I barely manage to stand up before my siblings wrap me up in their arms, cooing over how much I’ve changed.
“Guys,” I say, trying to be heard over the ruckus. It doesn’t work; they keep talking over me. “Guys,” I say louder, practically yelling. That does it. Their mouths snap shut as they step back, eyeing me suspiciously. “This is my friend, Aaron.”
Five sets of eyes turn to look at him as I register my mistake. I’m not sure which is worse, being completely ignored or overwhelmed, but he’s about to find out.
“It’s so nice to have you here,” my mother says, extending her hand to him. Fuck, they’re being gentle. I’ve never known her to do anything besides throw her arms around someone. I guess my warning speech actually took for once.
“Thanks so much for letting me spend Christmas with you. I hope it won’t be too much of an imposition.” My brother Daniel snorts at the comment, but Aaron doesn’t seem to notice.
“Nonsense. We love having you here. Any… friend of Ollie’s is welcome.”Subtle, Mom.“Why don’t you two go put your coats up and grab some lunch in the kitchen. Sandwich stuff is still out on the counter. We tried to wait for you, but the little ones got hungry. We’ll introduce you to everyone else later.” She gives Aaron a knowing look. “Maybe one at a time.”
Jane and Daniel gripe a bit, but whatever my mom says is the final word around here, so they head back down the hall to the living room. Scamp whimpers until I put him down so he can chase after them. Normally, I’d consider that traitorousbehavior, but today I’m thankful for a bit of peace to help get Aaron settled.
“Come on.” I grab Aaron’s hand, leading him to the kitchen, and the promise of decent food. It’s only when my mom spots us that I consider how it looks. I quickly drop Aaron’s hand, not wanting them to get the wrong idea. I don’t personally care, but I know Aaron doesn’t want them to get the wrong idea. That’s one of the things we discussed. He’s worried they’ll put pressure on us.
His concerns certainly have merit. As the last single one in the bunch, they’ve all turned their attention toward finding me a spouse of my own. It can be a bit… much. It’s part of the reason I moved away.
Fuck, maybe this was a bad idea. There’s no chance we’ll be able to keep this away from my family. I’d say they might be cool about it, but I know they won’t. It’s the opposite of the general vibe around here.
“What do you want?” I motion toward the assortment of food across the counter. It looks like a football team came through here, the way all the half-empty containers are strewn about. Maybe that’s true. Between the two of my siblings who are here, there are four kids. I’m not sure how many it takes to put together a whole team, but we’re well on the way.
“I can get it,” he says, stepping forward and taking in the mess.
“Sit. Let me.”
Aaron hesitates, but gives in, taking a seat on a stool.
“What do you want?”
“Surprise me.”
That’s a tall order, but I can manage it. I pull a few turkey slices out and add them to a piece of wheat bread. It’s the kind of healthy crap he usually likes. In the interest of making it at least slightly enjoyable, I add a slice of Swiss cheese and a bit ofmustard. For my own, I take a more generous approach, mixing plenty of cheese and meat with a hearty helping of mayo. On white bread, thank you very much.
“So, Aaron, tell us a bit about yourself?”
I knew it was a trap. I might not have known exactly how, but I knew it would show up. My mom was waiting, biding her time until the perfect moment to pounce. With me distracted by food, it was the ideal opportunity to get Aaron all to herself.
“What would you like to know, Mrs. Walsh?”
“Please call me Maggie. We’re not formal around here, a fact you’re going to be aware of very quickly.” She pulls a few cans of seltzer out of the fridge and offers one to Aaron. When he nods, she hands it over. We must have plenty of pop, as well. They always have a variety for the grandkids, but somehow she knows he doesn’t drink any of it. “Whatever you want to tell me will be fine.”
“Well.” Aaron takes a big, deep breath. “I live in Cardinal Falls, which you know. I’ve been there now for about seventeen years, ever since I started college.”
While Aaron tells my mom the basics of his life, I finish putting together our sandwiches and join them at the table.
“And how is our Ollie doing these days?”
“Mom!” As childish as it is, I put my head down on the table and groan.
“He’s great. All my friends adore him, and he’s been training for some upcoming races with me.”
“Now that’s a rumor I heard, but didn’t believe was true.”
“For fucks sake.” Lucky for me, I mumble that enough that my mom can’t be sure of what I said.
“How did you convince him to engage in physical activity?”
I nearly choke at the comment.
