Chương 17 - Fiona's Secret Plan
Fiona believed adults required supervision.
So she created a plan.
She invited Jessi to dinner.
Then disappeared into her bedroom immediately after dessert.
Ivan became suspicious.
“What did she do?”
Jessi shrugged.
On the table was an envelope.
Ivan opened it.
Inside was a drawing.
Three stick figures.
Ivan.
Fiona.
Jessi.
Above them Fiona had written:
FAMILY DOESN'T HAVE TO START TOGETHER.
Ivan swallowed.
Jessi looked away.
Her eyes were wet.
“She planned this.”
“Definitely.”
“She's terrifying.”
“She learned from you.”
Ivan reached into his pocket.
He had been carrying a ring for three weeks.
Jessi saw his expression.
“No.”
He froze.
“What?”
“Don't you dare kneel.”
Ivan blinked.
“I wasn't—”
“You absolutely were.”
“You're ruining this.”
“I have orthopedic problems. If you kneel, I'll feel obligated to kneel, and neither of us is getting back up gracefully.”
Ivan laughed so hard he had to sit.
Jessi sat opposite him.
He placed the ring between them.
“No speech?”
“I had one.”
“Fiona sabotaged it?”
“Completely.”
Jessi picked up the ring.
“So ask.”
Ivan became serious.
“Jessica Sterling, will you marry me?”
She stared at him.
“Yes.”
Fiona screamed from behind the bedroom door.
“I KNEW IT!”
They turned.
“You were listening?” Ivan shouted.
Fiona emerged.
“Obviously.”
Jessi laughed until she cried.
Ivan looked at them both.
For years, home had meant protecting Fiona from everything he could.
Now home meant something larger.
Something he hadn't expected to find.
May you like
And it had started with the worst mistake of his professional life.
Opening one door.
