❛ SUPERMARKET FLOWERS ♪ ❜ - z. herron

forty-eight: don't break my son's heart.

"What if they don't like me?" I ask, looking over at Zach. He has decided to drag me along to his family dinner, even after I pleaded to get out of it.

He grabs my hand, his eyes still on the road, "They'll love you. Plus, Ryan is like Keagan's age."

"Ryan is not the one I'm worried about. Also, Ryan is like 4 years older." I reply, blunt.

He laughs at my response, "Ira, your brother is 16 years old. Ryan is 17."

I gape, interlacing our fingers. "Is he really? Perpetually in my mind, he's like 12. But also, how do you know?"

"When Jack and I aren't playing duos, he plays with us and sometimes Ryan. Did he not tell you this?" He says, squeezing my hand.

"What?"

"Yeah, and your mom texts me regularly. I thought they told you about this." He says, looking over at me.

"The mom thing I did know." I furrow. "I think she would literally have you as a child over me."

She calls to tell me all about him. "Zach sent me this picture.", "I showed Zach this song." And almost anything else relating to how amazing he and how terrible Nate is. I'm pretty sure Laila brainwashed her into the whole marriage theory. But it's nice to have a guy in my life show her as much love as she deserves.

"My mom is going to feel the same way about you. Why else do you think I put off you meeting them for so long?" Zach says as we pull onto a driveway. He gets out of the car and runs directly to my side to help me out.

"I can open my own door, you know?" I say, grabbing his hand as he helps me step out of his car.

"Yeah, but I'm a gentleman." He says, bowing.

"Am I supposed to curtsy back?" I say, swinging our hands as we walk up to the front door.

"I don't even know if my bow was right, honestly." He says, reaching over to ring the doorbell. I look at him, squeezing my nerves into his palm, hoping this causes it to disappear. Just as I look to the door, it swings open.

An older woman reaches out to hug him, "Hi baby."

"Hey Mom." He says, hugging her but not letting go of my hand. He gestures to me, "This is Kira. Kira, this is my mom, Myta." He points.

"Please, come in, come in." She says, backing up, creating space for us to walk in.

"Your house is beautiful, Mrs. Herron." I smile at her as I glance around their living room.

"Thank you so much, Kira." She smiles back, "Follow me." she says as we walk into the kitchen.

"Kira, bro," Ryan says, getting out of his chair to come to hug me. "Taking 8 years to show up and can't even reply to my text.

"Your brother's driving was unbearable. Second, yes I did, I won 8 ball by the way." I say, hugging him tightly. "Hey Ry."

"Hey." He says into the hug. He pulls away, going back to sit down, "I let you win, I hope you know."

"I'm sure you did." I say.

Zach leans to whisper in my ear as he goes to sit next to Ryan, "You and Ryan text?"

"You're not the only one who can win a family over. Plus, he's really good at cup pong for like no reason." I nod my head and whisper back, sitting down next to him.

Zach's dad walks in, wiping his hands on a towel. He sees me and his eyebrows immediately raise. "Is that THE Kira Jade?" He walks over to shake my hand.