My dad sits at the end of the table, my mom passing him the food first. He shovels what he wants onto his plate and passes the dishes around.

“I would’ve made a cake if I had time. To celebrate,” my mom says, handing my dad the potatoes.

“We don’t want you to go to any trouble.” Luca’s hand slides under the table to my leg, squeezing it a few times.

“It’s no trouble, is it Nora?” my dad asks my mom.

I hate this and I hate that Luca is witnessing my family dynamic. Where his mom seems to run his household, my dad runs mine and though I know he loves me, it’s always been clear where my and my mom’s place is in the family.

Pictures adorn the walls of this house of my brothers in their football uniforms, track and field. My pictures are only ones of prom and homecoming. None of my soccer pictures are hung because that’d be like admitting I’m an equal to my brothers.

Some families have daddy’s princess.

Not the Hunts.

My brothers have always gotten all the glory and I’ve gotten questions like why would I want to play a sport when I could cheer on the players? I’ve fought for everything I’ve done. You’d think my dad would be proud of me becoming captain when Davis didn’t even make the cut for football senior year, but nope. That night I got lectured about overshadowing my brothers in my achievements.

“Where do you think you’ll live?” my dad asks as we all eat our chicken and potatoes.

“We don’t know yet,” Luca says. “We’re living together over where Lauren’s been living for the moment.”

Complete silence blankets the table.

Damn it. I should’ve warned him.

“You’re what?” My mom’s fork hits her plate. “You are just engaged not married, correct?”

“Mom,” I plead for her not to make a big deal of it.

Ashton and Davis snicker and I glare at them both.

My mom stands and disappears into the kitchen.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” I throw my head back and slide the chair out.

“Luca, we don’t believe in living together until marriage. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you this, but our Lauren is a virgin,” my dad says.

My feet stop right before the archway to the kitchen.

No. No. No.

Ashton full-on laughs out loud and coughs out the word delusional. My dad throws a roll at his head.

Luca’s fearful eyes meet mine and my head falls forward in defeat. I should’ve known this was never going to turn out the way I’d hoped.

“Mom,” I say and enter the kitchen, where she’s seated at the table.

“You’re living together?” Her shoulders are slumped and she’s shaking a bit from crying.

“Yes. Luca needed a place and I needed someone to help me pay the rent after Vanessa and Maddie moved in with their boyfriends.”

Her hand goes to her chest. “All of you are living in sin?”

You’d think I told her World War three has started from the look in her eyes.

“Yes. Mom. It’s the twenty-first century.”

“Lauren.” Tears stream down her face. “You’re not a vir…”

She can’t even finish the word. Even worse is the fact that I have to have this conversation with Luca in the room. A man I haven’t actually even had sex with.

“No, Mom, I’m not.”

Her forehead falls to the table with a big thud and she cries so hysterically you’d think her dog, Parker, died.

“Why wouldn’t you wait? This is the problem with today’s youth. I married your father at eighteen. You girls all want a career and your own money before you settle down.”

“Yes Mom, we do and we deserve it. Did you enjoy always being Dad’s servant? Didn’t you ever want something for yourself?”

She raises her head to look at me. “I was happy with you and your brothers. I wanted to be a mom.”

“Well, I’m sorry, but I’m not. I want a career and a family.”

“I know.” She pats my hand. “I just…it’s different now.”

I came to grips a long time ago that my family dynamic would never change. The boys would always be superior in my dad’s eyes and my mom would never understand me wanting to have a career after I got married and had kids. This is why I wanted to keep this fake engagement to myself because I knew they’d be so happy. They’ve been waiting ever since Cody for me to announce that I’m getting married so I can fulfill my destiny.

“I can’t do this!” Luca’s voice pulls my mom and I’s attention away from each other.

We rush back into the dining room to find Luca standing up, his napkin on his chair.

“Mr. Hunt, I’m sorry.” He’s looking at me now. “I can’t sit here and listen to it anymore. I come from a family without a sister so maybe I don’t understand.” He pauses for a second, trying to collect himself I think.

“Nope. You know what? I’m not even going to use that as an excuse. Lauren is an amazing woman. She’s strong and independent. She loves her job and have you ever seen her with a client? ‘Cause I have and she’s so good with them. There’s this little girl Briana, and she adores your daughter.

Yes, Lauren is gorgeous, but there’s so much more to her. She’s faithful and loyal to her friends and her family. After we marry, she will continue to work. She will make her own money and we will build a house together. Our kids will probably go to daycare so she can continue working. Maybe I’ll balance the checkbook, maybe she will. Maybe I’ll clean the toilet, maybe she will. Maybe I’ll take the trash out, maybe she will.

“I’m sorry Mr. Hunt, but I can’t sit here anymore and listen to you degrade your daughter just because she’s female. She could probably kick both Ashton and Davis’s asses at the same time and you should be proud of that fact.” He points to the wall that is like a shrine of my brothers’ athletic accomplishments. “She should be on that wall. She worked her ass off to be captain of her soccer team and she deserves to be up there more than Davis who was third string.”

Tears well up in my eyes and my mom threads her arm through mine. We stare at one another in amazement.

I thought my mom might fear my dad’s wrath after Luca’s speech, but she seems almost proud.

“I do not degrade my daughter,” my dad says, throwing his own napkin down.

“Then you’re blind to your own ignorance.”

Luca’s eyes find mine and he shoots me the apologetic look he has most of today. I shake my head, he shouldn’t apologize for sticking up for me.

My dad looks at me. “You think this? That I love your brothers more?”

I nod.

“Oh. Well.” He stands up and without another word he walks downstairs, leaving even Ashton and Davis’ jaws hanging open.

“I’m sorry, Mom,” I say.

“Give him time. You know your dad.” She pats my shoulder. “You two go and give him some space.”

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Hunt,” Luca says as we both walk toward the front door.

“Too many sorries tonight.” My mom opens the door and shoos us out. Luca hesitantly steps out of the house while my mom embraces me in a hug.

“Everything will work out how it’s supposed to.” She pats my back.

Her words do nothing to help me feel better.

The door shuts before we make it to the truck and I stare at the windows where the basement light shines out into the night. I should go down there and hash it out, but my mom is right, that’s not how my dad works. He needs to stew for a bit.

When I turn around, Luca’s leaning against the truck, his hands stuffed in his pockets. “I’m sorry, Lauren. I’m fucking this all up. I never meant to cause more problems with your family.”

I approach him, rising to my tiptoes to do the one thing I’ve been dying to do. Luca’s speech empowered me to love the person I am. And I’m the kind of person who takes what they want when they want it. Without thinking of the future or what it means, I press my lips to Luca’s.