"Hey." I say, walking over to Carter, Alex and Brooke.
"Hey, babe. Where were you? I started to look for you but I wanted to give you your space." Alex says, wrapping an arm around me.
"I just went to get some fresh air. I'm still in shock about my mom working here." I sigh.
"Me too. Mom just told she started packing already." Carter says.
"Yeah, she told me when I called her earlier." I nod at him.
"This is crazy." Carter scoffs.
"Yeah, it is. She said it was kind of perfect timing with her feeling well enough to work, and dad taking time off from the FBI." I tell him.
"She did miss an entire year of our lives." Carter says to me.
"Yeah. I'm really sorry about your dad, Brooke." I say, frowning at her.
"I know, thanks." She says, grinning at me.
"Well, having my mom here is a lot better than having an outsider, right?" Carter says to her.
"Yeah, totally." I nod at Brooke.
"I mean, c'mon. She's an alumni here. She-"
"Yeah, she's a Raven." I say, nodding at Carter.
"She graduated, like, with flying colors. It's insane." Carter says and I chuckle, at him.
"I still can't believe your guys's mom is saving the Greenhouse. It's great!" Alex says.
"I know!" Carter says.
"Yeah! You're right, it's great." I nod, letting out a grin.
"Hey, come dance with me." Alex says, looking at me.
"Okay, but you need to know...if this relationship is gonna work, you have to be a terrible dancer like I am." I tell Alex.
"I actually beg to differ. Your moves at the Halloween dance we're great. But, you're in luck. I am terrible at dancing. C'mon." Alex says and we both laugh as I take his hand.
I let out another laugh as I wrap my hands around Alex's neck and he puts his hands out, grooving along to the beat.
||
"Stacy, Michael." Louis says to them, shaking their hands and I let out a smile.
"Louis." Dad nods at him.
"Welcome to the Greenhouse." Louis says and we all clap for them.
"Hi, mom." I say as Carter and I hug mom and dad.
"Mrs. Ramirez, on behalf of the Ravens, I just wanted to say how excited we all are for having you here. You're an American hero." Becca says, handing my mom some flowers.
"Thank you. That is so thoughtful of you." Mom says to her.
Okay, I'll let Becca have this moment. Just this one time, though.
||
"I really think you should ask Valerie that." Leo says as I open the door.
"Ask me what? So, you two are having a nice chat about me? I'm sure he was happy to tell you his side." I say, shutting the door behind me.
"I didn't-"
"Leo told me very little, actually. Though, I think you just told me everything. Thank you for coming, Leo." Mom says, cutting him off.
"Goodnight, Stacy. Ramirez." Leo nods at me as he leaves the room.
"I didn't realize it was so personal between you two." Mom says.
"It's not personal. It's over and down, and happened before you even got here." I tell her.
"Well, I'm here now." She says.
"And I'm happy about that, but I still need you to trust me to make my own decisions, mom." I say and she sighs.
This is already a mess.