“I have something to say…” Everyone stared at me and I got cold feet again.
I looked at Jensen for some help and he shook his head. “You’re on your own, champ. You lit your bed on fire, now you lay on it.”
“What’s going on, dear?” my mother asked.
But a knock sounded at the door and I was saved from trying to give an awkward speech. “Let me just show you.” I popped to my feet, unsure if I’d let Avery in and immediately show myself out.
“You better not have hired a Santa impersonator to impress your boyfriend.” My father sighed.
“What?” I blinked at him. “Who even does that for adults?”
Both my parents stared at me like it was something I would do, which needed to be addressed later. I paused in front of the door and then pulled it open, knowing what was on the other side of it might change my relationship with everyone in the room. But I’d know that with the first Instagram message.
I pulled open the door and smiled before opening it wide for everyone leaning from the dining room table. My mother gasped. My father swore. Adam dropped his fork.
“Come on in, Avery.”
Avery stepped inside and gave everyone at the table a little wave. “Hey.”
“I invited Avery. I didn’t know if he’d come, but here he is. ’kay.” I closed the door behind him and Ellie, and then I walked back towards the table. Avery ventured further into the room and shoved his hands into his pockets.
My mom put her hand over her mouth when she spotted Ellie. “Is that…?”
Avery nodded. My mom was on her feet and across the room and I was a little scared she was going to snatch Ellie up in her arms and not let her go. My father was on her heels, tears in his eyes. Dad was always crying. But my mom stopped short and said a nice ‘hello’ before pulling Avery into her arms. Dad, full on bawling, introduced himself to Ellie. It was a whole scene with Adam seething.
Mom finally let go of Avery and it was Dad’s turn to cry all over him. Embarrassing, but I kinda didn’t blame them as I’d been a little misty eyed when I first saw the message from my brother.
Mom went to Ellie and they awkwardly said their hellos. They stepped back and stared at the both of them, no one quite sure what to say.
“Come sit down,” I said when no one spoke.
“I’m starving,” Ellie said, pulling her coat off.
“Is it okay if I stay?” Avery asked, putting his hand on Ellie’s shoulder.
She fought his hold.
“He did always know how to make an entrance,” my dad turned to my mom and muttered.
“And piss off nearly everyone in the room,” my mother replied.
At least they weren’t taking it as bad as Adam seemed to. “Who the fuck even invited you?”
“I don’t want to cause a scene. I’ll go,” Avery said, picking up the coat Ellie had dropped on the floor while she was sitting trying to tug a rainbow unicorn snow boot off.
She glanced up. “Not back to the Hilltop! It’s so boring there and there aren’t any seamen.”
Thankfully no one asked any questions about her comment.
“You’ll go? You barge in here in the middle of dinner with a” —Adam blinked like he’d just noticed Ellie— “a kid in tow.” He looked between Avery and the little girl who didn’t seem at all fazed by his outburst.
“I’m Ellie,” she said, tossing the other boot towards the door. “I’d say it was a pleasure but I don’t think it’s going to be.” She turned towards her father. “Which uncle is that?”
“Adam, dear.”
She nodded.
“Uncle?” Adam seemed to be in the middle of blowing a fuse like it hadn’t occurred to him Avery’s kid would be his niece. If this were a cartoon, steam would be pouring from his ears.
“Yes, this is your niece.”
“Surprise,” Ellie said, acting like she was throwing glitter like the meme.
There was dead silence for a long moment and then Jensen snorted. He clapped a hand over his mouth, but it was too late. Adam spun on his heel to find the culprit. His gaze landed on Jensen.
“You find this funny?” Adam spat.
Jensen swallowed back his laughter. “Yeah, kinda. You gonna take out your anger on a kid, man?”
“Jensen has a point,” I said.
No one else said a word.
“Whatever. Be charmed by the kid. Do what you want. But remember he walked out on all of us fourteen years ago and to just fucking act like none of it happened. Nope.” Adam grabbed his coat from the closet and slammed the door behind him.
The tension bled out of the room, but everyone was left staring at each other.
“That guy has no sense of humor,” Ellie said when no one else bothered to speak.
“He’s hurt,” I said. “Why don’t you two join us?”
“Right,” my mother said, walking towards the kitchen. “I’ll get more plates.”
“I’ll get more alcohol.” My dad sprang after her.
“Hard stuff is above the fridge,” I called after him. I think we all need something stronger than wine after that outburst.
“Do you want to sit next to me?” I asked Ellie.
She narrowed her eyes, assessing me once again. “I want to sit next to the lumberjack.” She pointed at Jensen.
He snorted and pulled out the chair next to him. “Come on over, little lady. You said your name was Ellie, right?”
“Correct.” She climbed into the chair. “Are you a real-life lumberjack? Dad said they existed.”
“Why wouldn’t they exist?” Jensen asked tentatively.
“Because they are like Santa, silly. Cutting down trees and leaving you carved presents in the morning.”
Jensen and I exchanged a look, but we didn’t press. Who knew what they were teaching that kid in California?
“I am not. But I am a park ranger.”
“Hrumph. That’s no fun.”
“It can be!” Jensen had that look in his eyes. He was about to go into how amazing it was being a park ranger.
The rest of dinner went surprisingly well. Mom and Dad weren’t as awkward or sarcastic as they usually were, which kept the mood light. It was more like dining with a stranger than my brother, but I guess I should have expected as much, being as I hadn’t spent more than an hour with Avery since I was ten-years-old. Ellie carried the conversation, tittering on about anything and everything, jumping from topic to topic, and it seemed like even though the sarcastic gene had skipped Avery, it had taken a right good hold in his kid.
“That was wild.” Jensen toed off his boots once inside his place.
I pulled my jacket tighter around myself, the bite of the cold still in my veins. “I’m not sure how to feel about it. Do you think he’ll stay?”
Jensen turned around in the process of hanging up his coat. “Is that on the table? Do you think he can uproot a kid?”
“I haven’t a clue, but through our conversations, it sounds like they have nothing left there.”
Jensen nodded thoughtfully. “I guess time will tell, but I don’t want to talk about them anymore. I played nice with the family, and now I want to be naughty.”