Owen drove with care as laughter filled the car. Amanda and Kim were completely engrossed in their excitement. Originally, Owen had planned to give Amanda a big plush toy as a gift, but Monica had teased him mercilessly for the idea. He eventually swapped it for a set of makeup products he'd never even heard of.
Judging from how thrilled the two girls were, he was immensely grateful he'd taken Monica's advice. Otherwise, he could already imagine Amanda's epic roast session.
He dropped Kim off first. Her home was in a nearby upscale neighborhood, and they reached it quickly.
"Thank you, Owen. I really love the gift," Kim said politely before getting out.
"I'm glad you like it. Oh, and say hi to Bryan for me. Haven't seen him in a while."
Kim's father and Owen were close friends, but conflicting schedules had kept them apart for some time.
"You can tell him yourself. He's on leave right now, here in L.A."
"Perfect. I'll give him a call."
That was good news. Owen was already thinking about grabbing a drink with Bryan sometime soon.
When Owen and Amanda got home, their mother was already back. He spotted her car parked just outside the garage from a distance.
As they walked in, Linda's face lit up with surprise, then quickly melted into a smile straight from the heart. "Oh, my baby! When did you get back?"
Owen pulled her into a hug, half-laughing and half-exasperated. "Mom, I'm over twenty. Can you stop calling me 'baby'?"
"You'll still be my baby even when you're eighty," she replied with a chuckle. "When did you get here? Why didn't you let me know in advance?"
"Just today. I wanted to surprise you."
"Well, this is a surprise! Baby, what do you want to eat? I'll go to the store right now and get whatever you need—"
"No need. I already got everything—it's in the car. How about a BBQ tonight?"
"What a great idea!"
The family fell into the familiar rhythm of preparing for a cookout. Amanda was bubbling with energy, helping left and right. Though things seemed normal, Owen couldn't shake the nagging feeling from that phone call. He'd even asked Amanda during the drive, and she'd said nothing was wrong. But he could still clearly remember his mom sounding hesitant and nervous on the phone.
Enough guessing. He decided to ask directly.
He waited for the right moment, then sat her down on the couch.
"Mom, what's going on? You sounded off on the phone the other day. Don't lie to me—you know I used to be a cop. You can't fool a cop."
Linda's face shifted, an odd blend of joy, embarrassment, nervousness, and guilt.
That sealed it—something was definitely up. Owen fixed his gaze on her.
She lowered her head, thinking for a moment, then finally raised her eyes with resolve. "No, Owen. Nothing's wrong at home. It's just that…"
Owen was about to press further when she blurted out nervously, "McCall proposed to me."
"…What?"
"McCall proposed to me."
This time, he heard it loud and clear: the Black man he'd always respected and liked had asked his mom to marry him.
Owen stared at her, and she stared back. Her eyes were restless. "Steve, I don't know if I should say yes. I mean… you and Amanda… we've been just the three of us for so long…"
Her words were tumbling out, disjointed and unsure. That's when Owen finally understood. His mother wasn't unsure about McCall—she was unsure about them. She was worried her children wouldn't accept it. Even if she loved McCall, she'd give it up if Owen and Amanda disapproved.
Realizing this, Owen hugged her tightly and said with firm sincerity, "Mom, don't worry about us. If this is what you want, then of course we support you."
Amanda suddenly popped up from behind a wall—clearly eavesdropping the entire time—but immediately chimed in, "Yeah, Mom! If it makes you happy, we're all for it."
Tears welled up in Linda's eyes. She'd been worrying for nothing. The joy on her face spoke volumes.
"Mom, why don't we invite McCall over for the BBQ tonight? And I'll call Monica too—she came back with me."
"Absolutely. That would be wonderful."
"Well, since you're both inviting someone, I want to invite Kim too!" Amanda added stubbornly.
"Of course. Oh—and let's invite Bryan too. I'll give him a call myself. But with this many people, we don't have enough food. I'll have to make another trip to the store…"
And just like that, a simple family BBQ turned into a full-blown party.
After telling his mom and Amanda to keep setting up the yard, Owen jumped into his car and headed for the store. He needed to buy more food—and pick up Monica on the way back.
…
Night fell, and the backyard glowed under string lights. A small crowd gathered, sipping drinks and grilling meat.
Owen manned the barbecue, flipping sizzling slices of meat. Oil dripped onto the flames with a satisfying hiss.
"Who needs a drink?"
"I do! Thanks, Linda!"
His mom went around refilling glasses with a bright smile. It wasn't just close family anymore—neighbors from Zilin Street had joined in. The BBQ had become a miniature block party, with singing, laughter, and dancing under the night sky.
Midway through the party, the noise suddenly died down. A soft melody began to play.
Linda was still making the rounds with her drink tray, confused by the sudden shift in atmosphere.
Kim gently took the tray from her and signaled for her to step into the middle. Linda hesitated, but walked into the clearing. Suddenly, a spotlight lit up around her.
Stunned, she blinked in the glow. Then McCall walked forward, entering the light. He looked at her with all the affection in the world, knelt down on one knee, and pulled out a ring.
"Linda, will you marry me?"
Pop! Pop!
Streamers burst into the air as cheers erupted around them. Linda looked around, seeing so many warm, expectant faces. No one held back their smiles.
"Say yes! Say yes! Say yes!" Kim and a few others chanted, soon joined by the rest of the neighbors.
Linda's heart overflowed. She scanned the crowd and found Owen's beaming face. Then her eyes met McCall's—he looked like a nervous boy.
This big softie could never have planned all this, she thought. This had to be Steve's doing.
She saw through it in an instant, but that didn't lessen her joy. This was happiness—true, radiant happiness.
She took a deep breath.
"I will."
"Woohoo!!"
McCall lifted his bride-to-be into his arms as the backyard erupted in joy. That night, Zilin Street became a sea of laughter, love, and celebration.
------------------
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Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1284)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1289)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1316)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1402)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld! (Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 660)
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