Chapter 236
The evening of the dinner arrived faster than I expected. I stood in front of my mirror, smoothing down the soft blue dress I'd chosen, the same color I'd worn that first morning after everything changed. It felt right, somehow. Like a promise I was making to myself.
My mother appeared in my doorway, already dressed in an elegant silk blouse and skirt. She looked younger tonight, her eyes bright with anticipation.
"Ready?" she asked.
I took a deep breath. "Ready."
My father waited by the front door, his jacket buttoned, his hair neatly combed. He looked almost nervous, which made me smile. In all my years, I'd rarely seen my father nervous.
"You look nice, Father," I said.
He cleared his throat. "It's not every day I have dinner with a matriarch."
"She's going to love you," I assured him.
He raised an eyebrow. "Is she?"
I laughed. "She will. Trust me."
