Chapter 13 #2
Later that evening, after the wrapping paper had been cleared away, after Christmas dinner had been served and hugs given, the house was finally still. Lights from the tree twinkled, illuminating the room.
Beth and Jamie had left after dinner, carrying bags of gifts and leftovers. Wren, who had been half snoozing on the couch for the entirety of the movie Elf, finally pulled herself up to head to bed, disappearing upstairs.
That left Sarah and Lily curled up on the couch under a massive knit throw blanket.
The Grinch played on the TV—not the cartoon version, “the one with the people,” as Lily had always called it.
Sarah wasn’t about to argue. She had a half-empty mug of peppermint hot chocolate in her hand and her arm loosely draped around Lily’s shoulder.
She stole a glance at her daughter, marveling at how much she was beginning to look less like a kid and more like the adult she was becoming. How on earth do I have a seventeen-year-old?
“You know, technically, the Grinch kind of has two moms,” Lily said, catching Sarah off guard.
“What?”
Lily pointed to the TV. “When the Grinch gets dropped off, it’s those two Whoville ladies who raise him, and no one ever makes a big deal about it.”
A pang of guilt twisted in Sarah’s chest, realizing what this moment was triggering for her daughter. “Lily—”
“It’s fine, Mom,” she interrupted quietly. “I just wish people would find something else to ask me about. Every time a reporter brings it up, I want to scream. I feel like what they’re really asking me is to explain our family.”
“I’m so sorry you have to deal with that, sweetie.”
Lily shrugged off her words. “It’s okay.
I’ve figured out how to handle it. Jamie and Amanda have been really helpful with teaching me how to navigate the interviews and everything.
I’m polite and I talk about love and support and try to give them the soundbite I know they want.
” She turned to face Sarah fully now. “But it still sucks sometimes. Not because of you and Mama or Jamie; just because people are dumb and small-minded.”
Sarah reached out and tucked a strand of fine blonde hair behind Lily’s ear, her fingers brushing lightly against her cheek.
“I don’t get it, though,” Lily continued.
“It’s so stupid. I mean, you and Mama taught me that love is what makes a family, not who carried who or what last name you have.
It’s love. I get to live that every day, and I think that’s so cool.
I feel sorry for the people who don’t get to experience what I do because they can’t see past their own version of family. ”
Sarah sat there, quietly stunned and blown away by Lily and the way her mind processed the world around her. Yeah, she was probably going to cry.
“You know,” Sarah choked out, her voice hoarse, “you’re kind of incredible.”
“Ew, Mom, don’t cry!” Lily teased, snuggling in deeper under the blanket. “But you’re right. I am kind of incredible.”
They watched the remainder of the movie together, with Lily curled up with her the same way she used to when she was younger, and Sarah running her fingers through Lily’s long blonde waves.
“Mom?” came Lily’s quiet voice.
“Mmm?”
“How come you never go on any dates?”
Sarah’s fingers stopped abruptly as she digested Lily’s question. “That kind of came out of nowhere, Lil,” she said, trying to buy herself a moment as she resumed her earlier movements.
“I’ve just been wondering. You’re smart, and pretty, and weirdly actually kind of funny.”
“What do you mean actually? I’m hilarious,” she said, ruffling Lily’s hair slightly, deflecting her question. Lily batted her hand away, flattening her hair back into place. “I guess I’m not interested in dating right now,” she said truthfully.
Lily gave her a skeptical look.
“I have everything I need with you here. And your mom and Jamie, and even Wren.”
And Nell.
That thought stopped her in her tracks.
“But what about being in love and finding your person?” Lily asked.
“Everyone is in such a rush to find someone, and people will make you feel like there is a prize waiting for you at the end for crossing the finish line, but there is more to life than finding love.” She looked down at Lily’s head in her lap, those big blue eyes she loved so much looking back at her.
“Being in love—true love—is the best feeling in the world.” She cupped Lily’s cheek gently.
“And you’ll meet a lot of people in your life who could be your person, and they might even feel like the right one for a while.
But that love that all the fairy tales and rom-coms talk about, sweetie?
That love doesn’t stick unless you’re okay being with yourself first. That’s what I’m working on right now—I’m falling in love with me. ”
Lily was quiet for a moment as she thought about what Sarah had said. “I think that’s really cool, Mom. But I still think some dork out there is missing out.” Her smile spread across her entire face as she laughed, and Sarah reached down to tickle her sides.
“Some dork, huh?”
Two streaks of light cut across the wall, catching their attention. They both sat up and glanced toward the driveway.
“Who’s that?” Lily asked.
Sarah leaned forward, tapping on her phone to check the time. It was well past the time anyone should be visiting. “Probably your mom or Jamie. I bet they forgot something.”
She got up to head to the door, but when she opened it, her jaw nearly dropped. In front of her was a figure carrying a duffel bag, wearing a black Carhartt jacket and a well-loved Boston Red Sox hat, concealing a long, messy strawberry blonde ponytail.
“Auntie Kelly!” Lily said excitedly, as she ran onto the porch and flung her arms around Kelly, who scooped her right up in a big bear hug.
“Lily! How’s my favorite niece?” she said, beaming, before looking at Sarah. “Hey, sis. Merry Christmas. Is it cool if I crash here for a bit?”
“What on earth are you doing here?” Sarah said, pulling her sister into a hug and then stepping back and holding the door open for her.
Kelly smiled, grabbed her duffel, and entered the house. Lily followed her.
“Boat got back a few hours ago. I grabbed a drink at the bar with some of the guys from the crew, then hopped on the ferry. Managed to sweet-talk an adorable redhead into giving me a ride here. Got her number, obviously, and we’re grabbing coffee tomorrow at a place called the Grumpy Goat.
Terrible name for a coffee shop, by the way.
” Kelly winked at Lily, who looked at her with adoration.
“How are the whales? Did you learn anything new about them? Your job is so cool.”
Her younger sister, Kelly, had always been the wild child of their family.
Fifteen years younger than Sarah, their relationship had always felt more aunt/niece than what she could call a sibling bond, considering that Kelly was only three when Sarah had gone off to college.
Kelly spent most of her time off-grid and on a boat somewhere off the coast of Canada, studying the migratory patterns of whales.
How she had ended up in that specific career field was still a mystery to Sarah, but Kelly loved it.
“The whales are good. They send their regards.” Kelly grinned before turning toward Sarah, her signature strawberry blonde ponytail whipping around.
“Got any bourbon ’round here, Sar?” She tossed her bag onto the floor before heading toward the bar cart Sarah kept stocked in the dining room.
Kelly returned moments later with a tumbler and two fingers of bourbon in hand.
“Hey . . .” She looked at Lily, who was still standing in the foyer with Sarah.
“Shouldn’t you be in bed? It’s pretty late, kid. ”
“I’m seventeen, and it’s the holidays. I don’t have a bedtime.”
“God, I wish I still had someone telling me when I should go to bed.” She groaned, and Sarah watched, bemused, as Kelly motioned with her finger for Lily to come closer.
“I’m going to tell you the secret of life, kid.
Sleep as much as you can now, because once you’re thirty, your body turns against you and hurts for no reason.
Also, you get up at least once a night to pee, so take advantage of the restful sleep of your youth and head to bed.
Plus, I don’t want to bore you with the grown-up things I need to talk to your mom about. ”
Sarah glanced at the clock on the wall. It was after midnight.
“She’s right, Lil, you should head to bed.
They all said their good-nights before Lily disappeared up the stairs. Sarah rounded on Kelly.
“I’m going to need something stronger than peppermint hot chocolate for this, aren’t I?”
“Is the Pope catholic?”
Kelly echoed the retort that had been a fixture of their childhood, something their mother had always said when one of the seven Gallagher kids asked a question that, in her eyes, was particularly stupid.
She led Kelly into the kitchen, where she slid easily onto one of the stools.
The kitchen was still warm from the earlier buzz of the day, and still smelled faintly of cinnamon.
Sarah leaned on the island across from Kelly, slowly bringing her glass to her lips and giving her a quizzical look that had always been effective at extracting information from people.
“I thought your research trip wasn’t over until March,” Sarah said, squinting suspiciously.
Kelly made a smug face—one Sarah remembered from their childhood. The same one Kelly would make when she got away with something she shouldn’t have.
Sarah cocked a brow. “What did you do?”
Kelly took a sip of bourbon, letting the silence stretch. “Okay, so maybe this one was my fault.” She raised her hands gingerly. “I got a little, uh . . . caught up.”
“Caught up,” Sarah echoed. “You mean like sleeping with someone on your boat again?”
Kelly winced. “Ehh, it’s a little worse. This time, it was two someones.”
Sarah let her head thunk lightly against the countertop. “Jesus, Kel.”