It turned out I didn’t need to worry about answering awkward questions, though. She told me all about her house remodel, what she was cooking, and asked me my opinions with no room to answer.
“More cinnamon?” She stuffed a spoonful of sweet apple pie filling into my mouth, the only acceptable way to eat apples. I shook my head, and we marched on around the kitchen. Tabi—I thought anyway—beamed at me as she moved in to the counter to finish the pies. The food looked awesome, smelled even better, and Mrs. Uhlig eventually walked me around the house, still talking a mile a minute.
“I love your jewelry, dear,” she said when we ended up in a small gallery hall lined with family portraits. Casey was young in his photos, and I got to see him lined up next to his sisters. It was like a library of his family.
“Thanks,” I said, relieved to actually get a word in.
“I talk when I’m nervous,” she whispered and her blue eyes sparkled.
“Opposite.” I managed to smile at her and felt pretty good about it. “This girl is missing?” I pointed at the wall.
“Oh, yes, Casey’s youngest sister Ella. Busy today.” She turned toward me, and I squirmed inside as she looked me over critically. “Nev said you were younger than Casey, but I suppose I didn’t realize how much younger.”
I sweated bullets and tugged at the collar of my shirt. “We get along well.”
“That’s good, love is love and finds a way and can’t be stopped, and all that good stuff.” She laughed. “But what do your parents think?” She pursed her lips.
My gut sank. “Not much. My dad… uh….”
“You don’t have to answer that,” Casey grumbled, and I glanced back down the hallway toward the kitchen, where he had his shoulder leaned against the wall giving his mom a death glare.
“It’s okay. My dad went to jail recently. His opinions don’t matter. My mom is MIA and has been for a while. I think she would like Casey.” I shrugged because I honestly couldn’t guess at how she’d feel about us. I’d been too young when she left to know.
“Tabi says the chicken’s done,” Casey said as he walked up and put his arm around me.
His mom nodded and came in to hug both of us. She was soft and friendly and I decided that I liked her. “I wish you’d said something sooner, Case.”
“I didn’t have a reason.”
I scrunched closer to Casey as she gave me another hug, but I didn’t hate it. She reminded me a lot of him. When she backed off, she glared at Casey, and I had to laugh. “Any trouble, and you call me. I can only assume anyone Casey brings home will be sticking around. I don’t care what it is, day or night. Rain or shine. We’ll take care of you sweetheart.”
My throat tightened and I nodded at her. “Thank you, Mrs. Uhlig.”
She waved a hand. “Pamela. And you better behave yourself with him.” She shook a finger in Casey’s direction.
He gave her a wide smile. “Nev already did this.”
“Good. I raised that girl right.” She harrumphed, hugged us both again, and then disappeared down the hallway. I didn’t see Casey’s dad until we were all around the dinner table, but he seemed like a laid-back, mellow man. Shorter than his wife and blonder than his kids, he had a happy round face. Pamela yelled at him when he tried to sit down at the table covered in dirt from working on a car in the garage, and everyone laughed like maybe it was a usual event. When he came back he glanced at me and grinned while his wife talked and talked at him.
I waved, and he waved back, and even though I didn’t know his name it seemed like maybe we were the same type of people—quiet. Everyone else seemed comfortable with nearly shouting as they talked, and the conversation was dotted with laughter.
I’d thought I would get away without veggies since we were out, but Pamela spotted my plate from across the table. “Tabi, pass around the brussels sprouts. Your brother’s Angel didn’t get any.”
Casey grinned at me as I winced my way through adding two evil green balls onto my plate, but after that was pie, so I didn’t complain. The afternoon wound down pleasantly, and Casey’s dad never did say much of anything to us, but after dessert, he came over and gave Casey a backslap and shook my hand with a quiet “good to meet you, son.”
I was content in the middle of their chaos.
We didn’t talk on the drive home, Casey simply held my hand. When we got inside, he took me to the den and dragged me down into my favorite place in the whole world, his lap. I was happy to get comfortable there.
“I’ve been in a massive funk.” Full and sleepy, I fought off a yawn.
“I know.” He kissed my forehead.
“You’ve been really great, Casey bear.”
“Stop saying that, little brother. That’s what Big Brothers are for. I wasn’t sure I was helping enough, that’s why I wanted you to see the therapist.” He nuzzled his nose against my cheek.
“It helped, I think. I kind of felt like someone just died… and now I’m getting over it. It’s actually super stressful not being worried and stressed all the time. Dr. Griffin says he thinks I have PTSD. Isn’t that weird? That’s for soldiers, I thought.”
