“Let’s get some food in your belly!” David grabbed for my hand and dragged me through the kitchen. Like father, like son. I looked back to Greg, who was following us, and couldn’t help but smile. I felt so free here and regretted instantly for not coming here for over a year. “We missed you.”
“I missed you guys, too.” David pulled out a chair for me at the dining room table where there were five other place settings besides mine. “Y’all didn’t eat?”
I looked at everyone as they all took their respective seats. I always got to sit by David with Greg to my right.
“Greg told us you two were on your way, so we waited until you both got here to dig in.” Margaret picked up a plate of mac and cheese and started to pass it around. We were all quiet as we gathered the food onto our plates, but Jack was the first to break the silence.
“Y’all got back late from Vegas last week. Have a little too much fun?” I snapped a scorned look over to Greg as he shot daggers at Jack.
“I thought everyone got back late last Wednesday, Greg?” Margaret had set down her fork and reached for her wine glass that was filled to the brim. “That’s what you told me when you and Jack couldn’t come to dinner.”
Greg straightened himself in the seat and I tried to piece together what his mother was saying. Greg had told her that he and Jack couldn’t come to family dinner last Wednesday because they would be just getting in from Vegas, but Jack hadn’t stayed behind with us. But now Jack was bringing up the fact that we came back late without him. I sat there a little confused as Greg tried to wrap everything up so that it made sense.
He avoided my gaze as he answered his mother.
“We took a later flight out than everyone else since the plane was booked and then we got delayed a little longer than planned.” Greg scooped a spoonful of mashed potatoes into his mouth. “Jack is just being an asshole. Causing trouble, as always.”
“Six hours is quite some time to be delayed.” Jack threw a wink my way, but I didn’t want to play along. I had no idea what his agenda was, but all I wanted to do was steer this conversation in a new direction.
“My parents are coming home next week.” My response stopped the whole room. It wasn’t true. I had no idea where they actually were. They could have been home now for all I knew. I just needed to change the topic. Greg had his mouth open, about to yell at Jack, I’m sure. Margaret continued to gulp her wine and David gave me a sympathetic look. Delilah was the first to speak up, though.
“Do you need me to kidnap you?” I laughed at her too-true question.
“If only it were that easy.” I waved her off and dug into my plate, letting my statement hang in the air.
“We could stage your death.” Jack pointed his fork at me after taking the bite of chicken from it. “Plan a whole funeral where we have clowns celebrate your life.”
“Oh! How did you know that was what I’ve always wanted?!” I faked enthusiasm towards Jack and felt Greg’s hand squeeze my thigh. I reached for it, intending to move it, but the moment my hand touched his, I clung to it. Our fingers intertwined and I silently thanked him for making sure I was okay, even though he didn’t know what I said was fake.
“I need more wine if we are going to talk about your parents.” Margaret got up quickly from her seat. The full glass of wine she had had was completely empty now. It wasn’t that she was a lush, but that she loved the taste and the alcohol never really affected her.
“I’ll help, love.” David followed her into the kitchen. I loved watching them together. They haven’t been separated for the past 35 years and I don’t think anything was going to separate them now. Not even a bottle of wine.
“So, when are you going to tell mom and dad?!” Delilah was practically jumping out of her seat when she directed her question towards Greg and me.
“Tell them what?” I played dumb, hoping that Greg hadn’t also told Delilah about us getting married, but I knew in my heart that he already had.
“About you two silly!” She pointed towards where our hands were still holding on to each other under the table and I yanked my hand out of Greg’s grasp.
“Not sure what you’re talking about, Delilah.”
“Oh, don’t play coy with me. I know things.” She wiggled her eyebrows and looked back and forth between Greg and Jack.
“You told both of them?!” I tried to yell at Greg in a hushed tone, but it wasn’t working. I lowered my voice some more. “Who the hell else knows?”
“He told us right after it happened.” Jack piped up.
“What?!” I was screaming now.
“Jack!” Greg yelled at his brother and threw a bread roll across the table, sadly missing Jack’s head.
I heard feet running towards the dining room as David rushing out of the kitchen.
“What’s wrong?” He looked panicked, but Margaret came up behind him, placed a kiss on his cheek and took a swig of wine straight from the bottle that had already been popped open.
“Jack just told Lilly that he thought her favorite restaurant, Bakers, was closing.” Greg came up with an excuse first. I was too busy looking at Greg’s parents to notice that he was inching towards me. His hand slid back onto my thigh, this time snaking back and forth along it, sending a tingling down my leg. “He’s just teasing you.”
“Is he though? Or is he telling the truth?” I shot my question to Greg and he knew I wasn’t talking about his make believe scenario right now, but what Jack had just said previously.
