I listen intently as Lincoln begins.

"I was going back and forth on whether or not I would ask you. I still had feelings for you, but I was nervous about how you would react. Stephanie was all for it though, she wanted to turn it into this big thing," he chuckles, "with flowers and music and the whole shebang. I could tell Ray agreed, but he didn't want to push me to do something I was unsure about."

I can just picture Stephanie's enthusiasm.

"And everyone wanted you to come, so we invited you- you already know that part, they were thrilled when you said yes...but then somehow word spread that I wanted you to be my date and oh boy..." he shakes his head, embarrassed, "they turned their excitement up about a thousand notches. They all apparently were still shipping us, even after we broke up."

I can't help but chuckle.

"So then I asked Jason for his advice, since it seemed like he was close enough with you to have a reliable opinion, and he said it sounded like a bad idea," his brows furrow together, "he said you would probably say no, and I would just be making things awkward between you and me. I guess we know now that it was just sabotage."

"I would've said yes," I say slightly sadly. I realize there's something important I forgot to tell him. "So uh, sorry to interrupt but there's something that happened around that same time that I should mention."

He looks confused but nods.

"Jason and I...hooked up after Chad and I broke up."

"Oh...when?"

"Um...maybe like, a few hours after?" I say sheepishly. In hindsight, that was pretty ridiculous and stupid of me.

His jaw slightly tightens. I can tell he's thinking the same thing Leena told me, he took advantage of your vulnerability. "I...see."

I don't think he wants to talk much about this. I try to reduce the awkwardness by continuing. "He asked me the next day to go with him to the dinner and I said yes. That also happened to be the same day you and Ray asked."

"So what happened?"

"Well, a few hours later was when I walked in on him having sex in his office, and our plans fell apart. It was only less than an hour later when I got your texts, and so I said yes to you guys."

There's a mix of emotions on Lincoln's face that I can't decipher. "Well that's...unfortunate."

"Yeah..." I cringe a bit, "I'm sorry."

Lincoln strokes my hand comfortingly, "It's alright, we knew these would be awkward conversations, right?" I nod.

"So where was I...right, Jason suggested I ask Tina. 'Don't worry, she's desperate, I'm sure she'll say yes' his words not mine," he says, looking repulsed, "I was already considering asking her anyways."

"You two dated right?"

He smiles a little as he reminisces. "Yeah, back in high school. We were a little...rebellious. Skipped PE class to go make out behind the school a lot, snuck through each other's bedroom windows late at night, might've left prom early to sneak onto the roof and have se-"

"Lincoln!" I hear. We turn and see Tina walking into the room, looking very unimpressed.

He laughs, "Sorry Tina, but those were some wild times huh?"

She glares at him, "Please don't share our...stories...with anymore people."

"OK, OK," he says, raising his hands innocently, "but yeah, I asked Tina to come with me to dinner and she said yes. Although, I think she could tell what had happened, and how I felt about you."

Tina smiles at me, "Of course I did." She takes a seat next to Lincoln. "How are you feeling Katie?"

"Still a little sore but better," I say. I should probably be discharged from the hospital soon. "How's your grandpa?"

"Good, it takes a lot to get to him and his positive spirit," she smiles, "he told me to tell you he's happy you're doing well."

"Aw, tell him I said thank you," Tina's grandpa seems so sweet. I hope I'm like him when I get to his age.

Tina nods but looks concerned. "So what's happening with your Christmas plans Katie?"

My smile fades a bit. "Well, I'm definitely in no state to fly. My parents have been through a lot, I don't want them to have to fly back and forth so soon. So, I guess it's just me here this year." Not exactly the Christmas I was picturing, but this seemed like the only choice. I promised them I would fly home during spring break instead.

"Actually Katie," Lincoln looks a bit nervous, "I was wondering if you'd like to spend Christmas with my family? I've already talked to my parents and they both said yes."

My eyes widen. "While I'm like this? Oh god Lincoln," I groan as I bury my face into my hand.

"Hey come on," Tina says reassuringly. "His parents are super nice, trust me."

"Thanks Tee," Lincoln says gratefully before chuckling a little. "One time when we were eleven, Tina ran away from home, and showed up at my house. My parents welcomed her in and let her stay in the guest bedroom."

"Of course they called my parents though," Tina adds, "and then Lincoln's mom baked us cookies."

I feel slightly better, but still stressed. "Didn't you say you have extended family visiting? I don't know if I can manage this." I'm an only child and I don't really have extended family, so I'm not used to large family events.

"Yeah, but we can sort something out. Maybe Christmas brunch with my immediate family? Then if you're feeling up for it, you can come for dinner with everyone else as well?" he asks hopefully.

"Well...today's already the twenty third, what if I'm not even discharged from the hospital before tomorrow?" I'm sort of just making excuses now.

As if the universe is just laughing at me, Dr. Data comes in. "Good afternoon Katie, how are you feeling?"

I'm honestly tempted to lie so I can stay here longer. "A lot better."

"Great. Well, you don't seem to have any severe head injuries, and all your vitals have been doing fine. You're ready to be discharged," she says cheerfully.

I notice Tina giving me a knowing smile in my peripheral vision.

"We can't exactly give you crutches for your leg, since your arm is broken as well. So we'll provide a wheelchair for you to use, it should take roughly six to eight weeks to heal. Then you may need some physiotherapy after, probably another couple weeks, just because of how severe the accident was." She explains a couple more things, not to get the cast wet, keeping it clean, and to come in and see her if I have any problems.

She leaves the room to get the wheelchair.

"Well then, this is perfect!" Tina says cheerfully, clasping her hands together.

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Meeting the parents! How terrifying 😱

Thanks for reading!