18. Elle
Claudia stayed for an hour after telling me about our fabulous kick-arse niece, her mood lifting from the sadness when she first arrived. I didn’t have to ask her where her mind drifted off to. I already knew.
Claudia, Gisele and I were different ages, but we might as well be triplets when it came to understanding one another. Many times, no words or explanations were needed, we were connected in a way that most siblings weren’t.
Claudia’s miscarriage rocked the family, she had been so excited she told us as soon as the stick turned pink, not wanting to wait for the ‘safe period.’ Even if she had of kept it to herself Gisele and I would’ve figured it out anyhow. That was how close the three of us were.
When Claude fell apart, Josh never left her side. He let her cry, he let her scream and rage, whatever she needed to do, Josh supported her without question. I loathed to even think about how envious that made me, to see a husband be on his wife’s side, helping her through the worst thing that could happen to a couple. My own spouse wouldn’t even get me an aspirin if I had a headache. It just proved great sex did not make a marriage.
In hindsight I should’ve made him wait to bed me, because as soon as the wedding bands were on the sex diminished from daily to weekly to monthly to finally nothing. Jake spent most of his nights in his man cave drinking and playing video games with his online buddies. Or, just gone. Fishing or other women, I gave up wondering and worrying.
Anytime my wandered to the idiot I married my mood soured, and personally I was getting sick of myself, I can only imagine what other people thought of me. Not that I gave a shit. Unlike Gisele the family curse was nothing but a load of bullshit, although I admitted I could see why outsiders believed it. To some of them we Blessing women didn’t exactly exude luck.
Today was not a day for any thoughts of Jake. Today was a day for my dad and me to cook our famous sticky ribs for tonight’s girls only night.
Every Tuesday night at five pm on the dot, all Blessing women and Dani, Gisele’s best friend and basically part of our family sat down and watched five episodes of our favourite show, Chicago Fire. We were impatiently waiting for the new season to finish so we can watch it without waiting a week for the next episode. Something none of us were good at doing. So, while the wait was on, we were doing a rewatch of the show from the first season, tonight it was season two. It was compulsory attendance no excuses were accepted. And no men.
Dad helped with the ribs simply because his recipe for the sticky sauce was his own and probably only secret from mum. Not only that it was hands down better than anything any restaurant or takeaway franchise offered. Nothing compared to it.
Sticky ribs and hot firemen. What more did you need in life.
My own real fireman would be nice.I mused ruefully, walking into the back of the house where my dad was already stirring up a huge bowl of rich brown sticky sauce to marinade the ribs in.
“Hey there Daddio,” I greeted my father cheerfully, dropping the huge parcel of ribs I brought from the butcher on the way, before leaning up on my tiptoes to plant a kiss on his beard covered cheek.
“Hello smelly Ellie,” he replied just a cheerfully. Honestly, the number of nicknames in this family would boggle anyone else’s mind. “How many kilos did you get?” He asked me the same question every Tuesday and every Tuesday I gave him the same answer.
“Three. Enough for us and enough for you to take to Josh’s.” I answered dutifully, unwrapping the butcher’s paper and tossing the ribs in the massive bowl of marinade, then took a seat on the stool on the other side of the bench and watched my dad work.
“What’s going on with you sweat pea?” dad asked, the food gloves barely covering his massive hands. “Anything new on where the fuckwit is?”
“No according to Jami the last time I spoke with him. Apparently, he went back to Gracefield for some office work but according to Gisele he is due back this afternoon.”
“Jami?” dad’s eyebrows rose in interest.
“Yep,” I smiled, “Seems he likes only Gisele calling him Jamison.”
“That sounds interesting, has your mother caught wind of this yet?”
“Ah have you heard her singing it from the roof tops or stocking extra bridal magazines in the shop?” Sarcasm? Bloody oath.
“Good god, Gisele has no hope if your mother gets involved, neither does Jury for that matter,” dad muttered but there was nothing but devotion in his tone and eyes when he spoke of his wife.
Swinging my feet absently, and watching dad, I suddenly had an idea.
“You know, daddy, it might be nice if you invited Jami to join you Jake and Ryan for guys night. Sort of welcome him to town after what happened the first day he arrived. It’s been a little over a week now.” Choosing my words carefully, I hoped by playing peacekeeper it might help Gisele take that first step. There was definitely something brewing between my little sister and the big city detective. If anyone had the right to be happy and have some fun it was Gisele.
“Already messaged him the time and place, Elle Naomi,” dad announced shocking the shit out of me.
“Huh?”
Laughing, dad tore the gloves off and tossed them in the bin, then put the bowl uncovered in the fridge. It was part of his secret, and why they didn’t need to marinade for as long as other recipes called for. Or that was what he believed, and we never disputed him.
“Darlin girl, your mum isn’t the only one who knows what is going on with our daughters. I might be silent most of the time and let your mother rule the roost, but I have eyes and I know my girls. I can see Gisele is interested in Jury, and in my opinion, it is about time.” I stared at my father, totally and completely gobsmacked. Jock Blessing was a man unto himself. Surrounded by females, but nothing ever got past him, he simply chose when to have his say and when to stay quiet.
Today, he decided to say is piece. Okay then.
“I love you Dad,” I said in quiet awe for the man who helped bring me into this world.
“Love you to pieces Elle Naomi, you have made me proud since the day they put you in my arms.”
A man of few words, but damn they packed a punch.
“What do you mean dad invited Jamison to guys night?” Gisele screeched dramatically and predictably. Looking at Claudia I held out my hand, waiting for her to pay up.
Rolling her eyes, Claudia still reached into her pocket and pulled out a five dollar note, “This was hardly a fair bet, chickee. Gisele is overly dramatic if she is busting to go to the bloody loo.” Slapping the money on my palm.
“Um hello, no one is listening to me,” Gisele screeched again, “and seriously you’re still betting on me. Really!”
“Why are you hollering for this time Gisele Heidi,” Georgina’s amused question sounded like one, but she already knew why. Georgina always knew why.
Taking the platter of steaming ribs from my mother, I gave her a droll look. “Like you don’t already know.”
Trying to look innocent and failing miserably, Mum sat down on the couch between Gisele and Claudia. “I wonder how Jury is doing on his first guys night with Big Jock,” she mused innocently, then grabbed the remote and found the streaming channel where our men were waiting for us.
Smiling at my mother, the ban of my existence and the women I worshipped with my whole heart. I turned to the television desperate to see the sexiest blue eyes in tv land, ignoring Gisele who was still having a meltdown.