Chapter 21
A real found family
Alex
I’ve never been to a kids’ baseball game before, and didn’t think I would enjoy it, but I am. I really fucking am.
Amelia’s entire family is here, along with some family friends, cheering all the players on. The whole group goes wild any time Justin, Jenny, or Aaron does anything. Tiffany’s sitting away from the rest of us and looks bored. She seems more concerned with her fingernails and phone than the game.
At the other end of our large group, Grant laughs with a blonde girl around his age.
“So is that Grant’s girlfriend?” I ask, nodding toward them.
“Who… Oh, Haven? No, no, that would be a disaster.” Lizzie shakes her head and shudders.
Amelia turns her head to watch them for a minute. “God, could you imagine?”
“No. That would be so fucking weird.”
“Really? They seem like they really get along.” I furrow my brow. I swear the two of them haven’t stopped laughing since they got here.
Lizzie laughs. “Well, yeah. They’re besties. Have been even longer than me and Minnie.”
Amelia nods. “Mom and Haven’s mom met in the baby store when they were both pregnant. Those two are thicker than blood, two peas in a pod, and basically think of each other as siblings.” Amelia smiles fondly as she talks about her brother and his best friend.
“We love Haven. She’s one of my bridesmaids, works with me at the coffee shop, and is one of our best friends, too.
Minnie even got to see her in the hospital when she was born almost twenty years ago.
We both went to the hospital when Raelynn was born, though.
” Lizzie grins in the direction of Henry and a little blonde girl sitting next to him, holding his hand.
“So Grant and Haven are best friends, and Grant’s little brother and Haven’s little sister are best friends? That’s cute.”
“Oh, Raelynn is Haven’s daughter, not her sister,” Lizzie says. “And don’t get all judgy over there.”
“I wasn’t getting judgy, promise.” I raise my hands in denial. “Teen dad, remember?”
“Yeah. Well, it’s kind of a…complicated story.”
“That’s one word for it,” Amelia mutters.
“Fucked up fits, too. But Haven’s one of the strongest people we know. We’re proud as hell of that girl, aren’t we, Min?” Lizzie bumps her shoulder into Amelia’s.
“Fuck yeah, we are. She’s my hero.”
After another few minutes, Amelia looks around and then turns to Lizzie. “Where’s Calvin? He promised Aaron he would come.”
Lizzie glances at her phone and frowns. “I texted him this morning to remind him, then again at lunch since Mason’s cabin is an hour away.
” She taps on the screen and her frown deepens a few seconds later.
“His cell service is really shitty up there. And apparently the wifi went down, so he didn’t get my messages until just now. ”
Amelia gets the look that tells me she’s pissed off. I’ve seen that look many times over the last year, like when clients try to swing deals too far in their favor. Or when the coffee shop is out of all the good pastries.
“Mmmhhmmm. Is he doing anything with you this week, Bean? Maybe, oh, I don’t know, meeting your dad or hanging out with your family before Saturday?”
“That was the plan, but every time we talk, it’s like more and more of his friends show up. And they’re not even here for the wedding, just to party all week.” Lizzie blows a piece of wayward hair out of her face. Amelia purses her lips. I know she wants to say more, but she holds herself back.
The kids win the game, and everyone starts piling into cars. Tiffany invites me over for dinner, and huffs when I tell her I already have plans with the Sinclairs. She glares at me and then yells at Travis and Aaron to get in the car. Her shrill voice makes me cringe.
Once we’re back at the house, Joan prepares burger and hot dog fixings while Barry starts the grill. I stand with him, drinking beer and shooting the breeze. He’s about ten years older than I am, but he says his kids keep him young.
“I never thought we’d have a houseful like we do, but now I can’t imagine life any other way.” He takes a swig of his beer and flips a few burgers. “You never wanted more kids after Lizzie?”
“I didn’t really think about it one way or another for a long time,” I reply, my tone somewhat melancholy.
He raises an eyebrow and gives me a knowing look. “And now you are?” he asks. I nod and he chuckles. “I’m guessing a woman’s at the center of that change. So why do you seem so down about it? And don’t give me any shit about being forty.”
“Pretty sure I fucked things up with her.” No way am I going into details or telling this man it’s his daughter I want that family with.
“There’s no hope of fixing it?” He has very expressive eyes, like Amelia’s, but not the same blue as hers. Sadness and sympathy for me pour out of them.
“I still have hope. I might always. But she’s not very…
Well, to be honest, she’s pissed as hell at me and has good reason to be.
I said some shit I didn’t really mean and I can’t expect her to just get over it, but since she won’t talk to me right now, I can’t exactly explain how I feel or beg for forgiveness, you know? ”
He slaps me on the back. “You love her?”
“So fucking much.”
“Then you’ll figure out a way.”
“I’m working on it.”
They have a big backyard with multiple tables set up.
Barry says they always automatically count on a few extra mouths to feed, and they wouldn’t have it any other way.
Within a few minutes, the tables are filled with potato chips, potato salad, fruit, buns, condiments, and toppings.
Amelia’s sister Christy puts on an apron and takes drink orders, writing them down on a notepad covered in cats.
A few minutes later, Amelia walks over, her arms full of soda cans. “Alright, I can’t read that kid’s handwriting for shit. If there’s nothing you like, go find it for your own damn self.”
I jump to help her set them down.
“Thanks.” She barely glances at me as she pulls more cans out of her back pockets. “There’s a pitcher of sweet tea and one of sad, non-sweet tea inside.”
Henry crawls out from under the closest table and latches onto her leg. “Juicejuicejuice!”
Amelia takes his hand in hers.
“Me, too, MinMin! Me, too!” Raelynn runs up, and Amelia takes her hand as well.
“Of course, Sir Henry, Lady Raelynn, juice you shall have.” Her terrible British accent makes them giggle, and all the other kids mimic her.
It sounds like a British cooking show as they put their plates together, a chorus of ‘don’t forget a slice of toe-mah-toe’ and ‘please pass the crisps’ going around the kids’ table.
I can’t help but join in. When Amelia and the littles return from the kitchen with sippy cups of juice, she even cracks a smile at my antics.
It’s gone an instant later, but it was brilliant while it lasted.
I’ve seen Amelia smile a lot in the twenty-four hours I’ve been here, but this is the first time she smiled because of me. It’s a huge change from the almost constant smiles I brought to her face before.
I want them back.
Haven, Grant, and Lizzie switch to different accents, and soon it’s chaos.
Travis and Aaron wander over and make plates, too.
No one seems surprised, and no one questions them about it.
They just welcome Tiffany’s sons. After dinner, everyone pitches in to help clean up, and popsicles are passed out.
“Alright, home video time, the Lizzie edition! To the living room!” Barry points and then leads the way.
Lizzie groans but grins as we all follow him.
The living room is bigger than the den, but it still seems like people are sitting on top of each other.
The younger kids grab pillows and bean bag chairs from the corner and take up residence on the floor.
Henry walks over, a sticky mess, and holds out his dessert toward Lizzie. “I share with you.”
“Ah, thanks, buddy, that’s not gross at all.” Lizzie takes a little bite that’s probably more slobber than sugar and forces a smile. “Mmmm. You should share with Minnie.” That earns her a glare from her best friend.
Henry shakes his head. “No, you. I lobes you, Beanie Wienie.”
“Smooth, little dude.” She laughs, perching him on her knee and kissing the top of his head. “I love you, too.”
Haven sits next to her, and Raelynn crawls up to snuggle between them.
Henry reaches out to hold his best friend’s hand again, and I see Haven gently stroke her daughter’s hair as the little girl leans against her.
Amelia sits on the other side of Haven, and Grant sits next to her but sideways so his legs stretch out across their laps.
Raelynn and Henry both start tickling his feet.
When he threatens them with revenge, they just giggle and high-five each other.
It’s impossible to be grumpy around this group.
“Shall we start with the talent shows?” Barry asks.
“Oh, why the hell not?” Lizzie replies with a shrug.
“Maybe skip the year we thought we could do magic.” Amelia crinkles her nose adorably.
“Oh Jesus, yeah… That was a terrible year.” Lizzie shakes her head. “Should never be seen by anyone, ever.”
“That one’s my favorite!” Barry declares. He’s messing with the remote, scrolling through videos.
Lizzie laughs. “That’s because it was your idea.”
“It was a great idea. The execution could have used some work. Okay, we’re going in order, starting with third grade!”
For hours, we watch videos of my daughter’s childhood. The more we watch, the more thankful I am for this room full of people who not only recorded these moments but were part of them as well. And the more we watch, the more I regret not realizing I was missing out on so much.
It’s also a bit awkward, watching the woman I love grow up alongside my daughter in these videos. Thanks for the unintentional mindfuck, Barry.
Amelia is in all the talent show videos, where they danced, sang, played music, did magic (which was indeed terrible), and even a ventriloquist act where they took turns being the dummy.
Then there’s birthday parties, recitals, Christmases, spring breaks, summer vacations…
There’s adventures at lakes, day trips to the coast, camping in the woods, graduations, backyard barbecues, and road trips.
All of the Sinclairs, Lizzie’s siblings, and Haven show up throughout the years.
I savor every minute of the memories. There’s so much laughter.
Barry must have spent all day sorting through everything.
A new video starts and Amelia’s face fills the screen, Blair Witch style. The real version groans from across the couch. “You suck, Dad,” she grumbles. Barry cackles.
“So, as usual, Bean is late. Because she’s a jerk.
Worst best friend ever. She was supposed to be here seven minutes ago.
She’s probably not coming at all. Decided to hide in her room for the whole week.
I wonder if she’s alone in there.” She wags her eyebrows suggestively, then drops the phone. “Oh shit.”
“Oh my god, spring break, freshman year. How do you even have this?” Lizzie asks.
“It saved to the cloud.” Barry shrugs. “I found it by accident, and it made me laugh so hard I almost peed myself.”
On the screen, Amelia picks up the phone. “Anyway, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted… Bean has left me to my own devices for far too long. Nine minutes now. She knows better than that.”
A pounding can be heard from somewhere, which Amelia ignores. “I’m quite certain I’ll starve to death. We were going to go in search of the best pizza New York has to offer. A tall task, I know. Especially since we each already have our favorites, and they are not the same. Not. The. Same.”
“Minnie!” Pound, pound, pound. “What the fuck, let me in!”
“It’s almost as if I can hear her. I must be hallucinating due to starvation. Bean! Save me!” She looks into the camera and whispers, the back of her hand on her forehead dramatically, “Alas, poor Minnie. Wherefore art thou, Bean?”
She continues spouting nonsense for another minute before finally opening the door for Lizzie.
“Oh, Bean, there you are! What took you so long? I’ve just been sitting here waiting patiently for you.”
“Why do I put up with you?” Lizzie asks, the phone now basically looking up her nose.
Amelia giggles in response. “Even I don’t know anymore. I’m annoying as fuck.”
Chuckling, I look away from the TV, and my gaze crashes into hers across the couch from me. For just a moment, I see a corner of her mouth raise into a smirk, but then she narrows her eyes and huffs before turning her head.
God, I love my fucking sassy brat. And she is mine.
I’ll fix us, I promise her in my head.