I hated even saying his name. It was bad enough that she was spending the day with him, but she was also bringing her sisteralong, like it was some double date. Meanwhile, I’d be sitting at my parents’ house trying not to think about her, about them.
I rolled out of bed, grumpy and restless. My house was too quiet without the kids. Holidays without them always felt like a void I couldn’t fill.
I knew today would be hard for Natalie. She’d been upfront about how much she dreaded her kids meeting Jason’s girlfriend. But with things weird between us, and with me still pissed about her spending Thanksgiving with Lucas—it felt impossible to reach out.
I decided to focus on surviving Thanksgiving at my parents’ place. I picked up Evan on the way.
Evan slid into the passenger seat and buckled in, shooting me one of those side looks he was famous for. The kind that said he knew more than I wanted him to,
“You were pretty wound up the other night,” he said casually.
I kept my eyes on the road. “Was I?”
“Yeah,” His mouth curved, just a little. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to press. Just saying, I know when something gets under your skin.”
I didn’t bother answering. Silence was safer than admitting he was right.
“How’s Madison?” he asked, shifting the conversation.
“Grounded.”
“Of course, she is,” he said, smirking. “That one’s a spitfire. Reminds me of me at her age.”
I shot him a look. “Please don’t say that. I’m trying to keep her from becoming you.”
Evan laughed, unfazed. “Good luck with that.”
By the time we arrived, my mother had the house set up like a photoshoot for “Martha Stewart Living.” The dining table was arranged with an obscene amount of food, cheese platters,caviar, shrimp, the works. Naturally, she’d brought out the fine China.
Sarah was glowing. It took me a second to notice the massive rock on her left hand as she poured herself a glass of champagne. Todd hovered close to her, looking smug but trying not to seem smug.
“You didn’t even wait for dinner to announce it?” Evan teased, pointing to the ring.
Sarah beamed. “He proposed this morning!”
“Oh, perfect timing,” Evan said, winking at Todd.
“Todd, you picked a beautiful ring,” my mother said, clasping her hands together. She turned to Sarah. “It’s just perfect for you, sweetheart.”
Todd nodded. “It’s a family heirloom. I wanted it to be special.”
The conversation spiraled into wedding talk—venues, dates, colors. I zoned out, sipping my whiskey as they gushed. It wasn’t that I wasn’t happy for Sarah. She deserved this. Todd was a good guy, steady and reliable, the exact kind of person she needed. But watching her happiness only reminded me of how far I was from it. A failed marriage, an affair. A girlfriend I just cheated on with the woman I can’t seem to get out of my mind.
At dinner, my mom was in her element, assigning seats and orchestrating the meal like it was a royal banquet. I ended up next to Evan and my dad, who looked about as thrilled as I felt to be there.
“Will, don’t you think Ivy would make the perfect flower girl for Sarah’s wedding?” my mom asked midway through the meal.
It stung that the kids weren’t here to celebrate Sarah’s big news.
“She’d love that,” I said, keeping my tone neutral.
Sarah lit up. “That would be so sweet. She’d look adorable.”
“She’d steal the show,” Todd added with a grin.
“I’ll ask her when I see her next,” Sarah said.
My mother sighed, as if on cue. “I just wish Kelly and the kids were here. Holidays aren’t the same without them.”
