“Poor boy,” Mom murmured, subtly sending Dad a look of reprimand, which he proudly ignored and padded inside. Shaking her head, she looked at me. “Honey, why don’t you go to your room and freshen up. I will make something quick for you.”

Getting a nod from me, she followed Dad. Definitely to give him an earful.

Tobias threw an arm over my shoulder as we climbed up the stairs. “So? You’re determined to keep this one, huh?”

Like Dad, he also wasn’t fond of my boyfriend. But when Dad was blatant about it, he was sneaky.

“He is a good guy, Tobias. And the best thing is, he is my best friend.”

“Is it just it? You will keep him because he is a good guy and your friend?” He raised his brow.

“Isn’t it enough?”

He shrugged. “What about feelings? I don’t see you look at him the way you used to look at A—”

I put a hand up, not letting him finish the sentence. “I like him. I think it’s enough for me to stay in a relationship with him. And you should be happy for me, don’t you think?”

Something flashed in his warm blue eyes he inherited from Dad. A look I couldn’t decipher. Then he smiled. “If that’s what makes you happy, Em.”

My lips curled up. “Thanks for understanding.”

Once he left me in my room to freshen up, I left a message to Cassie and Beth, letting them know about my arrival and prepared for a long warm bath. It’s been so long since I’ve seen them, though Face Timing was regular between us. They’d wanted to join me in New York for college, but Beth couldn’t do it because her boyfriend was here. And Cassie, well, she’d left her studies for her modeling career.

Good thing it was the right decision. Her career was growing day by day. And I couldn’t be more proud.

At dinner, Warner looked much better. Tonight was our family dinner, so delicious dishes made by Mom were the specialty. If I missed anything all these years besides my family, it was her cooking.

When she placed a plate of apple-pies before me, I gaped at her, my face splitting into a greedy grin. “My favorite!”

Chuckling, she took her chair beside Dad.

When Tobias tried to pick one, I slapped his hand away. “Don’t you dare touch them. They’re all mine.”

He frowned. “But that’s not fair. I also love them!”

“Toby, let my daughter have whatever she wants. You had them these years all by yourself, now it’s her turn,” Dad said.

“This is partiality!” he complained, making us all laugh. Mom’s irises twinkled, watching us banter like old times. Then her gaze fell on my left wrist.

“What a beautiful bracelet! When did you get it, honey?”