Ilsa grabbed a plate and showed me. I smiled as we all moved to sit down at the table. I listened as Ilsa told me about how fun it was to cook with Brandon. She was giddy in her seat.
“Speaking of food,” I said. “We have dinner plans tonight. Do you remember Grandpa’s neighbor?”
Ilsa nodded. “Yeah.”
“They invited us over for dinner.”
Ilsa paused her hand and frowned. She looked between us before she spoke. “Why?”
I swallowed, knowing this was the moment to tell her. I should tell her that Brandon was her father and those were her grandparents. But the words seemed to freeze in my mouth.
“Because I don’t want to go alone,” Brandon said, smiling at Ilsa. “You and your mom are going to save me from a very boring dinner.”
Ilsa smiled, seeming to brush past it and nodding. “Okay, we can do that.”
A little before dinner, we headed over to his parents’ house. I was nervous, tugging at the dress I put on. I had tried to look nice. I’d seen his parents plenty of times, but tonight it was different. We were going together as a family.
Ilsa was sitting in her chair. She’d put on a purple skirt with a bright blue shirt. She was wearing bright white shoes. We pulled her hair up into two little buns, and she had a smile plastered on her face.
Brandon was wearing a pair of nice jeans and a plain white shirt. He looked underdressed, while Ilsa and I were clearly trying to make sure we looked nice.
We pulled up in front of the house, and I swallowed. I took a deep breath and reminded myself that it would be okay.
“You ready?” he asked, giving me a gentle smile.
I nodded and pulled myself out. I helped Ilsa out, and we headed for the door. Brandon pulled the door open, and as soon as we stepped inside, I could smell chicken and rice. My mouth watered, and Ilsa pulled her shoes off.
Mary came into the entryway and threw her arms around Brandon. She hugged him tightly, and I could see the love in her eyes. Mary had always been a softer person than Lionel was.
“I’m glad you guys were able to join us,” she looked past Brandon toward Ilsa and me. Ilsa gave Mary a big smile.
“Hi, Mary.”
Mary smiled at Ilsa. I could see a flicker of hurt cross her face, knowing it hurt her to hear her name rather than grandma when she saw Ilsa.
“It’s lovely to see you, Ilsa. You’re getting so big.”
Ilsa giggled. I heard footsteps and looked up just as Lionel stepped into the entryway. He looked sharply dressed as he stood there staring at us for a moment. I felt a shiver roll down my back and straightened my shoulders. Brandon looked at his father.
“Glad you guys could join us.”
“Thanks for the invite,” Brandon said, raising an eyebrow at his father. “Apparently, this is the first time you’ve invited them over for dinner.”
Lionel didn’t say anything to him. He pointed toward the dining room. “We have dinner set up already.”
“I even got a little extra seat in your chair so you can sit up higher on the dining table,” Mary said, placing her hand on Ilsa’s head. She played with her hair and smiled. “And I made green beans.”
Ilsa beamed with eagerness and moved hurriedly to the table. Mary walked after her, leaving Brandon and me with Lionel. Lionel looked at me for a moment before he turned, heading to take a seat at the table.
“You okay?” Brandon asked, stopping closer to me. “We can always go home.”
I looked at Ilsa, already seated. Mary dished up her food, smiling so happily. I was not going to let my discomfort get in the way of Ilsa getting to know her grandparents and spending time with them.
“No, I’m fine,” I said, straightening my back, and headed into the dining room.
I sat down and dished up a small plate. Brandon sat down next to me, dishing up his own. Mary smiled happily as she took a bite of her chicken. “This is nice.”
I nodded slowly, glancing at Lionel. He hadn’t touched his food yet. He was watching me, his eyes seemed too focused. “So, now that you have your gift, have you decided to start using it and train?”
