章節 19: Chapter 18: Ryan’s Family Bombshell
The Family Dinner Setup
Ryan Kim didn't scare easily. He'd faced the angriest of clients, courtroom theatrics, and more than a few screaming matches in his office—but nothing filled him with more existential dread than family dinner at his parents' house.
Especially when his mother had texted, "Family dinner. Bring someone. Big news to share."
His immediate instinct had been to throw his phone into the ocean. Instead, he ignored it for a day, hoping it would vanish like a bad dream. That plan fell apart when Ava, of all people, heard about it.
---
"Family dinner?" Ava's voice crackled through the phone, clearly amused. "What's the big news? Did your mom take up competitive knitting again?"
Ryan, slouched at his desk, rubbed his temples. "I don't know. It could be anything. The last time she said 'big news,' she revealed she was starting a hat business. A hat business, Ava."
"That's amazing," Ava said, clearly stifling a laugh. "I'd buy one. Do they have pom-poms?"
"I don't want to talk about the pom-poms."
"Aw, come on. It's endearing," Ava teased. "Anyway, what's the worst that could happen? You show up, eat some food, survive whatever bomb she drops, and leave. Easy."
Ryan groaned. "You say that like you've met my family. Trust me, it's never easy."
"Want me to come along for moral support?" Ava asked casually.
Ryan froze. "You?"
"Why not?" Ava said, a sly smile audible in her voice. "I'm great at defusing awkward situations. And besides, you still owe me for the tofu-and-hunter disaster. Consider this payback."
Ryan opened his mouth to decline, but Ava cut him off before he could.
"Unless," she added mischievously, "you're scared your mom will like me more than you."
Ryan sighed, already resigned to his fate. "You're insufferable."
"And you're picking me up at seven," Ava replied cheerfully.
---
When they pulled up to his parents' house—a quaint but overly decorated cottage with fairy lights in every tree—Ava turned to Ryan and grinned. "Are you sure your mom's not running a Pinterest account?"
"I'm convinced Pinterest is running her," Ryan muttered, opening his car door.
Susan Kim greeted them at the door with an energy that could only be described as mom enthusiasm.
"Ryan, darling!" she exclaimed, hugging him tightly before spotting Ava. Her eyes lit up. "And you brought someone! Oh, you didn't tell me you had a girlfriend!"
Ryan froze. "She's not—"
"I'm his co-worker," Ava said smoothly, stepping forward with a polite smile. "Ava Lee. It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Kim."
"Oh, please, call me Susan," his mom said, waving the title away like a mosquito. "And don't be modest—you're much too pretty to just be a co-worker. Come in, come in!"
Ryan shot Ava a look, his expression pure exasperation. Ava, however, smirked as if this was the best day of her life.
"Behave," Ryan whispered under his breath as they entered.
"No promises," Ava replied, her grin widening.
---
Dinner was a spread of homemade dishes—banchan, grilled meats, and steaming bowls of rice—and despite the cozy atmosphere, Ryan's stomach felt like it was hosting its own anxiety gala. He kept glancing at his parents, waiting for the mysterious "big news" to drop.
Ava, meanwhile, had settled in effortlessly, chatting with Susan about "the complexities of raising Ryan."
"Mom," Ryan said, cutting in, "what's the big news?"
Susan exchanged a smile with Ryan's dad, Mark, before turning back to them with a grin. "We're getting remarried!"
Ryan froze mid-chew. "You're… what?"
"Remarried!" Susan said, holding up her hand to reveal a modest diamond ring. "After all these years, we've decided to give love another chance."
Ryan coughed, nearly choking on his rice. Ava leaned over, patting his back helpfully as she muttered, "Breathe, Ryan."
His parents beamed at each other, completely oblivious to Ryan's existential crisis.
"This is… unexpected," Ryan finally managed, his voice hoarse.
"It's romantic," Susan corrected. "Love deserves second chances."
Ava, watching this unfold like it was the best sitcom she'd ever seen, murmured, "I think it's sweet."
Susan turned to her, delighted. "Doesn't it just melt your heart, dear? A second chance after all these years."
Ava hesitated, glancing at Ryan. "It's… very inspiring."
Susan clapped her hands. "See? Ryan needs someone like you in his life. He's always been so cynical."
"Mom, please don't—"
"Oh!" Susan interrupted, grabbing something from a cabinet. "I almost forgot. I kept the cake topper from our first wedding!"
She held up a dusty, slightly creepy porcelain figurine of a bride and groom.
"Something simple or tiered?" Susan asked innocently.
Ryan's head hit the table. "Mom, stop."
Ava, barely containing her laughter, whispered to him, "So… tiered?"
"Not. Helping," Ryan muttered through gritted teeth.
---
After dinner, Ryan escaped to the back porch for some air, leaning against the railing as he stared into the quiet backyard. Ava found him a few minutes later, holding two mugs of tea.
"You look like you just saw a ghost," Ava said, handing him a cup.
Ryan sighed, accepting it without looking at her. "It's just… weird. Seeing them like this."
"They seem happy," Ava said gently.
"Yeah, but for how long?" Ryan muttered. "They've been divorced for over a decade. What if it just falls apart again? What's the point of trying if it's going to end the same way?"
Ava studied him for a moment, her expression softening. "Is that why you became a divorce lawyer? Because of them?"
Ryan let out a humorless laugh. "Watching them split up—it was like watching a car crash in slow motion. I wanted to stop it, but I couldn't. So I guess I figured… maybe I could help other people avoid that pain."
Ava set her tea down, stepping closer. "But what if love isn't about avoiding pain? What if it's about choosing someone, even when it's messy and hard?"
Ryan looked at her, something vulnerable flickering in his expression. "You really believe that?"
Ava nodded. "Yeah. I do."
Ryan sighed, staring back into the yard. "You're annoyingly optimistic, you know that?"
Ava smirked, bumping her shoulder against his. "You're annoyingly pessimistic. It balances out."
Ryan glanced at her, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Maybe."
---
As Ryan drove Ava home, his phone buzzed with a text from his mother.
Susan: Ava's wonderful. Bring her to brunch next weekend. I already ordered more hats for her.
Ryan groaned, shoving the phone into his pocket.
"What's wrong?" Ava asked.
"My mom likes you," Ryan muttered.
Ava grinned, propping her feet up on the dashboard. "Good. I like her too. Maybe she'll knit me something in teal."
Ryan shook his head, unable to stop himself from smiling. For the first time that night, he didn't feel like the ground was shifting beneath him.
"Next time," Ryan said, "you're handling the big news."
Ava laughed. "Deal."
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