At one end of the adult table, Dr. Davies sat at the head. He looked as if he belonged on a Just for Men box or an Old Spice advertisement or a luxury car commercial or something. At the other end of the table was Liam, Poppy wished if she’d told anyone first, it would have been him. He’d just been a little busy being a newlywed. Plus, they didn’t see each other the way they used to when they both worked at the hospital. But seeing him again made her miss him, a lot. She felt herself tearing up, so she stopped looking at him altogether.
She found herself seated between her mom and Yaya, and across from AJ. She wasn’t quite sure how that had happened. It was just sort of how it shook out.
Poppy barely had time to take a breath before she was conscripted into the assembly line of passing green beans, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, macaroni and cheese, dinner rolls, cornbread, turkey, and ham.
By the time she had filled her own plate, she was nearly too exhausted to eat.
There was a clinking of glass, and Frankie stood and welcomed everyone to her and Liam’s home. As she toasted tothe first of many holidays, Poppy was doing her best to pay attention, but she was feeling a little woozy. All the stress she’d felt about the occasion had kept her from sleeping, and it caught up with her.
She was only vaguely aware when she heard Frankie say, “Yamas!”
“Yamas!” the table parroted.
Poppy grabbed the glass of water in front of her and drank.
“Oh, sweetie, you don’t have a drink, let me get you one.” Poppy’s mom twisted in her chair.
She put her hand on her mom’s forearm to stop her from moving. “No, I’m good. I just want water.”
“Sweetie, it’s no problem, I’ve got it.”
“No, I’m good, really,” Poppy insisted, making sure to be very clear that she did not want a drink. “I just want water.”
But her mother, basking in the glow of vintage merlot and Thanksgiving cheer, chose that moment to escalate. “Well, honey, you’ve got to at least try this. It’s so good, and it’s not even a full glass.” She shoved her spiced merlot sangria towards Poppy’s mouth.
“I’m good, thanks.” Poppy ducked her head.
Her mom, who Poppy would venture a guess was on at least her fourth glass, chased Poppy’s mouth with the rim as the volume of her voice increased. “Just a little sip, you will love it.”
Poppy had to push the glass away as she quietly insisted, “No, Mom, I don’t want any.”
“Why not?! Are you pregnant?!” her mom asked loudly at the exact moment the table’s attention turned to Poppy and her mom because of her mom’s behavior.
Poppy felt every eye in the room on her as a loud hush enveloped the space. Even the kid’s table was quiet. The kid’s table wasneverquiet.
This was not how she’d wanted the news to break, but she only had herself to blame. She should have told her mom in private, alone. Now she had an audience for something she’d been putting off.
Her eyes immediately went to Liam’s. For the past eight years he’d been the father, brother, cousin, basically the only stable man she’d ever had in her life. He stared at her now with a look of, she couldn’t tell, was it disappointment, happiness, worry…
She looked down and then back to her mom. “Yes, I am?—”
The table exploded with reactions.
“Oh my god!”
“Congratulations!”
“That’s amazing!”
“When did this happen?”
“Did you know?!”
“No, did you know?!”
“No one knew.” Poppy set the record straight, so her sisters didn’t think there was any favoritism. “I wanted to keep it to myself until I was farther along. I wasn’t ready to talk about it.”
“How far along are—” Phoebe must have been elbowed by Lina, their sister, who was seated beside her, because she winced and turned towards her. “What?!”
