Page 144

Her mom answered on the fourth ring. Noah squeezed her hand in support.

“Claire? Is everything okay?” It was the first question she always asked when Claire called unexpectedly.

“Everything’s fine. I have news.”

“What kind of news?”

Claire looked at Noah. His hand remained wrapped around hers beneath the counter.

“Noah and I got engaged tonight.”

There was a pause. “Engaged?”

“Yes.”

“You haven’t been together very long.”

Claire had expected that. “Long enough.”

Her father’s voice came faintly through the phone. “Who is it?”

“Claire’s engaged.”

Another pause. “To the man in her building?”

Claire looked down at her ring. “His name is Noah.”

“Well, congratulations,” her mother said. “Have you thought about where you’ll live?”

“Not yet.”

“Manhattan is already so expensive. Weddings are expensive too,” her dad commented.

Of course he was more concerned about the cost of the wedding than her happiness.

“We got engaged an hour ago.”

“I’m only saying you should be practical.”

“I know.”

The call ended shortly after, following a few minutes of strained conversation.

“That went exactly how I thought it would,” she said.

Noah watched her carefully. “Are you okay?”

Claire considered it.

“I think so.” She looked down at the ring again. “I used to keep hoping they would react differently. Like if the news was big enough, they’d finally be excited because I was excited.”

“And now?”

She looked at him. “Now I know what that feels like. Maybe my parents will never react like yours. But your family is mine now too.”

“You deserved that all along.”

“I have it now.” Before Claire could say anything else, someone knocked loudly on the apartment door.