Her cheeks took on the strawberry hue of her lips. "He is proud of me. He actually told me that the other day. I think my heart stopped for a full 30 seconds."
Before I could ask her more, Mr. Thomas rejoined us in the foyer. "That was my lieutenant buddy down at the precinct. He says that Jasper Collins is now officially in custody and has been charged. Your friend Trent did a great job meeting other people at that party. Through his information, we tracked down half a dozen witnesses that said Jasper offered to sell them marijuana."
"Good old Trent," I said.
Quinn smacked me on the arm. "He's turning out to be a real friend."
Mr. Thomas smiled again. "So, it looks like you are free and clear, and just in time for your big tournament."
"Oh, I'm glad I caught you before you left!" Mrs. Thomas called from the top of the stairs. "I want to wish you luck and all of that."
Normally, I cringed at the sound of Mrs. Thomas's voice. It was hard to tell what edge her mood would give her words, but more often than not, they were harsh. That day, though, she seemed more at ease, and when her smiling eyes met mine, I saw they were not clouded. Her normal fog of worry, anger, or depression had lifted.
"I'm glad to hear you are feeling better, Mrs. Thomas," I said. I handed her the flowers and fully expected her to throw them back in my face.
"These are delightful. Not quite my taste, but delightful. Thank you, Owen," she said.
Quinn smiled at me. Her mother was definitely feeling more like herself. "Are you heading out now?" she asked her mother.
"Yes, sorry. Can't break my appointment. Making progress and all that. Your father is going to drive me like he always does and then we'll meet you in Vegas. Good luck, you two!"
"It’s mostly him," Quinn said. "I'm just playing for fun."
"What?" I asked. The way her father had talked about freedom and excitement I had started to think she was taking up a career in the professional gaming world. "I thought you were in the competitor bracket."
"I switched," Quinn said. "Call me crazy, but I decided maybe I could just have a little fun for once."
"As long as that is all you do in Vegas," Mr. Thomas warned. "No crazy dancing or big bets or little white chapels. You hear me?"
"What?" Quinn asked. "You don't trust me not to do anything you wouldn't do?"
I felt a knot in my chest come undone when they all laughed. My parents were rarely home and had not been since high school. I realized that was one of the reasons I had not broken up with Sienna when things got bad. No matter how they felt about me, the Thomas family had been the only family I had for a long time. To see them happy and together unlocked a deep longing.
Quinn and I waited until her parents had left, then gathered up her overnight bag for Vegas. "Are you okay?" she asked.
"No. I mean, yes. It's just weird to, I don't know, not be hated by your parents," I said.
"I know what you mean. I feel like they are finally seeing me, instead of just this knockoff version of Sienna. It feels strange, but good."
I opened Quinn’s car door for her. By the time I got into the driver's seat, my tongue felt heavy. The words I wanted to say were like lead. Quinn chatted about Caesar's Palace, where we would be staying, and the tournament. She did not notice my struggle to speak.
"Funny what your father said about the little white chapel, isn't it?" I finally managed to say.
"Yes. Especially since it is where he and my mother got married," Quinn said.
I swerved the car just a little. "What?"
"Oh, they had a big, white wedding where everything was perfect, but two nights before, they drove to Vegas and got married. I always thought it was so romantic," she said.
We pulled onto The Strip, but I started to recalculate my route so we could drive past the iconic wedding chapel. My heart was hammering because I knew that was the final piece that would make me feel whole.
"Quinn, I know this is out of the blue, but-"
"Owen, pull over! I think that man is having a heart attack!" Quinn said. She grabbed the wheel and forced me to pull over.
Tourist drivers went crazy with their horns, but Quinn jumped out of the car and ran to the side of the fallen man. Within seconds, there were sirens coming from two directions. The ambulances moved slowly through the awestruck tourists.
Quinn ignored all the chaos. She was bent over the man doing chest compressions. After a short eternity, she checked his pulse and leaned back on her heels. By the time the EMTs pulled their equipment out of the ambulance, the man had lifted his hand. He reached for his tearful wife's fingers, and she thanked Quinn over and over again.