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Silence filled the room. Sandra sat with her mouth gaping

open, and Peter was the exact opposite. His jaw was set so

hard it looked like he’d be able to crack a walnut if someone

slipped it between his teeth.

“I really do thank you both for what you’ve done for me.

For everything. You’re my mom and my dad, and I know I

haven’t ever learned how to appreciate you properly. I was a

child living in your house, and I never really saw you as two

people who have been out in the world for far longer than I

have. You’re two individuals with a lifetime of experiences

and I only ever saw you as my mom and my dad and that was

it. I had an extremely limited view of who you really are, and

I’d like to get to know you. As more than my parents.”

Sandra swallowed so loudly that it was like something large

and squishy hitting the floor. Emily saw the tears welling up in

her mom’s eyes, but as usual, she blinked them back. She

believed in composure above all, even now. Peter was

studying Emily steadily, his eyes locked on her when she

turned back to him. She expected a big argument. A long

lecture with at least twenty good bullet points as to why she

couldn’t and wouldn’t do this, so she was shocked when Peter

nodded.

Emily couldn’t catch her breath. Was her dad agreeing with

her? Was her mom giving in, just like that? Maybe they had

just wanted her to be okay all along. Maybe they did want her

to be herself, did want her to find that special person to love.

Maybe they were just waiting for her to grow up and tell them

that she could do those things on her own, really tell them and

really make them understand that she was no longer a child

anymore.