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"Are you ready to go?" Jay says He has a date of his own to pick up

In the car, he thanksme off about you and Noah," he replies (I had mentioned it to him, as promised, before Rip found out that Noah had askedto win?"

"Rip’s going to owe me five hundred bucks"

"Five hundred?!?" I can’t believe it "Were the odds that ainst me?"

Jay shakes his head "No I just bet a lot on the two of you"

Now it’s my turn to say thanks He’s shown his faith, in his oisted older-brother way

We pick up his date, Delia Myers, who looks splendid in a purple spiral creation She shows rand nervous when I get to Noah’s house I still haven’tthe doorbell Claudia answers She looks surprised to see me so cleaned up

"Is Noah home?" I ask

"Duh," she replies

She calls up to hiluuess I should ask your permission," I say

She looks at me like I’m a Martian "For what?"

"To take Noah out"

"You don’t need my perain I guess so

That’s all she’ll give ive hiraph of a flower--it’s beautiful, ured it will last longer," he says, gently placing it in my pocket

Claudia fades into another rooet Tony," he says

We are almost out the door when Claudia returns

"One second," she says We turn to her and she holds up a caet a picture of the two of you"

She poses us by the staircase She asks us to lean into each other, forso si to see if everything’s in place But for me it’s a revelation For the first time in my life, I truly feel part of a couple I feel that Noah and I together are one thing Posing for his sister’s ca down the front walk hand in hand towe have to think about It feels natural

Jay and Delia welcome Noah to the car and drive over to the block before Tony’s We’d all planned to ether Kyle is already there (I’ll later find out he was the first to arrive) Infinite Darlene is there wearing a Grace Kelly gown Trilby and Ted are there; their outfits don’tin their expressions does A to her great-grandirlfriend are dressed as Hepburn and Hepburn Emily and Amy are low-key in jeans and antique sweaters

Joni is nowhere to be seen The time has come for us to head to Tony’s, but we don’tfor her to co, I know that Ted is waiting and Infinite Darlene is waiting We still don’t think she wouldAfter five o To side hiave to her husband Toht I thank hiarage Both his parents are ho the doorbell I am about to do it when I hear Joni’s voice say, "I’ displeased

"Sorry I’ the bell

Tony’s mom answers His dad is at her side