Gordon might be tight with his money, but there was no denying he was handsome. Exceptionally so.
When Caitlin returned from walking the dog, she found her parents and grandmother gathered in the living room, looking as if they were in a solemn meeting.
She unclipped Monday's leash. "Grandma, Mom, Dad, what's with the serious faces?"
"Freya, you're back," Stuart said, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
"Dad, that smile looks painful," Caitlin observed.
"Does… does it?"
Caitlin nodded slightly. "Very."
Keira licked her lips, trying to broach the subject delicately. "Freya, darling... about what's trending on Twitter... what do you make of it?"
"Trending? What's trending?" Caitlin hadn't had a chance to check Twitter yet.
With that, she opened the app.
The moment she saw it, her brain short-circuited.
Oh, my God. How did this happen? Her secret relationship with Gordon was out in the open for everyone to see.
Before she could form a sentence, Stuart jumped in with a nervous chuckle. "Freya, this is fake, right? Just a prank?"
"Well, Dad... it's true," Caitlin said, deciding there was no point in hiding it now. "I am dating Gordon."
Stuart's forced smile vanished.
So did Carey's. And Keira's.
After a moment, Keira composed her features. "But, Freya… how could you fall for him? What is it about Gordon? Why him, of all people?"
"He's handsome, and he has a good head on his shoulders," Caitlin said, then lowered her voice. "And... Grandma, he has great abs."
Great abs!
Keira's eyes lit up.
Handsome men weren't hard to find. But tall, handsome men with great abs… that was a rarer commodity.
Stuart spoke next. "Freya, are you serious about him?"
"Yes, I am," Caitlin nodded.
Stuart could almost hear his heart breaking.
He took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. "Freya, you're an adult, and I won't stop you from dating. But you have to promise me one thing: no getting married before you're twenty-five!"
"Okay, no marriage," Caitlin said with a smile. "Don't worry, Dad. I'll stay with you, Mom, and Grandma forever."
At that, Stuart could finally breathe properly again.
As long as his daughter wasn't so head-over-heels that she was planning a wedding, there was still hope.
Keira and Carey also let out a sigh of relief.
--


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