The first time she met him, we were all gathered at my mom’s house for dinner. Nick helped carry plates to the table, laughed at my uncle’s terrible jokes, and sincerely praised Mom’s roast.
Lori leaned toward me while he was in the kitchen and whispered, “Oh my God. If you don’t marry him, I will.”
We laughed.
Even Nick laughed when I told him later. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and joked, “Good to know I have options.”
At the time, it felt like the kind of harmless joke families make when everything feels warm and safe.
My mother was even worse than Lori, in a way.
