I put my hand in front of my mouth, and before I say anything, my phone rings. I turn and follow my ringing to the bedroom, picking it up and seeing it’s my father. “Hey, Dad,” I say, smiling, and then look up at the doorway and see her there smiling at me. I make a decision I know she is going to kill me for, but I don’t care. “I’m going to FaceTime you because I want you to meet someone,” I say, pressing the button and then looking at the shocked face she gives me. He comes on the screen, and I see my mother is there with him. “Hey, guys,” I say and then look at her and put my hand out. “I’d like you to meet someone.”

“Oh my God, it’s a woman,” my mother says, and then she claps her hands. “I knew it.”

“Vivienne.” I say her name, and she comes over to me, taking my hand in hers and sitting next to me. I put my arm around her and bring her close to me, kissing her forehead, and see the both of us in the square in the corner. My mother puts her hand to her mouth.

“Oh my gosh, she’s so beautiful. Look.” She grabs my father.

“I can see, woman. I’m holding the phone,” he tells her, and it’s just the thing that Vivienne needs because she throws her head back, and just like that, I check one more thing off my list to make her mine forever.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Vivienne

“So you are really leaving for Christmas?” Karrie says from the couch in front of me. It’s another Saturday night, and I’m at the game. I’ve come to every single game, but I leave as soon as the game is over and go to Mark’s place where we have dinner together and then get lost in each other. There are times we go out after the game, but it’s easier for us to just meet at his house.

“I have to,” I hiss at her and look around. “Do you think I should take something?”

“What do you mean?” She looks over at me.

“Should I take something to not be myself?” I ask her, looking down and then looking up at her again. “I mean, I’m me, and he’s, well, he’s him.”

“Vivienne,” Karrie says, coming close to me. “He loves you for you. All the crazy that comes with you. The walking around naked even if I’m there.”

“It was one time.” I roll my eyes at her. “And it’s not like you don’t suck dick.” Then I look at Matthew, who is leaning on the bar watching the game. “You probably sucked his dick before you got here.”

She doesn’t say anything; she just drinks her wine. “Don’t start. It’s tradition.”