Chapter 7

AMY

Two days had passed, and I still hadn’t heard from Pete Stones, Mandy or Jason. Maybe that was a good thing, but staying in my apartment wasn’t helping. I needed to go back to the family house. I needed time—time to clear my head, to push Pete out of my thoughts. But no matter what I did, his name lingered at the back of my mind.

When I arrived home, my father greeted me with an unusually bright smile. It was rare to see him this happy, and for a moment, I just stood there, taking it in.

"Welcome home. I intended to invite you over," he said warmly.

I blinked, a little taken aback. "Uh… thanks, father. Hope no problem?"

"Not exactly. We need to talk." He said and made his way to his home office while I trailed behind him, curiosity bubbling inside me. My father wasn’t the type to call for conversations unless it was something serious. When we got to his office, he sat down and gestured for me to do the same.

"I'm getting married," he said before I could sit properly.

I stared at him, letting the words sink in.

Married?

That was the last thing I expected. But to my own surprise, I wasn’t upset. If anything, I felt relieved. My father had been alone for over five years and being the only child meant I had to always follow him to wherever he was going, which was a choice though.

"That’s… great news," I stuttered, still finding it hard to align the right word.

A small smile played on his lips. "I wasn’t sure how you’d feel about it."

I nodded, trying to process everything. "So… when do I meet her?"

"Tomorrow," he said. "I want you to get to know her before the wedding."

My brows furrowed. "Wedding?"

"Yes," he said. "We’re getting married next week."

"Next week?" I repeated, my voice louder than I intended. "That’s really soon, Dad."

"We’ve been together for a long time," he admitted. "I didn’t tell you earlier because I wasn’t sure how you’d react."

I took a deep breath. "I mean… it’s a little fast, but if she makes you happy, then I’m happy."

His smile widened. "That means a lot to me, Amy."

I smiled back and the rest of the discussion was history. I couldn’t wait to meet the lady that my father was deeply into. I later returned to my room after getting a goodnight peck from my dad.

….

The next day came faster than expected. I stood at the main entrance with my father while we waited for the car to drop. Before I knew it, my dad went to the car to get the door for the woman of his dream. I watched the two of them kiss each other before focusing their attention on me.

My gaze landed on the woman walking toward me with her arm crossed with Papa’s. She was elegant, poised, with dark brown hair and sharp hazel eyes. She walked in with effortless grace, a soft smile on her lips.

"This is my daughter, Amy," Dad said proudly. "Amy, this is Sandra Stones."

I extended my hand, trying to keep my expression neutral. "Nice to meet you."

Her handshake was firm yet gentle. "It’s a pleasure, Amy. Your father speaks so highly of you."

I nodded, but my brain latched onto one thing.

Her last name. STONES.

It made my stomach twist uncomfortably, but I pushed the thought away.

"Come, let’s sit for dinner," Dad said, leading us to the dining table.

Dinner felt… strange. Not in a bad way, just different. My father, who usually ate in silence, was engaging, talking, laughing. Sandra matched his energy, adding her own warmth to the conversation.

"So, Amy," Sandra said, taking a sip of her wine. "Your father tells me you’re into design?"

"Yeah," I said, cutting into my food. "Something like that."

"That’s amazing," she said. "I’ve always admired creative people. It’s a gift, really."

I nodded, not sure what to say. She was kind, easy to talk to, but I still felt like a stranger. I glanced at my father and for the first time in five years, he looked happy. The dinner ended well with my father dropping Sandra at her apartment and me retiring back to my room.

When I got to my room, I slumped into my bed and pulled out my phone to dial Mandy’s number.

The moment she picked up, her voice came through with fury. "Amy! Where the hell have you been?"

I sighed, turning to the other side of my bed. "I’ve been dealing with some things."

"Clearly," she scoffed. "What’s up?"

"My dad’s getting married," I said, cutting straight to the point.

"Wait, what?"

"Yeah," I exhaled. "Next week."

"Next week?" she echoed. "That’s so fast. Since when was he even seeing someone?"

“They’ve been together for a while. He just never told me,” I sighed.

Mandy whistled. “Damn. That’s wild. Who is she?”

"Sandra Stones."

“Sandra Stones? One of the biggest models in America? She’s fire, I wish I have a model for a stepmother.”

Mandy paused. "And… you’re okay with this, right?"

"Yeah," I admitted. "Honestly, I think my dad needs someone. I just wasn’t expecting it to be this soon."

She hummed. "Well, as long as you’re good with it. By the way, how did the therapy go?"

I stiffened. "It was fine."

"Just fine?"

"Yeah," I said quickly. "We’ll talk about it later."

Mandy sighed. "Amy…"

"I just don’t want to talk about it right now."

"Okay, okay," she said. "But you know I’m here, right?"

I closed my eyes. "Yeah. Thanks, Mandy."