Determined to win over my family, Aurora smiles and extends her hand. “Aurora. It’s lovely to meet you.”
Harper moves Danny to her other hip and takes Aurora’s hand. “It’s nice to meet the woman who finally got my brother to come home.” Her focus drifts to Aurora’s stomach. “And with a baby on the way.”
“Harper,” I interject. “Enough.”
Aurora laughs nervously. “It’s complicated.”
Harper’s attention slides to Ethan and Jackson, who stand close behind Aurora. “And you two are…?”
“The complicated part.” Ethan steps forward to shake her hand. “Ethan.”
Jax follows with his usual smirk. “Jackson, the husband, the fun one, the good-looking one…”
“Obviously,” Harper says dryly.
“Dad is going to have a fucking aneurysm,” Harper mutters. “I hope you warned them. He still believes any day now, you’ll have some epiphany, retire, and come home. Follow in his footsteps.”
She sits on the rug in front of the Christmas tree, Danny between her legs while he colors on a sketch pad. As his assistant, holding the box of markers, I sit beside them.
Aurora rummages through Sadie’s closet for a dress to wear to the wedding, Jax wanders around, examining the architecture, and Ethan reclines on the couch, working on his phone.
“That’ll never happen. Why do you think I’m staying with Sadie?”
My parents’ carefully constructed world of church potlucks and prayer circles doesn’t include their only son being in a polyamorous relationship. It also didn’t include Sadie attending college and marrying a tattoo artist. Harper was the only one who followed the traditional script, and she’s not exactly happy.
“Is that why you’re here?” I ask gently. “To avoid Mom and Dad?”
When we went upstairs to unload our bags, it was clear Harper and Danny were living in one of the bedrooms—boxes stacked in the corner, clothes draped over a chair, dinosaur toys scattered across the floor, a twin bed against the wall with a portable crib wedged between it and the dresser.
She avoids meeting my eyes. “It’s only temporary. We needed somewhere to stay, and Sadie offered to watch Danny while I worked at her salon.”
Upon hearing his name, my nephew lifts his picture for her to admire.
She brushes his pale blond hair back from his forehead and kisses his crown. “Good job, buddy.”
I hand Danny a blue marker when he points to it. He’s awfully quiet for a four-year-old. “You’ve been here a while, Harp. He’s too big for that crib. You should’ve called me.”
Her gaze snaps to mine. “And say what?” Her voice is sharp, bitterness lacing her tone. “Hey, brother who dropped off the face of the Earth, can you save me from my failed marriage?” She shakes her head. “You helped Sadie; she helped me. End of story.”
Guilt hits me hard, twisting in my gut, and I force myself to breathe through it. I can’t turn back time.
IhelpedSadie by paying her college expenses—because my parents refused. They disapproved of her getting a business degree, or any degree at all. She earned the scholarships and worked her way to owning and managing a successful day spa. All I did was ensure she had food, books, and a roof over her head. Harper was already married.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there. I couldn’t sit in church and listen to Dad talk about God’s plan after Afghanistan, you know?” And I couldn’t bear to let my sisters see me broken.
Her expression softens. “You had your own shit to deal with. I get it, and Dad has only gotten worse.”
How much worse can he get? He’s pretty much set in his ways.
“I’m here now.” I bump my shoulder into hers. “Things have changed.”
“I noticed.” She gives me a sidelong glance. “What’s up with that?”
“Exactly what it looks like. We’re a family.”
“The oddest family I’ve ever seen.”
“It works.” I run my hand through my overgrown hair.“I love her, Harp. I can’t picture myself with anyone else.”
