Chapter Nine
Jen
Mom still lived in the ‘50s Rolling Hills house I grew up in, a cottage-y ranch my parents bought before home values skyrocketed. Dad resided in nearby Ranchos Palos Verdes by the golf course, living the stereotypical life of an upper-middle-class retired man. With a ten-year age difference between them, I guess it wasn’t a surprise in hindsight that they came to a point of wanting different things in life. But, at least they established a good place for us.
I was driving my small SUV with Dylan beside me, the radio on instead of the usual audiobook I listened to for the long treks to L.A. It was crazy I was this nervous. Mom liked Dylan. When I called her to tell her he proposed, she congratulated us and said we’d have to dress shop soon.
This morning’s tone had to be
