“Me? I would never?” She winks, walking over to me and giving me a big hug. “I missed having all of my kids under this roof. Charlotte should be here any second now.”
“Well it’s a good thing there’s still some champagne left in the bottle. Maybe you could let her drink it instead of wearing it since she just defended her dissertation.”And maybe you can also avoid giving Charlotte feedback about her project because every time you do she thinks you’re judging her skills as a researcher.
“Fair enough. I also got her favorite tiramisu from Cafe Vittoria so we’re all in for a treat tonight.”
My stomach growls in response, and it takes everything in me not to sneak a bite of dessert. Charlotte would definitely rip off my head if I even tried it. It's almost as if just the thought of me touching her tiramisu summoned her because a few minutes later, she’s strutting into the kitchen.
We immediately tackle her in a group hug, and shouts of congratulations. Charlotte tries to pretend like she didn’t like the attention on her, but I can tell she’s soaking it up. As she should. It’s not every day you become a doctor, and Charlotte had busted her ass off to get to this stage. My mom hands us all a glass of champagne and we cheers in celebration.
It’s not until Charlotte moves to top off her drink that she realizes the bottle is nearly empty. “Did you get started without me? And why is the floor so sticky?”
“Mom thought it would be funny to douse Sienna and Dad in champagne.” I nod my head to the nearly empty bottle on the counter.
“Jake Keeley!” Mom mock scolds. “It was an accident I swear. I was trying to have our drinks ready for when Charlotte arrived. Why would I waste a bottle of Dom Perigon?”
Charlotte and I exchange a knowing look as if my mom hasn’t done a few wild things to rile Sienna and my dad up. The two are definitely the most reserved and uptight of our family and mom was relentless in her attempts to help them “loosen up”.
My mom rolls her eyes at our silence, “I purchased an extra bottle just in case. It’s in the fridge right now, if you want to grab in Char.”
“Will do. After I finish whatever’s left in this bottle, seeing as this is my party.” Charlotte ruffles my hair and gives Mom a big hug before pouring herself a drink.
“So what’s for dinner?”
“Homemade cheese ravioli with your grandmother’s famous tomato sauce. Your father woke up extra early today to make the pasta dough.” Mom sighs dreamily as she watches Dad come back into the kitchen.
He doesn’t even seem mildly upset about the prank she pulled earlier. Instead, he tucks a piece of her hair behind her ear and presses a soft kiss to her temple. When we were younger, I’d always make jokes about how utterly whipped my dad was, but as I got older, I wondered what it must feel like to be able to find peace in someone else.
“What, no fake gagging or comments for them to get a room, Jake?” Charlotte shoves me, pouring herself a drink.
“Oh, our little Jake is all grown up Char. Haven’t you heard? There’s a new girl in his life.” Sienna sing-songs.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” I bite out, knowing that if Mom got a whiff of me potentially seeing someone, she’d spend the rest of the night trying to pry every detail out of me. The worst part is I couldn’t even fess up about Eliana being my friend-and-sometimes- tutor. That would open up an entirely different can of worms I didn’t want to get in to.
Charlotte snorts. “Whenisn’tthere a girl in Jake’s life? No offense bro, but you’re a major slut. Just because you want him to settle down, Si, doesn’t mean he’s going to.”
I never had any issues in the past of being called out for sleeping around, but for some reason, the words sting a bit this time. “I thought we agreed to stop slut shaming people years ago.”
“Siblings always get a pass when it comes to insults,” Charlotte shrugs. “If anyone else called you a slut though, I’d bite their head off.”
“Thanks I guess?” I roll my eyes.
“This time is different, Charlotte. He’s really serious about this girl. He even wakes up early on non-practice days to get her breakfast.”
Charlotte snaps her head in my direction, eyes widening. “Holy shit. Youareseeing someone, aren’t you?”
“Is the bar really so low for me that the thought of me grabbing coffee for someone is breaking news?”
“I’m afraid so. In our defense, you were the one who told us not to freak out if we don’t hear from you on Thursdays because you’re dead asleep to recoup for weekend games. We’re just following the rules you set.”
Well, they got me there.
“Dinner’s ready. Let’s set the table.” Hopefully food will be enough of a distraction for them to stop prying.
I grab extra glasses and cutlery while my dad transfers the hot pans filled with pasta to the table. As we sit at the dining table, my sisters sandwich me in between them and I have a feeling I’m in for a night of questioning. Fantastic.
“To celebrate defending your dissertation and officially getting your PhD, I made your favorite three-cheese ravioli. Before we get started, I want to say a few words.” Dad’s fingers are entwined with Mom’s as he looks at Charlotte. “We are so, so proud of all you’ve accomplished over the years Char. And we can’t wait to see all the amazing things you do next.”
“Thanks Dad, Mom. Love you both. Now let’s dig in.”
