**Isa
Even if I didn't exactly get Tevin's blessing, it was still worth it to go to Alyssa's birthday party. By the end of that day, Alyssa and I felt like sisters, and Veronica felt like my aunt, too.
I even got to talk with Veronica's husband for a while, as well as a couple of Callan's cousins. Roman showed up at the end, and we were able to get fairly acquainted.
To be honest, I was on a high after that weekend. A happy high.
Even the continued whispers at work weren't enough to bring me down. Yes, it was discouraging to hear people say that I was using Callan, or even that he was being irresponsible by dating someone who worked under him, but I really took Veronica's advice to heart.
She had told me that people wouldn't understand or come to accept our relationship if we kept try
