"She did not."
"Well, not a real one. Yet." Mom's eyes twinkle. "But there's a stuffed one the size of a small car in the sunroom."
I groan, already picturing our house overrun with gifts for Poppy. "You're all going to spoil her rotten."
"That's what family does," Mom says simply, like it's the most obvious thing in the world.
I watch as my aunt Linda approaches Sadie with a leather-bound book that I recognize with a jolt, our family photo album. Sadie looks surprised but pleased as Linda sits beside her on the couch, opening to what I'm sure are embarrassing baby photos of me.
"Should I rescue her?" I ask Mom, half joking.
"Absolutely not. This is an important rite of passage." She shifts Poppy to her other hip. "Besides, look at her face."
Despite the obvious overwhelm, there's something else in Sadie's expression, a tentative joy, a cautious acceptance of the love being showered upon her.
"She's not used to this," I say quietly. "Being welcomed without questions. Being accepted just as she is."
Mom's expression softens. "Then it's about time someone showed her what family really means."
The doorbell rings, and Dad appears from the kitchen to answer it. Moments later, Rowan walks in, looking slightly windswept and carrying a gift bag.
"Sorry I'm late," she announces to the room at large. "Denver traffic is no joke."
Poppy immediately starts squirming in Mom's arms, recognizing her aunt's voice. "Ro-Ro!" she calls, reaching out with grabby hands.
Rowan's face lights up as she crosses the room, dropping her bag to take Poppy. "There's my favorite niece!"
"Only niece," Sadie corrects automatically from her spot on the couch, momentarily rescued from the photo album session.
"Semantics," Rowan dismisses with a grin, spinning Poppy in a circle that makes her shriek with laughter.
Mom watches them with undisguised delight. "Rowan, honey, there's plenty of food in the kitchen. Help yourself."
"Thanks, Diane," Rowan replies, and I'm struck by the easy familiarity between them. Somehow, while I wasn't looking, Rowan has been folded into the family too.
I catch Aiden's eye across the room, where he's leaning against the doorframe watching the proceedings with his usual quiet intensity. He raises his beer bottle in a silent toast, a knowing smile playing at his lips. He's been insufferably smug since the engagement, claiming credit for his "perfect timing" in showing up just when I needed backup.
Aunt Martha appears with a plate piled high with food, presenting it to Sadie like an offering. "You need to eat, honey. You're too thin."
"Oh, I couldn't possibly, " Sadie starts, eyeing the mountain of barbecue.
"Nonsense," Martha interrupts, pressing the plate into her hands. "Growing a family takes energy."
Sadie's eyes widen slightly, and I bite back a laugh. "We're not, I mean, we haven't?—"
"She means the wedding planning," I interject smoothly, crossing to rescue her. "Right, Aunt Martha?"
Martha winks at me. "Of course, dear. What else would I mean?"
Sadie shoots me a grateful look as I settle beside her on the couch, one arm draping casually around her shoulders. "Hanging in there?" I murmur against her ear.
"They're all so"—she searches for the word—"invested."
"That's the Slade women for you. Once they decide you're family, there's no escape."
A small smile plays at her lips. "I'm starting to get that."
Across the room, Poppy is being passed from Rowan to Adrienne, who immediately begins showing her off to our cousins. My little girl is eating up the attention, babbling and pointing, completely at ease in this chaos of love and belonging.
