Her mom accepted Eric's introduction without directing any vague insults or subtle sneers: she liked him, even after he'd apparently taken Aunt Jude's side! Amber found herself returning Eric's smile, pride resurfacing within her. She knew how much first impressions mattered in her family, and if Eric was already in everyone's good graces... that was about as perfect as things could get.
She enveloped her fingers around his, sitting down like everyone else was. The sofas, she had to grudgingly admit, were pretty damn comfortable, soft yet supportive.
Leila leaned into her husband as she heard Eric describe their first meeting. "That's so romantic," she gushed. "And you just went with him, Amber? I don't know if I'd have the courage to go with a stranger like that."
"Well, that's not quite how it happened," Amber said, nudging Eric with her elbow. They'd recounted to one another that first night together, but never for an audience. It was strange trying to transform what had been so private into public consumption, as if they were painting apples to be oranges. "I actually asked him if he'd let me walk with him, and we hit it off." Leila's eyes widened and Amber was fairly sure she heard her aunt tsking.
Geoffrey, though, was chuckling. "Only you, Amber."
"It does seem a bit desperate," her mom noted disapprovingly. "You should always have an umbrella on you."
"Weren't you worried? I mean, anything could've happened," Leila put in, eagerly leaning forward.
Jeez, and she hadn't even told them how she'd invited him for drinks and near-public fornication at the end of that five-minute walk together in the rain. Where was her drink? "I'm pretty pleased with how things turned out," Amber said haughtily.
But she'd lost Leila's attention, who was looking around the room. "Where's Madeleine?" Geoffrey sat up too, also craning his neck. Good question; now that Leila mentioned it, the brat had been strangely quiet. Normally she refused to let five minutes pass without her as the center of attention, so the fact that she hadn't even appeared to demand presents from ‘Auntie Amber’ was fairly weird.
"Last I saw her, she was coloring out back," Amber's dad offered.
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She enveloped her fingers around his, sitting down like everyone else was. The sofas, she had to grudgingly admit, were pretty damn comfortable, soft yet supportive.
Leila leaned into her husband as she heard Eric describe their first meeting. "That's so romantic," she gushed. "And you just went with him, Amber? I don't know if I'd have the courage to go with a stranger like that."
"Well, that's not quite how it happened," Amber said, nudging Eric with her elbow. They'd recounted to one another that first night together, but never for an audience. It was strange trying to transform what had been so private into public consumption, as if they were painting apples to be oranges. "I actually asked him if he'd let me walk with him, and we hit it off." Leila's eyes widened and Amber was fairly sure she heard her aunt tsking.
Geoffrey, though, was chuckling. "Only you, Amber."
"It does seem a bit desperate," her mom noted disapprovingly. "You should always have an umbrella on you."
"Weren't you worried? I mean, anything could've happened," Leila put in, eagerly leaning forward.
Jeez, and she hadn't even told them how she'd invited him for drinks and near-public fornication at the end of that five-minute walk together in the rain. Where was her drink? "I'm pretty pleased with how things turned out," Amber said haughtily.
But she'd lost Leila's attention, who was looking around the room. "Where's Madeleine?" Geoffrey sat up too, also craning his neck. Good question; now that Leila mentioned it, the brat had been strangely quiet. Normally she refused to let five minutes pass without her as the center of attention, so the fact that she hadn't even appeared to demand presents from ‘Auntie Amber’ was fairly weird.
"Last I saw her, she was coloring out back," Amber's dad offered.