The birthday girl emerges from another room, a book in hand, looking like she’s about to give her aunt sass, until she sees me and Arthur.
“You’re here!” Cece rushes to us, hugging Arthur around the legs, then looking up at me. “Hi, Miss Alice. Thanks for coming to my party. Do you want to come see all the desserts Bisa and Vó made for today?”
“Hey, I helped, too,” Dani interjects, making me laugh.
“I’d love to, Cece.” I look back at Arthur, who nods, letting me know it’s okay to go as he stays back with Dani.
Cece gives me the rundown on the Brazilian goodies laid out on the dining room table that I absolutely cannot wait to try. As she finishes, I notice we have an audience. The couple, who could only be Arthur’s parents, smile at us from the doorway.
“Good work, Cecilia. Would you like to introduce us to your friend?” the man with a full head of salt-and-pepper hair asks.
“Vó, Vô, this is Miss Alice, my teacher at the ranch.I’m gonna go get Pickle.” She walks out of the room, leaving me alone with her grandparents.
“Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Machado. It’s great to meet you. I’m Alice Preece.” I extend a hand to Arthur’s mom first, and she takes it, wrapping both of her hands around mine.
“Alice. It’s so good to meet you. Gabriel and Cece have said wonderful things about you.” Her slight accent is endearing, and I love the way she says Gabriel. “And please, it’s Andrea.” She pats my hand before letting it go, and I reach for her husband, who gives me a hearty shake.
“Thanks for coming today, Alice. It means a lot to Cece. And please, call me Ivan.” His kind smile eases some of the concern I had about him not being open to Arthur coming today. “Can we get you something to eat or drink?” He extends his hand toward the kitchen behind him and Andrea. “Our sons are vultures, so you might as well get to the food before they obliterate it all.” He laughs, and the tenderness in his voice when he speaks about his children is apparent, but I wonder if he’s including Arthur in that statement.
In the kitchen, Arthur is at the table with his grandmother, laughing at something she said, but when he looks up and sees his parents, his joy immediately falls away. He stands, clearing his throat. “Mãe. Pai.” He nods to his parents, and Ivan blows out a heavy breath while Andrea walks across the room to embrace her son.
Every person in here is acutely aware of the weight of the tension around us.
Another man with a boyish face claps his hands. “Bro! I’m so fucking happy you’re here.” He slaps Arthur’s back as he hugs him.
“That’s five bucks, Tio Gustavo!” Cece pipes up from her spot at the table.
“Ce, I bought you a really nice present. Can’t I skippaying into the swear fund for one day?” Gustavo pleads with his niece.
“Nope,” she answers, popping the ‘‘p’ and not taking her eyes off her plate of cheese and crackers.
He groans, patting his back pockets. “Put it on my tab, kid.” Turning to me, the dangerously adorable smile is back on his face. “You’ve gotta be Alice. I’m Gustavo, the best-looking Machado brother.” He winks at me, and Arthur clears his throat next to him, though it sounds more like a growl. “Oh, my bad, Art.” They exchange a look, then Arthur takes a plate and begins quietly putting some food on it. Grapes, cheese, meat, fresh bread, and some little round things I don’t recognize, but look delicious.
He walks to me and hands me the plate. “I suggest you grab anything else you might want before the vultures attack. I know Marcelo is around here somewhere waiting to pounce.”
“What did I tell you, Alice? Vultures.” Ivan chuckles, but the sound dies when his eyes meet Arthur’s, realizing they’ve both said the same thing.
“Do you want anything to drink? I’m gonna get some water,” Arthur whispers to me, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. The motion seems to soothe him as much as it does me.
“Water is great. Thank you.” I lean into his touch, making sure to lock eyes with him for a moment. When we do, his face softens, his lopsided smile making an appearance before he steps away to get our drinks.
“It’s really wonderful to see Arthur looking so settled. So happy,” Andrea says from behind me. I turn to look at her as she watches her eldest son with watery eyes. “He deserves so much happiness, after everything he’s gone through. And I can tell he’s very happy being near you.” She reaches out to squeeze my elbow. “I know we’ve onlyjust met, and I’m sure you probably have an idea about the difficult relationship Arthur has with his father right now, but as his mother, I can see he’s different. And before I miss the chance to say it, I want to do it now. Thank you.” She pulls me into a hug then. It’s quick, but tight, complete with a little extra squeeze at the end. Just like her mother’s. I focus on keeping my plate upright rather than the chaos of emotions warring inside my head. I expected this to be awkward, hard, uncomfortable, not quite so natural, easy, and comforting.
As we sitaround the chairs outside, there is no shortage of embarrassing stories being shared between siblings. Charlie fills me in on a few family details as they all talk over each other, and she eventually asks me if I want to take a break from the chaos. It’s an easy yes.
We walk to a nearby pond in silence, and when we reach a bench, she sits first, leaving more than enough room for me to join her.
“They are the best people, and I love them all dearly, but they are so bloody loud.” Charlie looks out at the water as she speaks. “I hope you know you’ve been welcomed into the fold, Alice. Dani won’t shut up about you, and the boys think you’re pretty damn cool.”
“Oh.” It’s the only response I can come up with.
“I know. It’s a lot. They love hard and fast, those Machados.” There’s a wistful smile on her face as she’s undoubtedly talking about Rafael, too.
There’s some rustling behind us, and Cece approaches with her stuffed pickle. “Hi. Miss Alice, do you like our quiet spot?”
“It’s gorgeous, Cece.”
“You can come here anytime you need some quiet, too.” She fiddles with the stuffy, keeping her eyes low.
