few people who has always had my back over the years. He never saw me as anything other than me. A lot of things changed after my dad left us. A lot of so-called friends disappeared, but Ben never left. Don’t I owe that same level of loyalty?
When it comes to Jonathan? Well, I don’t actually know how my brother would react to me dating his best friend. He and I barely know each other anymore. I’m not sure I’ve ever really known my brother. Part of me resents how different his experience with the divorce was. Another part of me is scared to know if he resents me for how much I tried to take on and take over, especially once we moved out of the Jacobson’s. I never meant to try and replace our dad, but in hindsight I’m starting to think that is exactly what I did. Not knowing how Jon would react is far more terrifying than knowing how terribly Ben would react.
“So, what I’m hearing is the two of you obviously have a connection and feelings for one another, but you’re both afraid of how your family would react.”
“I can’t answer for both of us, but yes.”
“You mean to tell me that your families and so-called best friends would rather you be miserable than with the person you want to be with?”
“I—I wouldn’t go that far.”
“So if you told your mother that you wanted to date Millie, she would… what?”
“Be thrilled beyond belief.” I think. Either that or she would go into why relationships never last. It’s hard to tell where Mom is going to land on the subject of love. Not that I even know what love is.
“And her mother?”
“Would most likely start planning the wedding before we even went out on a date.”
“So the real problem is that you’re both too afraid of your supposed best friends?”
“I wouldn’t say I’m afraid of Ben.”
“But you are afraid of your brother?”
“No?” I hesitate.
“Is that a question or an answer?”
“Are you sure you never went to law school? You would have put some of my professors through the wringer.”
Nancy pats my arm gently. “No law school, just the school of life,” she grins broadly, “and raising two of the most stubborn children you’ll ever meet.”
I nod.
“Can I leave you with one more piece of advice? Then I’ll step away. Promise.”
“Sure.”
“Don’t let fear of what all could go wrong stop you from something that could go all the right ways. If your friend, or brother, can’t be happy for you, then that’s on them.”
“But what happens if they can’t deal with it? What then? We can’t just walk away from family.”
“The only people who can decide if you and Millie are a good fit are you and Millie. They might be mad initially, but if they really care about you, then they will see what you see in each other, and it will be enough.”
“How do I convince Millie of that?”
“Prove to her that you care. Show her how you feel. Millie loves deeply and completely, but that girl is more guarded than Buckingham Palace. She needs to know that you’re always going to be there no matter what.”
“So what do I do?”
