Chapter 3 #2
There’s so much food—the grandmas have clearly gone overboard.
Pot roast with mashed potatoes and gravy, the bread from heaven, several salads…
oh shit, the Lutheran Jell-O is there—the lime and cottage cheese one.
My siblings and I all eye each other warily as we try to come up with inventive ways to avoid it.
Goldie is closest to Grandma Donna, and my sister stares at me aghast when our grandma manages to scoop some onto Goldie’s already full plate. She squeaks when Grandma Donna pulls out the squeezy mayo, all poised to give Goldie’s Jell-O salad a dollop.
“No mayo for me, thanks, Grandma,” Goldie rushes out.
She clears her throat and doesn’t look up when my brothers and I snort, trying to hold back from laughing.
“Come on, Golds,” Tully says. “It’s always better with the mayo!”
“You try it with the mayo,” she snaps. “I don’t see it on yours.” Her head tilts. “Wait a minute. Grandma Donna, Tully needs some of that.”
“Oh dear, I didn’t realize it hadn’t gotten to you yet,” Grandma Donna says, reaching over to give Tully a huge helping.
He scowls at Goldie.
I choke back a laugh and then can’t hold it in. Our grandmas turn, smiling to see what’s so funny.
“Tully made a funny face,” I say weakly to Grandma Donna.
Tully gives me the finger when Grandma Donna isn’t looking, but Dad sees.
“Maybe some of us are still three-and-a-half years old,” he says under his breath.
“Here, I need some, Grandma Donna,” Goldie’s fiancé Milo says, holding up his plate.
We all turn to him, mouths gaping.
“Kiss ass.” Tully coughs in his fist.
Grandma Donna puts a pile on his plate, and he takes his fork and gets a huge clump of it on there. He pales when she adds the mayo at the last second, but then he gives us a defiant look as he puts it in his mouth.
“Mmm,” he says.
He then proceeds to gag and then tries to cover it up, hitting his fist on his chest.
“Took too big of a bite,” he says weakly.
“That’s my man,” Goldie says as she tries not to cackle.
Over all the laughing and chatter, Kevin decides to jump into the conversation. He hops onto his little stool beside the table and yips three times.
“Show them, Kevin,” Goldie says.
“Who’s the best dog in the whole world?” Dad asks.
Kevin spins in a circle, sits, then holds one paw in the air.
We all cheer, and it’s so loud, it scares him. He runs under the table between Dad’s and Goldie’s feet.
After dinner, I make mulled wine for everyone, and we play a game of gin rummy.
The warmth of the brandy in my chest, mixed with the warm fuzzies of being near my family again, leaves me feeling happier than I’ve been in a long time.
I was content in Colorado, happy even, but I missed my family more than I thought possible. It feels right to be back.
I’m about to leave to check on the restaurant when headlights sweep across the driveway. Goldie hops up before the doorbell rings so it doesn’t set Kevin off and then walks back with Ava.
She pauses just behind Goldie, holding a pie.
Since discovering we have a sister we didn’t know about, we’ve had a lot of awkward and emotional moments.
Our mother had Ava when she was a teenager in high school, and her boyfriend at the time, Bruce Granger, whose family has a long-standing hatred of my dad’s family, wanted her to have an abortion.
She went away for a while instead, letting him think she’d had an abortion, but she’d given the baby up for adoption.
When she started dating my dad and they got serious, she let him know about the baby.
Ava didn’t know about us right away either, since it was a closed adoption, but with 23andMe, she was able to find her birth dad.
She had no idea she had so many siblings, and I can’t imagine how that must have felt to go from being an only child to having a huge family.
When she came to town, she was so resentful that we’d had a great life and she hadn’t that she wreaked havoc at first. She also had Bruce in her ear, bad-mouthing us, but his true colors showed early on.
Once my dad realized who she was, and we found out she existed, Dad told us that our mom had never gotten over giving her baby up.
It breaks our hearts knowing Mom dealt with that secret for all those years and never got to meet Ava before she died.
As for Ava, she’s trying hard to make up for our rough start, and every time she shows up, she brings something—flowers, a cake, or her favorite coffee beans.
And we’re all trying to make her feel welcome and comfortable, but we’re still getting to know each other, so it’s not going to be seamless right away.
“Hey,” she says, her voice quiet but steady.
Everyone says hello.
It’s jarring how much she looks like Mom. I don’t know how we didn’t all know she was related immediately.
“I heard you like banana cream pie,” she says to Dad.
“I love it,” he says, beaming at her. “I’ll always say yes to banana cream pie.”
“Noted.” She laughs.
Goldie clears a spot for her at the table. “We just finished a game of gin rummy. Do you play?”
Ava shakes her head. “I’ve never played it.”
“Wanna learn? It’s fun and easy,” I say.
“Sure.”
We show her the game, and soon, she’s laughing along with us, her shoulders loosening a little more.
“This has been so fun,” she says later, as she gets up to leave. “Thanks for the game. I needed that. I really appreciate…you guys being so welcoming.” She bites the inside of her cheek. “I still haven’t met my other sister.” She makes a face. “I’m not sure my dad has even told her about me.”
Dylan curses, and everyone turns to look at him. He rubs a hand down his face.
“Sorry, that’s just so…” He shakes his head and doesn’t say anything else.
Goldie leans over and hugs Ava. “Well, hurry back. We love having you with us.”
Ava swallows hard. “Thank you. I will.”
The next day I’m talking to Joey at the host station when I hear a voice I haven’t heard in a long time.
I turn around and see Hector and Hal Fair dressed in jeans and the same sweaters and jackets but in different colors. They have identical amused expressions.
“Camden Whitman, the man of the hour,” Hector says, just as Hal yells, “Surprise!”
I reach Hector first, and he pulls me into a hug. Hal pounds my back, and when I’m done hugging Hector, he holds his arms wide.
“I can’t believe Jackson didn’t tell me you were in town,” I say.
“We just pulled in yesterday,” Hector says. “Saw our girl right off the bat.” His eyes meet mine, and I feel instant guilt.
I’m positive he knows how things are between me and Juju now, but did she tell him about our last fight?
“It’s been a long time,” I say, looking between them. “You look the same.”
They both laugh.
“You were always way more diplomatic than my grandson,” Hector says.
“Flattery will get you everywhere.” Hal winks.
“And yes, it’s been a long time,” Hector says. “Way too long. But just look at you. This place is gorgeous. Your mom would be so proud. I’m so proud.” He squeezes my shoulder.
“Thank you. That means a lot. It’s been really great to be back with my family. I can handle the crazy winters as long as we’re together.”
Hal laughs. “It’s gonna take a while for my blood to adjust back to the cold tundra.”
“Oh, haven’t you heard? We’re having a mild winter.” I laugh at their expressions.
“It’s all we heard at Kitty-Corner,” Hal says. “A mild winter to us is the sixty-degree days we just left in Vegas.”
“Well, now you’re just bragging. I bet you didn’t get to wear those cool jackets in Vegas.”
Hector nods, his smile wide. “Good point. And I missed the seasons. Not sure I need these extremes, but I do appreciate the milder year. It’ll ease us back into this weather.”
“Let me get you seated.” I motion for them to follow me. “It’s perfect timing. This is the table with the best view.”
Hector looks out the window and sighs. “I’ve missed that view.”
“How long are you staying?”
“Indefinitely,” Hal says.
My eyebrows lift. “Really? I thought you were settled in Vegas.”
Hector’s nose scrunches. “It’s just not for me.
” He points at his brother. “It’s more his speed, but I think even he is ready for the quieter life.
And like you said, I can handle the cold as long as I get to see my family.
We saw Jackson briefly yesterday. He was at his parents’ place in St. Paul when we stopped by. ”
“How are John and Margaret?”
“They’re doing well. They’ve joined the pickleball craze and are trying to talk Hal and me into driving into the Cities at least once a week to play with them.
” He shakes his head. “I told them I’ll save my chances of breaking my wrist with my Harley.
I think they’ll be coming up this weekend.
” He points at his brother. “Remind me to tell Juju that if she hasn’t heard by tonight. ”
Hal nods. “Will do. Speaking of Juju,” he says as he waves his menu, “which of her desserts should we try today?”
They both look at me expectantly.
“Uh, I’m not…we don’t have Juju’s desserts. Britney is the pastry chef here and—”
A sharp voice cuts in behind me. “He’s already got my Brussels sprouts on his menu. I wouldn’t give Camden Whitman my baked goods if he were the last man alive.”
I turn slowly.
Juliana’s standing behind me, arms crossed, and wearing a bright red lipstick that shoots straight to my dick. Her eyes are full of fire and maybe a bit of panic now that she realizes everyone in the restaurant heard her.
I fold my arms and stare her down. “Well, well. Someone’s true wishes are coming out.”
“Excuse me?” Eyes narrowed, lasers fired.
“You heard me.” I lean close to her and lower my voice just enough that only she can hear me. “You want me to eat your goods. I heard your favorite is pound cake…”
She makes a noise I’ve never heard from her. Something between a gasp and a shriek. When I step back, her face is bright red.
“You are—” she hisses. “I can’t—”
She turns on her heels and walks away, straight into the glass door that’s so clean it’s transparent. She holds a hand to her head, arm flinging out in frustration.
I rush toward her to see if she’s okay, that old instinct taking over, but she glares at me and yanks the door open before storming toward her car.
And then she shocks me by turning around and walking back into the restaurant.
She marches past me to Hector and Hal’s table, never making eye contact with me, and hands her grandpa something.
“Thank you, dear. Sorry you came all this way. Are you okay?” he asks gently.
“I’m fine,” she says softly.
And she’s gone as quickly as she stormed in.
I walk back to their table, a bit shaken by all that anger.
“I’ve never seen her like that,” Hal says.
“Me either,” Hector admits.
And then his eyes meet mine.
“Want to tell me what that’s all about?” he asks.
I sigh. “It’s a long story.”
“Well, when you’ve got time, I’ll listen.”
I nod and step away to give them time to look at the menu…and to regain my footing.