CHAPTER FOUR ~ ABBY ~ NOW
Considering the bigdeal Drew made about tonight, I assumed we were going out for a night on the town.Now, as I pass the dining room, I pause when I see it’s decked out in balloons and streamers, with Drew and Brodie’s best dishes laid out on the table.I laugh when I spot the chair at the far end; it’s covered in gauzy red material, with a garland of colourful flowers draped over it, and a glittering plastic tiara dangling from one side.
Classic Drew.There wasn’t a lot of room for anything whimsical in our lives as children, so she’s fully embraced the whimsy now.
Tied in with that is the fact she’s a self-proclaimed maximalist, which is evident in every room of the home she and Brodie have created.Framed photos and artwork adorn the walls, knick-knacks and collectibles are on display in every room, and the couches and chairs in the living room have enough cozy throws and decorative cushions to fill a small department store.There’s colour and life and love in every inch of this house.
The sound of Brodie’s voice, followed by Drew’s laughter, draws me toward the kitchen.Music plays from Drew’s phone, and I’m not at all surprised to find the two of them holding each other close and swaying, as if the song were a ballad instead of an upbeat pop tune.
Knowing they’re prone to random makeout sessions, even after all these years together, I should probably announce my presence, and yet, I find myself leaning in the doorway and watching them.I didn’t have many examples of healthy relationships growing up.My parents had a toxic on-again, off-again relationship that was rife with manipulation and borderline abuse.By the time I went to live with my grandma when I was five, she’d been a widow for well over a decade and had zero interest in dating.
The way Drew and Brodie love each other is like something out of a storybook.I still remember all those years ago when Drew confessed she was waiting for the other shoe to drop where Brodie was concerned.It never did.Their relationship isn’t perfect, of course; they drive each other nuts occasionally and have disagreements, but they’re committed to making things work.
In the three months I’ve been staying with them, witnessing their love firsthand again after years of short visits has filled me with joy.Although I’m not proud of it, there’s some envy mixed in there too, especially as my thirty-fifth birthday approaches.Life isn’t what I thought it would be at this age.Just like I’ve always known I didn’t want kids, I’ve also always had the desire to find my own version of what Drew and Brodie have.
For a while, I thought I had it with Rodger.Another secret shame of mine is that as much as I loved him, there was always something missing.I could never quite put my finger on what it was.Or maybe, more accurately, I was afraid to examine it too closely because I knew it would lead to a certain blue-eyed Scot who owns a piece of my heart, no matter how hard I try to deny it.
A different Scot spies me now from across the room.With a wink and a devilish grin, Brodie spins Drew and releases her in my direction.She and I laugh as we collide and wrap our arms around each other.
The doorbell rings, and Brodie offers to go.Drew disentangles herself from me and crosses the room to check on something in the oven.“Now that Fern is here, I can tell you the surprise is a pre-birthday party.”
“A pre-birthday party,” I repeat.“Are we not celebrating my actual birthday in two weeks?”
“Of course we are, but we thought you could use a little pick-me-up,” she says.“We also have an early gift for you.Something that can’t wait.”
“Plus, you know Drew will use any excuse to have a dinner party,” Brodie says, coming back into the kitchen with Fern by his side.
“Andwe’lltake any excuse for the MacKinlays to feed us, right, Abs?”Fern says, laughing as she greets me with a hug.
It’s true.Starting with that first Thanksgiving together sixteen years ago, Brodie and Graeme taught the three of us how to cook, and Drew discovered she had an aptitude for it.She even briefly toyed with the idea of abandoning her path to becoming a teacher in favour of becoming a chef.The days of living on instant noodles, Kraft Dinner, and lacklustre sandwiches seem like a lifetime ago now.
Drew shoos us out of the kitchen and tells us to go sit at the table.When we enter the dining room, I notice something I missed before: a fifth place setting.Hope surges inside me as I wonder if part of the surprise and the reason for celebrating early is that Graeme is here.He hasn’t been back to visit since Drew and Brodie’s wedding four years ago, but maybe they arranged for him to come for my thirty-fifth birthday.
Just as I’m thinking that, Brodie makes a quiet sound of dismay and swoops in to remove the extra place setting, shooting Fern a sympathetic smile.
“Lacey and I broke up this afternoon,” Fern explains, referring to the woman she’d been seeing for the last couple of months.“We just weren’t on the same wavelength, so it was inevitable.It’s better it happened now, especially with the four of us—”
“Back together in the city,” Brodie cuts in smoothly.
Fern’s eyes go wide as her gaze darts in my direction.“Right, yes, with the four of us being back together, and here to celebrate Abby.”
Before I can question what just happened, Drew bustles into the room, carrying a giant platter.Based on the savoury scents wafting from the oven, I suspected what was on the menu for tonight, and my suspicions are confirmed when she sets the platter in the centre of the table.
