“The hell you are!” Mr. James explodes, stepping forward, his protective instincts radiating off him like heat from an open flame. His face twists anger and disbelief. “Skipping meeting the parents is one thing, but shacking up already? No, sir. I won’t stand by and watch you rush my daughter into something she isn’t ready for. I don’t like this one bit. Kerry may be a fool in love, but I ain’t, and I see right through you. The way you move isn’t cool, son. You ain’t no good.”

I blink, trying not to flinch under the verbal onslaught.

Mrs. Grace gently lays a hand on his arm, her voice a soothing balm against his fiery temper. “Kerry, what your father is tryin’ to say is, it’s a bit too soon for moving in, don’t you think? We just met the man, for goodness’ sake. We’re worried, is all. We don’t want you—” She pauses, searching for the right words, her eyes soft with concern.

Mr. James doesn’t miss a beat. “To be in a dangerous situation, like before.” His gaze hardens. “You gotta stop leading with your heart, baby girl.”

The tension in the room thickens with the unspoken fears and past pains hanging heavily between them and filling every corner of the room.

Kerry straightens her stance, her voice steady but filled with emotion. “With all due respect, Mom and Dad, I’m not the same Kerry that got married at twenty-one. And I’m certainly not the same Kerry from two years ago. I’ll never be that version of myself again.” She turns to me, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, but beneath the vulnerability is a steel-hard resolve. “And you’re right, Dad. Victor isn’t a good man; he’s a great man. And though we haven’t known one another long, I know he’s right for me.”

I squeeze her hand, feeling something real settle between us, something that transcends our ruse. It’s in the way she speaks with conviction, not just about us, but about herself—about who she’s become.

Mr. and Mrs. Kind exchange a look, their rigid expressions softening ever so slightly. There’s no full acceptance, but there’s a reluctant nod, a silent acknowledgment of Kerry’s strength.

Mrs. Grace sighs then her lips curve into a small, wry smile. “You’re as impulsive as I am, that’s for sure. I was lovin’ on your daddy when everybody told me not to. Your grandpa still says, ‘Stay away from him.’” She says, waving her hand dismissively, embarrassing nearly everyone in the room.

So, this is who Kerry gets her personality from.

“Grace,” Mr. James huffs, shaking his head.