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I can tell he’s not angry, but Mia is taken aback and flushes red at her father’s words.
As her protector, I decide to field the question.
“Well, it could be worse… Ryan and I could be twins!” I offer as a joke, which seems to lighten the mood.
Eugene bends over, chuckling, and I look at Nora, confused.
“I’m a twin, Ethan,” Nora explains, lightly giggling behind her hand. “Eugene and I have quite a few stories from when we started dating!”
“Dad used to get them confused,” Mia says, sweetly. “But he eventually learned to tell mom and Aunt Nina apart. Right, dad?”
“Right, sweetheart.” Eugene taps the arm of his chair, looking impatient.
Mia’s mom takes over the conversation once again. “Are you staying for dinner?”
“Of course they are. That’s why we invited them!” Eugene says, and I’m starting to love the guy.
They get busy arguing with each other, and that’s when I lean over to whisper in Mia’s ear, “When do you want to tell them?”
She looks at me with big eyes, as if surprised by the question. “After dinner?” she suggests, defensively placing her hand on her belly.
I nod. “In the meantime, I’ll get to know your dad a bit better.” I turn to face her parents and clear my throat. “Mr. Sanders?”
I get her dad’s attention, and the argument with his wife halts. I continue, “Mia told me you collect miniature classic cars?”
“Yes,” the man straightens himself in his chair, looking very distinct for a moment. “Why? Do you have an interest?”
I swirl my keys around my index finger. “Did you see what I’m driving?”
He stands and heads toward the window, and I follow suit. He spots the Rolls Royce, puts on an impressed face, and takes a step back away from me, hands in the pocket of his cardigan.
“Well, I don’t have the money for one of those….” He completes the comment with a whistle. “But I have a tiny version of it. Want to see?”
I glance to Mia, and she’s smiling, her eyes bright. It seems I’m making a good impression. As I follow Eugene through the house and into the garage, I feel more confident about everything.
“You have quite the setup, Eugene!” I remark, impressed by the walls filled with his miniature car collection, and the well-equipped workshop desk right in the center.
“Eh, could be better,” he admits, somewhat disheartened. “I wanted Mia’s room when she went to college, but her mother insisted on keeping it as it was.”
I'm not sure how to respond to that, but my spirits lift when I see a row of Rolls Royces, from the earliest models to the Phantom I'm driving now.
“It’s a beauty,” I say, admiring it through the glass.
“Here, kid,” Eugene steps forward and opens a display case with skillful fingers, handing me a toy car so I can inspect it up close with my greasy hands. “I built it myself.”
“Wow!” I marvel at the intricate details. “The Rolls Royce is my favorite car. Every bit of it is just like the real thing.”
“U-hum,” Eugene nods, searching for another car on the shelves. “Got one of these in your garage?”
He hands me a vintage Ferrari, a model that looks very much like a Formula 1 car.
“Nope, I’ve been focusing on newer models,” I say, and give it back to him, “Oldest car I own it’s from the thirty years ago, a Formula 1. It’s currently in my garage.”
Eugene makes another impressed sound and returns the little Ferrari back to where it belongs. I look around, careful not to disturb his displays.
It’s a good thing I’m not holding one of his car models now because after what he says next, I probably would have dropped it.
“Mia is pregnant, isn’t she?” Eugene asks quietly.
