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The evening with Colson and Bella teasing each other. The banter of someone younger telling her older brother the way things should be, and him acting like he’d been schooled when really, he was just humoring his sister.

Not in a horrible way.

A gentle teasing one full of acceptance.

Watching a man she’d never thought took much seriously turn a horrible situation into something most men wouldn’t be able to handle. Yet he was with more grace than maybe she could even do.

“I did. He asked me, and Bella cooked. It was great.”

Her mother walked over and sat in front of Marly’s desk.

The good thing about her mother being in the building with her, it was nice to pop in and get this parental advice.

Most times it was about work.

And this time it would be too, but for now she just needed to express how happy she was.

“You should see your face. You’re glowing with happiness. I’m not sure I’ve seen you like this before.”

“I’m not sure I’ve ever felt like this before. At least about a man.”

“Not really, considering you’ve known him most of your life.”

“We were kids. As adults, we haven’t had as much interaction.”

“Maybe you had the right interactions,” her mother said. “Tell me about dinner.”

“It was fun. They tease each other. I can see that he’s trying so hard with her. More than most. He’s embarrassed over certain conversations, but pushing through because he knows if he’s not the one there for her, there is no one else.”

“Which has to be hard.”

“It is for him. But Bella sees it. She appreciates it. We’ve only touched a bit on things that he went through early on. But I can tell there has been so much growth.”

“I know you remember him as someone out for fun all the time.”

“I do,” she said, “but I’m wondering if my memories are more that I had less fun. That maybe he was like everyone else and I was the one different. That I changed more than most.”

Her mother pointed her finger. “There you are right there. You were more mature than most your age. And maybe your father and I are to blame for that.”

She laughed and leaned back in her chair. The chair her mother sat in for so long. “There is no blame.”

“You should have been more of a kid than you were. But you always knew your mind and we just let you run with it.”

“I’m not complaining and you shouldn’t be either.”

Her mother nodded her head. “No complaints. Just observations. But back to dinner with Colson.”

“I realized he was normal and maybe I wasn’t. So looking back, I could have judged harshly.”

“You’re not regretting that you broke up, are you? You were young teenagers,” her mother argued.

“No. I don’t regret it. I think it would have happened. We were at different parts of our lives. Wanted different things. Had different paths.”

“That led you right back here,” her mother pointed out.

“Exactly. Which leads me to something else.”

“This looks serious.”