TWENTY-ONE
THE SONG OF BEING A FAMILY
ALEX
Our shadows stretchedacross the foyer floor as we stepped inside. Seb gave me a quick smile before letting go of my hand. He had held it the entire way back up here, even when one of the older Seastonians drove by and clearly noticed. It made sense that he would let go now, though. Wanting to tell his parents about us was one thing; walking in there hand in hand after all the yelling was another.
The smell of fresh coffee drifted through the house. Dishes clattered in the kitchen, stopping right as I closed the door.
“Is that you?” Laura called out to us.
“We’re back,” Sebastian replied, heading into the kitchen with a quick stride.
With my hand still on the doorknob, I froze. Hearing them move around in the other room was enough to make my breath turn shallow again.
Instead of following Seb, I listened, trying to get a feel for the situation. I heard clothes rustling, a knock against the countertop, and a quick exhale followed by a trembling inhale.
“Where’s Alex?” Laura asked, sending shivers down my back.
“He’s…” Sebastian’s head poked through the doorway, his eyes wide and searching. “You okay? You don’t have to be shy.” He smiled with a warmth that finally got my feet moving again.
As soon as I walked through the doorway, Laura rushed over and wrapped her arms around me. “I was so worried that we’d driven you away.”
While hugging as a greeting wasn’t common for us, we had done it before. But this hug was different. It lasted five times as long as usual and was at least twice as tight.
“I’m sorry,” I muttered, keeping my eyes on the floor.
“No,youdon’t have to be.” She finally let go of me, her eyes darting to Sebastian and Dany, who were standing by the kitchen table.
“I already apologized,” Sebastian said, raising his hands in front of his chest as he glanced at his father.
Dany narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms, giving his son the same look.They all sure as hell made it clear to each other who they thought was at fault.
“Laura,” I said, pulling their attention back to me. “Even if you don’t think I have to say it, I want to.” My gaze moved between them. “I’m sorry for yelling at all of you, and for causing all that trouble. But I think it’s safe to say we’re all sorry for different things. What matters now is that we’re all here.”
“I couldn’t have said it better,” Dany stated, his eyes still on Seb for another second before he turned to me. “Sorry for letting things escalate like that. We were really worried about you.”
“Thank you. I appreciate it.”
We all exchanged a smile before Laura clapped her hands together and whirled around. “Now, let’s talk it out.” She went behind the counter and brought out a plate of sandwiches, wrapped in aluminum foil. “I wasn’t sure if you guys were hungry, so I made enough for all of us.”
“I know I am,” Sebastian said, sitting down at the table with such determination I wondered if sandwiches had solved fights before.
I pulled out the chair next to him and sat down. Laura unwrapped the serving plate and placed it in the middle of the table.
The white bread was lightly toasted. Cheese, tomatoes, bacon, and lettuce stuck out from the sides of the triangular sandwiches.
“So, I hope it’s okay to ask…” Dany held on to his coffee mug and watched the steam rise. “What kind of music do you two make?”
Seb’s jaw clenched. I guess, even with all the apologies, it wasn’t that easy to stop reacting a certain way once you got used to it. He grabbed a sandwich, took a bite, and chewed slowly.
“I’d say it’s pop,” I answered for him.
“Like, all-ages pop or… young-people pop?” Dany chuckled nervously.
“What is—never mind,” it grumbled beside me, but then he took another bite and chewed as if it was the only thing keeping him from snapping.
“No, go ahead. You can ask,” Dany replied.
