Chapter 21: Impressions

******Saturday Morning******

A knocking at her door woke her from a deep sleep. "What?" Lauren mumbled.

"Can I come in?" a voice said.

"Huh?" Lauren said, rubbing her eyes and sitting up.

The door opened. "I asked if I could come in," Ryan said with a grin.

"I didn't say you could!" Lauren scolded.

"Well, you look decent," he said.

"I'm in my PJ's," she said.

"Nothing I've not seen before," he said with a wink as he sat down on her bed.

"Why are you here so early?" Lauren asked squinting at the clock.

"I wanted to talk to you," Rick said. His mind raced as he tried to figure out how to have this conversation without upsetting her.

"What's wrong?" Lauren asked. Then she remembered the double date last night and winced. "Did you and Kristen get into a fight?"

"No, nothing like that," Rick said. He took a deep breath. "I wanted to talk to you about Brad."

"Oh," Lauren said, trying to keep her face expressionless.

"I'm beginning to think that you really like him," Ryan said.

"He's a nice guy, so, of course, I like him," Lauren said, purposely misunderstanding him.

"That's not what I meant," Ryan said. "Do you like him as in really want to date him and not just pretend?"

Lauren was silent. She didn't want to lie to Ryan because he'd become her closest friend. However, she was afraid of how things would change if she admitted the truth.

"You know you can tell me," Ryan coaxed. "I just want to know the truth."

"Well, the truth is I've had a crush on Brad since we were in first grade, and he made that bully Theo quit picking on me," Lauren said. She waited for his reaction.

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" Ryan asked with a frown.

"Because he's your best friend, and you're mine. I didn't want things to be weird. He doesn't treat me like a freak," Lauren said. "I don't want that to change."

"First of all, you're not a freak," Ryan said, wagging his finger at her. "Second of all, I've known Brad my entire life, and he doesn't have a mean bone in his body. But he's not boyfriend material. You know him well enough to know that."

"Yeah," Lauren said, looking glum.

"I just don't want you to get hurt," Ryan said in concern.

"I'm a big girl, Ryan. I'll be okay," Lauren said. "It's not like he notices me really anyway."

"Oh, he notices you. He just doesn't think of you like a girl he'd really date," Ryan said.

"Gee, thanks," Lauren said, trying not to feel wounded.

"Hey, that's not because of you. That's because of me. He knows I'd kill him if he messed around with you," Ryan said.

"Maybe I wouldn't mind if he messed around with me," Lauren said with a coy smile.

"Lauren!" Ryan exclaimed in surprise.

She laughed. "Well, he's very pretty, Ryan, and I'm just a girl," she said.

"Lauren, breakfast's ready," her mom called from the doorway. "Ryan, you're welcome to join us."

"Sure. I can eat," he said with a grin.

Lauren threw back the covers, so she could get out of the bed. Ryan stood up to get out of her way. When she stood to her feet, her head swam. She reached out and grabbed Ryan.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked, grabbing her arms to steady her.

Lauren blinked as a wave of dizziness hit her, but then it was gone. "Yeah. I guess I stood up too soon," she said with a frown. "I'm fine now." She felt sore and stiff, but after an evening of bowling, that wasn't surprising.

"Are you sure? Should I call your mom?" he asked.

Lauren laughed. "No! I told you I'm fine!" she insisted. She let go of him and stepped forward. The dizziness was gone. "I'm going to use the bathroom. I'll meet you downstairs."

Ryan watched her walked to the bathroom without any trouble and shrugged. She looked okay, so he headed downstairs.

*****Casablancas*****

Dick made himself a pot of coffee, not in the mood to make breakfast. He looked at the kitchen door. Maybe Weevil would make breakfast. It was after nine. He didn't know if Weevil was still home or not, so he sent him a text.

Are you still in bed? There was no reply. Sighing, he got up to get out his favorite coffee mug. Just as he poured his cup, the outside kitchen door opened.

"Hey," Weevil said, yawning

"I was hoping you were still here," Dick said brightening.

"Pour me some of that, will you?" Weevil asked, eying the coffee pot.

"No, problem," Dick said, grabbing another cup. He handed it to Weevil.

"Thanks," Weevil said.

"So you feel like making some breakfast?" Dick asked hopefully.

Weevil snickered. "You and your gut," he said. "What about your diet?"

"Mac bought me some tofu bacon. It's not too bad. I can have eggs as long as I don't have it every day. Once a week is okay," Dick said. "Or you can make some pancakes!"

"How about pancakes and bacon?" Weevil suggested. Mac had bought some wheat pancake mix. It was easy to mix, but Dick never tried.

"Works for me," Dick said with a grin.

Weevil opened cabinet to get the pancake mix while Dick went to the fridge to locate the special bacon Mac bought him. "So how's things going? Feeling okay?" Weevil asked as he got out the pans and bowl he needed.

"I'm okay. Trina's going to move to New York, though, so I'm kind of bummed about that," Dick shared. "She'll be taking little dude with her even though she says she won't."

"He's her kid," Weevil said.

"Yeah," Dick said, looking glum. "Logan voted against me."

"Well, Trina's his sister. And she's been doing good work for you guys, right?" Weevil asked.

"I suppose," Dick said. "We don't need any more money, so I don't know what the rush is to expand."

"But Trina is just a regular employee, right?" Weevil asked. Dick nodded. "So maybe she wants to see what she can do on her own. I know how great it is when you're working for yourself rather than someone else. It's the best feeling in the world."

"I guess," Dick said. "What we do doesn't really feel like work to me."

"That's because you have a trust fund to fall back on," Weevil reminded him. "It takes away the risk or the real fear of failure. If it doesn't work out for you, you don't really lose anything."

"That's true," Dick said, frowning. He'd never really thought of it like that before. Things were always just different for guys like him and Logan. Trina, though, had blown through most of her trust fund. Her acting career was never going to take off. Luckily, she'd finally realized that.

"You know V will never let Richie disappear from your all's life," Weevil pointed.

"Yeah, you're probably right. I just hate change. I don't want little dude to grow up away from us," Dick said morosely.

"Then make sure he won't," Weevil said pragmatically.

Dick was struck with the simplicity of his suggestion. Then he laughed. Of course! He didn't have to let little dude disappear from his life. "So how's things with you and Jazmin?" he inquired.

Weevil got one of this shit-eating grins on his face. Dick smirked.

"That good, huh?" Dick asked with a snicker.

"Well, Joseph ruined the Valentine's dinner Jazmin cooked for me," Weevil shared.

"Really? Did you beat him good?" Dick asked hopefully.

Weevil put the bacon on a paper towel. "Since I was the one who allowed him to have the opportunity, I couldn't do too much. But the next day, Jazmin and I cleared the air, and she said she'd make him move," Weevil said.

"Has he?" Dick asked.

"As of this week, yep," Weevil said with satisfaction. "It did take Jason pushing it, though."

"But things are back on track with you and Jaz?" Dick asked. "I mean, she's, like, recovered?" He cringed, not sure how to ask.

Weevil nodded. "Yeah, she's turned a corner recently. She's finally let me back in," he said.

"Cool!" Dick said, smiling. "I like her so much better than her too perfect brother, no offense 'cause I know he's like your dude and all."

Weevil laughed. Dick always had a way with words. It used to piss him off when he said stuff like that, but now he was amused. "It's okay. Jason is a lot to take sometimes," Weevil acknowledged. "But he's a good friend. He's changed my life. He and his sister."

"Isn't it funny how people you didn't know just a few years ago can have such an impact?" Dick mused. "I can't imagine my life without Mac."

"Don't screw up, and you won't have to!" Weevil said with a smirk as he flipped the pancake onto a plate. "Here's your damn breakfast."

Dick grinned. "If you were prettier, we might have a problem," he said with a suggestive wink.

Weevil groaned. Just when he thought Dick wasn't too bad, he had to get stupid. "You ain't right!" he exclaimed while Dick snickered and took a bite of his pancake.

Yum!

*****The Beach House*****

Logan was playing with Richie when Veronica finally woke up. It was after eleven.

"Hey, sleepyhead. We didn't think you were ever going to wake up!" Logan said.

Veronica yawned. "I slept like the dead," she said in bemusement. She sat down on the sofa next to Logan and kissed Richie.

"Don't I get a kiss?" Logan pouted.

Veronica smiled and kissed him. "You taste sweet. Did you save me any donuts?" she asked with a knowing look.

"A few. They're in the kitchen," he told her.

"Where's Trina?" Veronica asked.

"She went to L.A. to meet with the Goldsmiths and work out the final details on the new location," Logan said. "Mary will be here around four to pick up Richie for the night. We get him until then."

"So it's official, huh? Trina will be moving to New York," she said sadly.

Logan put his arm around her and drew her close. "It's going to be okay. Richie isn't going to disappear from our lives. No one wants that—not even Trina," he said.

"I hope you're right," she said doubtfully. She reached out to take Richie from him. He smiled at her, his baby blues lighting up her mood. She kissed him again. "How can I love a baby so much that isn't mine?"

"Because you have a lot of love inside of you, and he's very lovable," Logan said with a wink. "When we have our own kid, you'll be even more in love."

"Do you think so?" Veronica asked, trying to imagine it. "Should I get back on birth control? I have a check-up next month."

Logan didn't answer right away. He didn't want to push her, so he answered carefully. "I think you need to do whatever feels right to you," he said. "I'm happy when you're happy. If the thought of being pregnant makes you too anxious or scared, then we should wait."

Veronica nodded. "Okay. I'm not really sure yet, but I'll let you know," she said. If she could be sure of having a baby that would be delivered healthy and whole, she'd be more willing to take a risk. However, she wasn't sure if her heart could take it.

"Trina did mention that she was hoping we'd keep Richie over spring break," Logan said. "She wants to spend time in New York scouting out locations."

"So soon?" Veronica asked with a frown.

"I think she wants to be open by end of summer," Logan said.

Veronica made a face but didn't say anything.

"We're still having dinner tonight at your dad's with Thea's parents, right?" he asked, hoping to change the subject.

Veronica brightened. "Yes! Alicia is making dinner. I told her I'd make dessert," Veronica said.

"What are you going to make? Snicker doodles?" he asked hopefully.

"I think I can do better than cookies," Veronica said, smiling. "I was going to go with one chocolate and one coconut cream pie."

"Sounds yummy," Logan said, smacking his lips. He was glad Veronica was handling the news so well. He'd told her last night, and she'd stayed silent, which had concerned him. Logan promised himself that he'd make sure Richie never stayed away from them for long. Then one day they'd have their own kid to focus on.

*****San Diego*****

Thea and Wallace drove to San Diego to meet her parents who were due in around ten that morning. Her grandparents were picking them up at the airport, so Wallace drove to her grandparents to meet them. He was unusually nervous.

"You're awfully quiet," Thea observed. "Are you feeling okay?"

Wallace flashed her a rueful smile. "Yeah, I'm just thinking of what I should say to your parents," he admitted.

She reached over and took his hand. "Don't be nervous, Wallace. They're going to love you," she said, giving him a reassuring smile.

"You think?" he asked. He'd never been one to care much what others thought of him. As an athlete, he'd made friends easily. Even in high school when his best friend was the school pariah, he'd been popular. However, this was different. Thea was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. He knew it as sure as he knew anything. Her family was important to her, and she was very close to them. Her parents were her idols. If they didn't like him, it might color the way she viewed him. He wasn't nowhere near as smart as her. What if they just saw him as the dumb jock he was?

"I'm positive," Thea said confidently.

He turned onto her grandparent's street. "How do you know? Not only am I black, I'm not Greek. Nor am I anywhere near as smart as you," he said glumly. He parked on the street in front of their house.

Thea frowned at him. Wallace was always so confident, so upbeat. His sudden insecurity was surprising. Normally, he was the one reassuring her. He was her rock. When he turned off the car, she reached over and turned his face toward hers. "How could they not love you? You love me, and they love me," she said, giving him a loving look. "Your color or religion won't matter as long as I'm happy. My grandparents already love you, and I'm sure have told them how great you are."

"I just know how important they are to you and how much their opinion matters," Wallace said.

It was suddenly clear to Thea why he was so worried. She couldn't believe he was worried about her finding him less appealing. He was so amazing, and she was such a freak. She wasn't even that pretty, and yet he always made her feel so good about herself. To her amazement, he found her attractive. Even when there were much prettier girls around, his attention never wavered from her. He would never realize how much that meant to her. For so long, she'd been lost in her books pretending the looks and jokes didn't matter. After a while, they hadn't. Thea ignored the emptiness inside because she'd been loved so well by her family. She'd been content only because she hadn't fully realized what she was missing. She hadn't realized how lonely she really was until she had someone to share things with. Wallace hadn't just brightened up her life, but he'd given her a life full of so much meaning. He shared not just himself but his friends. His friends had embraced her and made her feel valued. Thea's mom had encouraged her to join the sorority not just because she'd been in one, but because she'd worried that Thea would spend too much time in her books. Her mother had cried when Thea had told her she was in love with Wallace. There wasn't much Wallace could do that would keep her family from adoring him.

"No one's opinion matters to me more than yours," Thea said honestly. "But my parents know all about you already. They know how much you've brought to my life and how happy you've made me. Unless you suddenly break my heart, there's nothing you can do that would cause them to not love you like I love you."

"Really?" Wallace asked, finally smiling.

"Positively," she said. She kissed him. "I love you, and my parents are going to love you, too."

"Okay," Wallace said. "Then let's get this over with."

Thea laughed. "It's going to be a great day. You'll see," she said eagerly.

They went into the house and her grandparents were talking to a couple Wallace assumed was her parents. They stood to their feet when they spotted him and Thea. Wallace blinked at the height her dad had. He was over six feet tall with dark brown hair. He still was young and attractive, probably in his mid-40's. When he gave Wallace a friendly smile, Wallace relaxed more.

"Darling!" Thea's mom cried, moving to embrace her.

When she finally released Thea, she turned her very green eyes to Wallace, who was startled by her appearance. Although Wallace had seen pictures and knew Thea's mom looked more like an older sister, her impact in person was still surprising. She had a wealth of curly, blonde hair that brushed her shoulders and clear green eyes. She was beautiful and brimmed with energy. Then she smiled warmly at Wallace and hugged him, and it took him a minute to recover from the smile. The only thing Thea had from her mother was the devastating smile.

"I can't believe we finally get to meet the man who has stolen our baby's heart!" her mom said happily.

Thea blushed. "Mom, this is Wallace. Wallace, these are my parents. Nick and Katerina Gianopoulous," Thea introduced.

"It's great to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Gianopoulous," Wallace said. He'd been practicing saying Thea's last name all week and finally had it down.

"I go by Kat," her mom said, smiling warmly.

"Of course, she did," Wallace thought in bemusement. She totally fit her name.

"Please, call me Nick," her father said, giving Wallace a friendly smile, his arm around Thea's waist.

"Maybe someday you'll be comfortable enough to call us Mom and Dad," Kat said eagerly.

Wallace relaxed even more. These people raised Thea. He should've known they'd be every bit as warm and nice as she was.

*****Later in Neptune*****

Parker was miserable. She and Piz had stayed in the night before, ordering take-out. When he'd tried to make love to her, she managed to satisfy him without going all the way. She woke up hating herself but determined to get through the day. Maybe she was just overthinking things. She should just allow herself to be with her boyfriend and not think about anyone else.

When she'd cooked him breakfast, he chatted away, not picking up on anything being wrong. He had lunch plans with his former bandmates, so she went to grab lunch at the Java Hut. She was in great need of some good coffee. When she spotted Duncan there doing some homework, she groaned. Naturally.

For a minute, she considered just leaving. Then he raised his eyes and saw her. Their eyes locked a moment. Making a decision, she took a deep breath and walked toward him.

Duncan was surprised to see Parker, especially alone. He knew Piz was in town. Dick always gave him a heads up about that kind of thing. When she started to walk toward him, he put down his pencil and waited for her.

"Hi," she said nervously. "Can I join you?"

Duncan shrugged. "If you want," he said.

The waitress approached and asked for Parker's order. After she gave it, she gave Duncan a half-smile. "I'm sorry, Duncan, for the other day. I didn't mean to be rude."

"Are you sure about that?" Duncan asked, raising an eyebrow.

She looked sheepish and surprised him when she admitted, "I was jealous."

Duncan couldn't hide his surprise. He wasn't sure what to say. He and Kayla weren't serious—they probably would never be. However, it wasn't his nature to juggle women.

"I'm surprised to hear you say that," he told her. "You're with Piz. And as you've told me over and over, happy with him."

Parker shocked both of them when she blurted out, "I think I'm in love with you." Then she covered her mouth with her hand as if she could take back the confession.

Since she'd never said to Duncan that she loved him, her words floored him. In fact, he stared at her with his mouth slightly opened a full minute until the server returned with Parker's coffee. When she took a sip, he got back his voice. "What?" he demanded.

Parker closed her eyes a minute. Why did she say that? Why couldn't she get this right?

"I'm sorry, Duncan, I didn't mean to say that," she said weakly.

Duncan frowned in confusion. "So you didn't mean it?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No, I didn't mean to say it, but I think maybe it's true," she mumbled, unable to look at him.

Duncan felt a surge of anger. What kind of game was she playing? "Where's Piz? Isn't he supposed to be in town this weekend?" he asked pointedly, an edge to his voice.

"He's with some friends. I came here to eat and get some coffee, but I saw you here," she said, struggling to explain.

"So now that I've finally managed to move on you decide you love me?" Duncan asked, his doubt apparent. "Did you break up with Piz?"

She shook her head. "No. I'm going to talk to him, though, before he leaves town," she said.

Duncan closed his books, putting them in his bag. He didn't think he could deal with this. He'd been miserable over her for a long time. He hadn't wanted to give up on her because he was convinced that she was the one. Although a part of him still believed that, he was afraid. She'd hurt him in a way no woman ever had. The fact that she was still with Piz while saying this to him was just further proof that the woman had no idea what she wanted. He wouldn't let himself entertain the idea that she might really be in love with him.

"Great," he said dryly. "When you talk to him, I'm sure you'll remember that it's him you really love. You're just surprised that I managed to actually enjoy myself with another woman. Give it some time, I'm sure you'll get over it. You seemed to get over me and move on with Piz with very little trouble." He stood up.

"Wait, Duncan! Don't go! I'd like to talk about this. Explain," she said even though she had no idea how she could explain something that she didn't understand herself.

"Until you've broken up with Piz and he is completely out of the picture, we have nothing to talk about," Duncan said firmly.

"So you and Kayla aren't serious?" she found herself asking. Then she cringed. What the hell was wrong with her?

"That's none of your business," Duncan said honestly. "You lost the right to ask those kinds of questions."

"I'm sorry, Duncan," she said with regret. "I didn't mean to say any of this. I don't know what's wrong with me! I just saw you here and wanted to apologize for the other day. I didn't mean to upset you or make things worse. Please don't be mad."

Duncan took a deep breath. A part of him wanted to pull her into his arms, but he knew he couldn't keep going in this circle. He wanted more; he deserved more. "I'll be fine," he assured her. "You need to ask yourself if you see building a life with Piz or not. If you can't imagine your life without him, then don't approach me again. I think I deserve more than that, don't you?"

Parker nodded. The server approached with her order. "Goodbye," she said, giving him a weak smile.

Duncan couldn't resist putting his hand on her shoulder. "It'll be okay, Parker," he told her before walking away.

Parker gave him a grateful look before he turned to leave. As she took a bite of her sandwich, she thought about what he said. Could she imagine her life without Piz? Or was it Duncan she never wanted to say goodbye to?

*****The Mars*****

Mac smiled, enjoying herself immensely. She and Dick were sitting across from Thea's parents. Wallace and Thea next to them. Keith and Alicia were at each end of the table. Logan and Veronica were across from Wallace and Thea. Thea's parents were charming and easy to talk to. Her dad told stories about his work without coming across as boastful. Dick was still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that Thea's mom was a stone-cold fox.

"How can she be the mother of six children?" Dick whispered to Mac. It just wasn't possible. The woman looked like a trophy wife. One that his dad would love to have. However, when she smiled, the warmth was too genuine. This kind of woman wouldn't give his dad the time of day.

"Yes, Dick. She's not Thea's stepmother," Mac said, smiling.

Wallace noticed Dick's look. "What's wrong?" he asked.

Dick being Dick said what he was thinking. "I just can't believe a woman that hot has six children!" he said, looking at Thea's mom.

Thea's mom giggled—yes, the woman giggled—while her husband looked proud. "I'm a lucky man," Nick Giopoulous said proudly.

"She was president of her sorority," Thea said, smiling at her mom.

"I always wanted a big family," her mom said. "When the last time was twins, we decided that was enough."

"You think?" Keith said dryly, shaking his head. "If there'd been two of Veronica, I know I'd be completely bald by now."

"You mean you're not already?" Logan teased.

"Watch it!" Keith warned, patting the back of his head, causing everyone to laugh.

"I'm sorry that your dad couldn't make it tonight," Nick said to Wallace.

"He's out of town with work," Wallace said. "But next time you're in town, I'll make sure you get to meet him."

"He's really nice," Thea said. "He comes to almost all of Wallace's games. He usually sits with me."

"That's really sweet," her mom said, smiling.

"Nathan's a good man," Keith agreed. "I know Wallace has been happy to have him in town."

"He's not always lived here?" Kat inquired.

"No, actually, he was a Chicago cop. He moved here about a year ago when our friend Duncan Kane's dad offered him a job as head of security," Wallace explained.

"That's great for you," Kat said.

"Yes, it has been," Wallace said.

"So how did you get involved in Doctors Without Borders?" Alicia asked Thea's dad.

He put his arm around his wife. "I had my eye on this hot nurse who signed up when I was doing my residency," he said, smiling down at her. "We've been involved to some capacity since before Thea was born."

"Having the kids, though, slowed down my own involvement," Kat said.

"I wanted to go Africa and worked with Invisible Children the summer before last," Wallace said. "But I had to take a summer class."

"You can get college credit in some universities for humanitarian work," Nick said.

"Really?" Dick asked, brightening at the thought.

"One of my classmates went on a missionary trip over Christmas break," Veronica said. "I don't know if she got any credit, but she said it was a life changing experience."

"If you kids want to volunteer some of your time over Spring Break, I'm sure I can work out something with Borders," Nick said.

"Or the summer," Kat added.

Mac and Dick exchanged looks. "Would you seriously want to do that?" she asked him.

"Maybe," he said. He looked at Thea's dad. "Where would we go?"

"Some place safe," Nick said, giving Keith and Alicia and reassuring look. "Probably some place in India. Southern India is very poor, and there's always work to be done there."

"But we're not medical students," Dick pointed out.

"That doesn't matter," Kat said. "There's always stuff to do. Passing out food. Changing bed pans. Reading to a sick child."

"I think that would be a wonderful experience," Alicia said, smiling.

"You and Keith could come, too," Kat said, smiling.

Alicia looked startled at the suggestion. "Well…I don't know," she said.

"Spring break is crazy here in Neptune. We get a lot of out-of-towners," Keith said. "I know I couldn't leave during spring break. However, maybe in the summer?"

"Thea will be spending a month in the Congo with me this summer," Nick said. "You are welcome to come."

"The Congo?" Wallace asked in concern. She'd mentioned a trip with her dad in the summer, but he didn't remember where.

"He just found out where they'd be sending him in July," Thea explained.

"We go to an established place that hasn't seen any violence in a few years," Nick said. "I'd never send my daughter to a place that would endanger her."

"Logan and I have Richie over break," Veronica said with regret. She smiled at Keith. "Maybe you and I can do our own father-daughter bonding this summer with Thea and her dad?"

Keith grinned. "I'll see what we can work out," he said with a wink.

Logan, however, didn't like the thought of his wife going to a war-torn African country. "Not without me," he said firmly.

Dick snickered. "Like we expected anything less," he said.

Thea smiled at her friends. She knew that the day would be perfect, and it had been. She reached over for Wallace's hand. "I told you things would be fine," she whispered.

"I should know by now that you're always right," he said with a rueful grin. He leaned over and gave her a light kiss.

Thea's mom saw the way Wallace looked at her daughter and felt her eyes well up. She nudged her husband, who looked at the happy couple with an approving smile. He had known that someday a smart man would look at his amazing daughter and see what a treasure she was. Although he loved all his children equally, his Athena had a special place in his heart. She was shy and brilliant but so focused and determined. She brought out the best in everyone who knew her. All her siblings adored her and looked up to her. However, she'd never had the same success when it came to her social life. They'd been so worried when she picked a college so far away from home. However, the smaller campus had suited her. Now that she'd met Wallace, though, she was blossoming in a way she never had. It was wonderful for her parents to see.

"Ronnie, I think I speak for everyone here," Dick said with a wide grin, "when I say that you no longer have the coolest dad!"

Veronica protested while her friends laughed.

"I gladly surrender the title!" Keith said, smiling. "It's too much pressure!"

"You flatter me," Nick said.

"How about dessert?" Veronica said. "Before my dad gets dethroned, you can all get pie in your face!"

"Pie?" Dick asked eagerly.

Veronica stuck out her tongue. "You don't get any!" she insisted as she headed to the kitchen.

When Dick jumped up to chase after her, their friends laughed.

"My money's on Dick," Logan said.

"Really? I'd never bet against V!" Wallace exclaimed.

Thea's mom leaned over to whisper in her daughter's ear, "I like your friends. They're really great!"

Thea looked around the table. They were wonderful. "I'm very lucky," she told her mom. Being able to have her parents here with her friends and Wallace and Veronica's parents had been as good as she'd hoped because she'd known they would hit it off. Her parents were amazing people and so were her friends. She felt very blessed. As she glanced over at her boyfriend, she couldn't help but wonder if this would be one of many such dinners. She hoped so!

*****Chapter End*****