Is there anything I can do to make the couch more comfortable for you before I do?” “I’m going to head back to my room and try to get some sleep. "Well, I've got a funny feeling she wants you to stick around awhile… and for what it's worth, so do I." I'll be here as long as Gina will have me." "You do, do you?" Terri asked, bemused, as she took a sip of her tea. "I'm in no rush, I've got time to wear you down." "My dad says the same thing, though he rarely means it as a compliment." Not because she needs it, but because she deserves it." So if I… if there's any way that I can help, to make sure she's got someone else in her corner to love her and support her… I'm going to do it. But it shouldn't HAVE to be something you do alone. "You and Gina… you've been taking care of each other on your own for a long time. He decided to just take the chance and tell her what he'd expressed to Gina earlier. He saw a trace of a proud smile appear on Terri's face. She's obviously incredibly intelligent, but she also works hard. We had a class together last semester, I've seen it first hand. She can't afford to be out here looking for her MRS and lose sight of that GPA." She needs to be prepared to take care of her own business, especially with that scholarship. "So you can understand that I don't want her to think a man's gonna save her. ![]() "I'm sure Gina has told you about her father." EJ nodded. I can tell you that's actually pretty rare, once someone gets to know about my family." ![]() Every single time, she never assumes, never expects. She… she seemed surprised to even get gifts on her birthday. Not her plane ticket to Utah even though I invited her to come. Not to pick up the check at dinner… though I do. "She's never once asked me to pay for anything. Terri passed him his mug and the sugar bowl, and he stirred some in before continuing. "None taken, I'm also pretty attached," he said easily. I just didn't expect her to attach herself to one so quickly… no offense, son." "I knew when Gina picked a school like Regent, she'd be surrounded by people who live very different lives than we do. With money," he added, feeling tired of dancing around it. "Maybe not me, specifically, just… you know, a Regent guy. "It… has a little to do with me, " he said carefully. Anything I took issue with this evening had nothing to do with you and everything to do with my daughter." “Please don’t apologize, it was a lovely gesture and the food was great. He hesitated for a moment before he blurted out “I’m really sorry if dinner tonight made you uncomfortable. “Understood,” said EJ, hoping that they were done with that topic. But…” she said with a stern expression, “that doesn’t mean I have to like it.” “And I also know my Gigi is strong-willed enough that no one’s going to tell her what she can and can’t do, even her own mother. Porter, I hope you know how much I respect your daughter…” he started, but she waved her hand with a gentle laugh. I was nineteen once, young man.”ĮJ’s cheeks flushed. “I’m certain you know ALL about how Gina sleeps, and not just because she’s told you. “Don’t worry,” Terri chimed in, as if reading his thoughts. EJ willed his face to stay blank, unsure what kind of message it would send if he was intimately familiar with Gina’s sleeping habits. “At school, I like to blame it on my roommate’s snoring, but truth is, I’ve never slept particularly well, especially somewhere new.” “So it’s not the couch, then? You just aren’t much of a sleeper?” “Sounds perfect, that’s what my mom used to make me when I was at home and having trouble sleeping.” Terri pulled down another mug and dropped a tea bag in it. “Please, thank you, he said, sitting at one of the stools that lined the kitchen island. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt you…” Without turning around from the sink where she was filling an electric kettle, she asked “You want some tea, too, son?” He stood quietly by the counter, not wanting to startle Terri. He just laid there for a moment, before he made an impulsive decision, sitting up and heading to the kitchen himself. He had just assumed it was Gina, adjusting back to sleeping in a different spot again. ![]() He chanced cracking an eye open to see who was up, and he was sort of surprised to see Gina’s mom shuffling around the kitchen. Through his closed eyes, he still felt the light come on in the kitchen. He heard one of the doors open down the hall and quickly did his best to fake sleep, not wanting either of the Porter women to think that the couch wasn’t working for him. It wasn’t uncomfortable, really, but his tall frame didn’t fit that neatly on it. It was a few hours later when EJ found himself tossing and turning on the couch.
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