AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Shane’s momcooks us a very basic meal of roast beef, green beans, and roasted potatoes. It’s pretty standard American fare and in no way competes with my mom’s cooking skills. Another big difference between them both.
The food doesn’t sit well in my stomach, mainly because Shane seems to scrutinize every bite I take. His eyes narrow at one point during the meal, when it’s obvious he wants me to pretend that it’s the most delicious food I’ve ever eaten.
“Do you like the roast beef, hun’?” His mother asks my father. I can’t believe she’s using terms of endearment for him in front of me.
Ick.
“It’s delicious, Kate. Reminds me of my grandmother’s, and that’s a serious compliment.”
“Was she a good cook?”
“The best.”
Oh, good Lord, Daddy. Don’t bring Great-Grandma into this. She didn’t even cook roast beef.
“Yeah, Ma, it’s really good,” Shane adds, looking at me with a side-eye.
“Uh, I don’t usually eat beef,” I say, and Shane kicks me softly under the table. “But it’s tasty.”
A few more minutes of mindless pleasantries continue over the dinner table. Shane drones on about hockey, like how well the team’s doing this year, his latest NIL deal,blah, blah, blah. My father asks me about business school and if I’m ready to take over his pizzeria empire.
And then the bomb drops.
“Baby girl, I have some great news,” my father says, dropping his fork down with a clank.
“What is it?”
“I’m not going to beat around the bush. I’m sure you both know it’s been coming. I’ve asked Kate to marry me, and she said yes!”
Kate stands out of her seat and offers me a smile of self-restraint, her engagement ring sparkling under the white lights of the chandelier as she extends it forward. I didn’t notice it earlier because I don’t make it a habit of inspecting what Kate is wearing, but now it shines in my eyes like a beacon of futile hope.
“We wanted to wait until you got home to tell you.”
I feel my stomach stop, drop, and roll, just like Fireman Hannigan taught us to do in Kindergarten.
“You’re marrying her?” I turn my head to glare at Shane. “Did you know about this?”
Shane’s head is down, but he lifts it slowly and enunciates, “I had some idea.”
“Kee-Kee,” my father interrupts as Shane’s mother sits back down.
“Do you even know what this means?” I say to my dad.
My dad’s smile falters. “Kennedy, I thought you’d be happy for us.”
“And why would you think that?” I ask in disbelief, standing for dramatic effect.
“Maybe because I thought my happiness mattered to you.”
“How can I be happy? You just met her, and now she’s in my mother’s house, cooking in my mother’s kitchen, and her son is the most arrogant person at my school, making my life a living hell.”
“Excuse you,” Shane interrupts with laughter in his voice. “Me, arrogant?”
I slam my hand on the table, glaring at him, my fists clenched.
“Don’t you dare make a joke out of this! You’ve made my life miserable at school, and now I have to deal with you at home, too?”
“Does Shane bother you at school?” his mother asks in confusion, looking between us. “I thought you two were friends all this time.”
