will be fine.”
Then he grabbed Sabrina’s bag from the trunk and escorted her up the steps. He used his key to let himself into the house and dropped the bag in the foyer.
“Mom! Dad! We’re here,” he called out, pulling Sabrina with him.
From the back of the house, Daniel saw his mother emerge. She was barely taller than five feet, with long black hair that she had tied in a loose bun at her nape, and chocolate-brown eyes that sparkled with warmth and affection. She’d always been a curvy woman, but now, in her early sixties, she’d put a few extra pounds on her waist and her hips, though it looked good on her.
“Oh, Daniel!” she called out and pulled him into a hug as soon as she reached him.
He hugged her back and laughed. “Guess you missed me, Mom, huh?”
She smiled at him, then looked past him to where Sabrina stood and released him from her embrace. His father appeared in the hallway at the same time. He was as tall as Daniel, his brown hair now interspersed with lots of gray, his face marked by wrinkles around the eyes and mouth, caused by lots of laughing. He was in great shape with barely an ounce of fat on his athletic body, which was surprising, given his love for his wife’s rich cooking.
“Hi Dad.”
“Danny, good to see you,” his father responded and hugged him.
Just as his mother was now looking at Sabrina, so was his father.
Daniel took Sabrina by her hand and pulled her next to him. “Mom, Dad, this is Sabrina. Sabrina, this is my mother, Raffaela, and my father, James.”
“Nice to meet both of you,” Sabrina said, extending her hand to his mother first.
But his mother didn’t waste time shaking hands. She simply pulled Sabrina into a hug. Daniel felt a boulder lifted from his shoulders. His mother only hugged people she liked. She’d never hugged Audrey.
“Hello, cara . I’m so glad Daniel finally brought you to meet us. He’s told me so much about you that I feel like I already know you.”
Sabrina smiled, clearly surprised by his mother’s words. “Thank you for having me.”
“Do I get to say hi too, or are you gonna monopolize her, sweetheart?” his father asked with a smirk on his face.
Daniel exchanged a grin with his father. They both knew how overpowering his mother could be.
His father extended his hand and shook Sabrina’s. “Danny speaks very highly of you.”
“Thank you. He’s told me lots about the two of you, too.”
His father chuckled. “Uh-oh! I hope only good stuff.” He winked at Daniel.
Daniel laughed. “Stop fishing for compliments, Dad. For a grown man that’s embarrassing.”
“It was worth a try.”
His mother rolled her eyes, used to their antics, when Daniel heard footsteps from the den where his parents had emerged from earlier. He looked in the direction of the sound and froze. A ball of dread ricocheted in his gut. He knew the couple that now walked toward them, plastic smiles pasted on their suntanned faces.
“Oh, Linda, Kevin, join us!” his mother said, waving them closer. “Daniel, you remember the Boyds, don’t you? They stopped by unexpectedly.”
“Yes, of course. Hello, Linda, Kevin, nice to see you,” he greeted them politely.
He had nothing against the Boyds in general. They were typical rich people he’d been used to all his life. Unfortunately, they were friends with somebody he’d rather forget. He could only hope that they were well-mannered enough not to make any inappropriate comments.
“Good to see you again,” Kevin said, shaking his hand.
“Yes, it is. You didn’t bring Audrey?” Linda asked, looking Sabrina up and down as if she were a cow at a cattle market.
So much for Linda’s discretion.
Daniel cleared his throat. “Uh, no. Audrey and I broke up a while back.”
Simultaneously, both Linda and Kevin gasped in surprise. “You did? When?” Linda asked.
“About a month ago.” Daniel put his arm around Sabrina’s waist and pulled her closer.
“This is—”
“But
Then he grabbed Sabrina’s bag from the trunk and escorted her up the steps. He used his key to let himself into the house and dropped the bag in the foyer.
“Mom! Dad! We’re here,” he called out, pulling Sabrina with him.
From the back of the house, Daniel saw his mother emerge. She was barely taller than five feet, with long black hair that she had tied in a loose bun at her nape, and chocolate-brown eyes that sparkled with warmth and affection. She’d always been a curvy woman, but now, in her early sixties, she’d put a few extra pounds on her waist and her hips, though it looked good on her.
“Oh, Daniel!” she called out and pulled him into a hug as soon as she reached him.
He hugged her back and laughed. “Guess you missed me, Mom, huh?”
She smiled at him, then looked past him to where Sabrina stood and released him from her embrace. His father appeared in the hallway at the same time. He was as tall as Daniel, his brown hair now interspersed with lots of gray, his face marked by wrinkles around the eyes and mouth, caused by lots of laughing. He was in great shape with barely an ounce of fat on his athletic body, which was surprising, given his love for his wife’s rich cooking.
“Hi Dad.”
“Danny, good to see you,” his father responded and hugged him.
Just as his mother was now looking at Sabrina, so was his father.
Daniel took Sabrina by her hand and pulled her next to him. “Mom, Dad, this is Sabrina. Sabrina, this is my mother, Raffaela, and my father, James.”
“Nice to meet both of you,” Sabrina said, extending her hand to his mother first.
But his mother didn’t waste time shaking hands. She simply pulled Sabrina into a hug. Daniel felt a boulder lifted from his shoulders. His mother only hugged people she liked. She’d never hugged Audrey.
“Hello, cara . I’m so glad Daniel finally brought you to meet us. He’s told me so much about you that I feel like I already know you.”
Sabrina smiled, clearly surprised by his mother’s words. “Thank you for having me.”
“Do I get to say hi too, or are you gonna monopolize her, sweetheart?” his father asked with a smirk on his face.
Daniel exchanged a grin with his father. They both knew how overpowering his mother could be.
His father extended his hand and shook Sabrina’s. “Danny speaks very highly of you.”
“Thank you. He’s told me lots about the two of you, too.”
His father chuckled. “Uh-oh! I hope only good stuff.” He winked at Daniel.
Daniel laughed. “Stop fishing for compliments, Dad. For a grown man that’s embarrassing.”
“It was worth a try.”
His mother rolled her eyes, used to their antics, when Daniel heard footsteps from the den where his parents had emerged from earlier. He looked in the direction of the sound and froze. A ball of dread ricocheted in his gut. He knew the couple that now walked toward them, plastic smiles pasted on their suntanned faces.
“Oh, Linda, Kevin, join us!” his mother said, waving them closer. “Daniel, you remember the Boyds, don’t you? They stopped by unexpectedly.”
“Yes, of course. Hello, Linda, Kevin, nice to see you,” he greeted them politely.
He had nothing against the Boyds in general. They were typical rich people he’d been used to all his life. Unfortunately, they were friends with somebody he’d rather forget. He could only hope that they were well-mannered enough not to make any inappropriate comments.
“Good to see you again,” Kevin said, shaking his hand.
“Yes, it is. You didn’t bring Audrey?” Linda asked, looking Sabrina up and down as if she were a cow at a cattle market.
So much for Linda’s discretion.
Daniel cleared his throat. “Uh, no. Audrey and I broke up a while back.”
Simultaneously, both Linda and Kevin gasped in surprise. “You did? When?” Linda asked.
“About a month ago.” Daniel put his arm around Sabrina’s waist and pulled her closer.
“This is—”
“But
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