Page 136 of How to Charm a Coven
Natalie smiles, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “After what we went through, I think I can handle meeting your family.”
“You say that now,” I mutter, clicking the call button before I lose my nerve.
An excited, nervous flutter swoops through me as it rings.
Mom answers with a bright smile, the living room behind her looking so normal that a pang of homesickness hits me—one that will probably never go away, and I’m okay with that. “Katie!” she cries. “There’s our busy girl. We already miss you.”
“I’ve missed you too,” I say, my heart expanding as I see her face after what’s felt like months. “Hey, is the rest of the family there? There’s someone I want you all to meet.”
Mom’s eyebrows shoot up, and a knowing grin spreads across her face. “Everyone!” she calls over her shoulder. “Katie has someone she wants us to meet!”
An actual thunderstorm seems to take place off-screen, and suddenly the frame is crowded with faces—Dad squeezing in beside Mom, Pearl pushing her way to the front, Alyssa leaning over them all, and Nicky hovering in the background.
“Hey dude!” Pearl shouts, shoving the others back.
“I knew it!” Alyssa shouts. “Iknewyou were seeing someone! All those secret phone calls? Ugh, so obvious.”
“She did totally call it, to be fair,” Nicky says with a glance at Alyssa, crossing her arms. “I thought you were just being a recluse.”
“Shush!” Mom and Dad say together, waving their hands.
They fall quiet, and my mouth goes dry. I clear my throat. “Um, everyone, this is Natalie. My girlfriend.”
Natalie leans into the frame and waves, her smile confident, but I can feel the slight tension in her body. “It’s so nice to meet you all.”
All three of my sisters open their mouths, but Mom speaks first.
“Lovely to meet you! What are you studying, Natalie?” she asks diplomatically.
“Science. I’m planning to be a vet,” she says without missing a beat.
I glance over at her, and she catches my eye and smiles.
“We need to meet you in person next time we come visit,” Pearl says. “I’ve already compiled a slideshow of Katie’s most embarrassing moments. It’s alphabetized.”
I cover my face and groan while everyone else laughs.
As my sisters talk over each other with questions and stories, a sense of rightness settles over me. After all the danger we faced, after nearly losing everything, here we are—planning a future, building a life, taking all the steps of a normal relationship.
Yes… This is exactly where I’m supposed to be.
