That might have irked her more than she was letting on. “He’s pretty amazing, but you knew that.”
“I’m going outside to warn the boys to hide before I puke in Zeke’s bushes.”
Like always, my mother caused a minor family rumble with her entrance. Sadly, Brenda didn’t make good on her promise to leave.
“Well, yes. And when your father told me about your talk, I knew he was the one for my baby.”
I snuck a glance at Dad, and he suddenly began searching my cabinets. Coward. “Glasses are to your right.”
“Thanks,” he said without a hint of shame. He found the right cabinet and pulled out a tall glass.
“I knew, too,” Brenda said. “You were so in lurve when you called. It was adorable.”
I made a mental note toneverhave a family party at my house again. “So literally everyone in existence knew before I did.”
“No surprise there, Nugget.” Ajax sauntered in and kissed Mom on the cheek. “You’ve always been the most oblivious one in the family.”
He clapped me on the back before giving Dad a hug.
I glared at him, rubbing my shoulder while Brenda cackled like the hyena she was. How did my family members always seem to show up right when it was time to pick on Zeke?
“No way, Jax,” Orion said, standing in the doorway. “You win the award for most clueless Masterson. I could give examples if you’d like.”
“I’m good.” He shook his head, and I knew there was a story to be had.
Orion joined us in my suddenly cramped kitchen. “Hi Ruth.” He bent and kissed her cheek. “It’s wonderful to see you again.”
She kissed him back and then cuffed the back of his head. “If you ever lock yourself away for decades again, I’m going to personally come kick in your door.”
He and I shared a look and my knees got weak. “That’s not going to happen,” I said.
I dared anyone to make a comment, and despite all the ribbing I took on a regular basis, everyone recognized this wasn’t the topic to joke about.
“Excellent,” Mom said. “And since that’s the case, you can finally call me Mom. It’s not like I haven’t been your mother all these centuries.”
Orion’s eyes darted to me, but I wasn’t getting involved in this. They’d known each other way longer than I’d been alive.
“Mom.” It came out tentatively, but he seemed satisfied. “I can do that, but does this mean things will change between us?”
“Yeah, she’ll henpeck you more now,” Jax said. He withered under my mother’s scowl. “I’ll go check on the ice to see if it’s melting.”
“Nothing is going to change because nothinghaschanged,” Mom said. “I’ve loved you like a son all these centuries. Now you can’t wiggle out of being part of the family anymore.”
There was a story to that, too. The things you learned at family get-togethers.
“I’ve never refused to be part of the family.” Ori looked almost offended.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t fast enough to have stopped his comment.
“I’ve got seventy years that says otherwise,” Dad said. “And at least two centuries before that when you made yourself scarce. And by the way, it’s Dad from now on. I’ve earned it, too.”
Orion looked a bit overwhelmed. Laelhadstrained Ori’s relationship with the family. By the time I was born, he hardly ever came around.
“I’m not sure I can do that. You’ve been Ares since forever.”
Dad shrugged and it was over, Ori just didn’t know it. “If you’re with Zeke, you’re part of the family. Ruth and I are the head of the family. It’s proper manners to address us as such.”
I touched Ori’s arm and he looked at me with a bewildered expression. This wasn’t about a change in the relationship. Mom and Dad felt they failed Orion when he needed them. They believed it was their fault he’d descended so low.
