37. Chapter 37
Mackenzie
T he sting of the needle makes me jolt, and Lizzie scoffs from the chair next to me.
“You’re such a baby,” she teases.
“Oh, please. You almost passed out when you got your helix pierced!”
“Yeah, well, that’s different. The needle went through my ear . It wasn’t just a surface scratch.”
I roll my eyes, but a smile tugs at my lips. Lizzie and I have kind of gone overboard on body art since we graduated. Lizzie needs the practice, and I have plenty of blank skin for her to use as a canvas.
For me, it’s a way to separate myself from the girl I was and the woman I want to be.
Whoever the fuck she is.
I leave for Oregon in a month, despite my parents wanting me to stay. They haven’t been pushy, luckily, but I can tell they’re sad I’m leaving.
I don’t like upsetting them, but I can’t stay in our small town with all the memories, good and bad.
I can’t move to Provo or Orem and go to college there because I risk running into him, and I can’t handle the anxiety.
No, moving states will be the only way I can find some peace. It’s the only thing that can help me move on.
Leaving my parents, the twins, and Lizzie will be hard, but I know it’s what I need to do.
I’ll be happy in Oregon. I’ll thrive. I’ll get my business degree and hopefully land a good job which will allow me to travel. I’ll fall in love and get married and have my happily ever after.
Life will be great.
After our group hug, the twins took turns showering before we had to leave for Talmage’s parents’ house.
Every inch closer to their place ramps up my nerves, and my leg won’t stop bouncing from the passenger’s seat.
Tal’s palm lands on my thigh, and he gives it a gentle, reassuring squeeze. “Everything will be fine. They invited us, remember?”
I nod, taking a deep breath. I still remember the things Laurie said about me to another theatre mom when she didn’t know I could hear her. I was already in a bad headspace, and hearing the mother of the boy I still held out hope could love me was…
Devastating .
“Why does your mom not like Mack?” Kinsley—nosey little bugger—asks from the backseat.
Tal tosses me a quick, questioning glance, and I shrug. I don’t want to explain it.
“Mack and I dated before we were technically allowed to back in junior high, and my mom kind of blamed Mack for um, corrupting me, I guess is the best way to explain it. Mack and I never did anything more than kiss, but to my mom, that was unfathomable.”
Kinsley hums. “Your parents are still part of the church? Even though you aren’t?”
“Yep. They still believe.”
“Well, I promise to be on my best behavior and rave about how great Mack is, then. Hopefully earn some brownie points for her so they like her again.”
Oh God, no.
“Kinsley, please just be polite. No need to talk me up, okay? Just… answer their questions and make conversation. Talk to Lacey about school or ask Tim about track, I don’t know.”
“Oh my GOD. It didn’t click Tim will be there! Oh no, I’m going to be sick. Take me home. Siren, you’re getting fur all over me!” Kinsley whines. I hear Siren panting from where she’s strapped into the car, not a care in the world about shedding on Kinsley’s dress.
I roll my eyes. “You’ll be fine, Kin. We’re not going home. Everything will be fine.” Maybe if I tell myself enough times, I’ll actually believe it.
Before I’m ready, we’re pulling into the driveway of Tal’s childhood home. A home I used to drive by more than I'd care to admit, trying to get a single glance of him during the summer months .
I’ve come a long way since the pathetic, pining teen I was.
We’ve come a long way. Instead of feeling dread because I’ll have to put on a show and pretend we’re married for reasons other than financial, I can be genuine.
Touching Tal casually doesn’t fill me with longing, only peace, now that we’ve confessed our feelings for one another.
Tal opens the car doors for all of us, and he holds out his hand, interlacing our fingers as we follow Siren up to the front steps with the twins tagging along behind us.
I didn’t ask them to, but they both wanted to look a little nicer for dinner, so they’re in dresses they wear when they have presentations or choir performances. Kinsley told me my dress made my waist look “snatched,” so I’m feeling pretty good about myself.
The look in Tal’s eyes helps boost my confidence, too. Pure adoration with a smidge of lust. I swear, my libido has been higher in the last twenty-four hours than ever before, and I’m already ready to get out of here so I can make love to my husband.
The front door opens, and Laurie bends down to give Siren scratches, talking in a baby voice about how much she missed her and how she has special treats for her.
Siren’s tail wags rapidly, eating up the attention.
Laurie tries to guide her inside, but Siren turns around and sits at my feet, like she knows I need a little boost of support.
Laurie stands and nervously wipes her hands on her apron as her eyes bounce between Talmage and our intertwined hands.
“It’s good to see you, Talmage. Mackenzie. Please, come in. ”
Talmage follows his mom in, dragging me behind him, and I motion for the twins to follow. We slip off our shoes just inside the door, Siren never leaving my side.
I bend down to give her a kiss on the head, whispering, “I’m okay, girl. You wanna go outside?”
She pants, tilting her head like she’s assessing me before she quietly huffs and saunters around the room, giving everyone else a warm greeting.
Talmage clears his throat. “Thomas, Lauren, Tim, Lacey, this is my wife, Mack, and her sisters, Kinsley and Harper.”
The twins and I wave, and Lacey bounces over to me. “Hi! Welcome to the family. I’m so happy you’re here.” Wow, she’s energetic. I love it. “I know Harper from the musical! Do you guys want to come listen to the new Wes Jones song with me?” she asks the twins.
Harper and Kinsley look to me for an answer, and when I nod my head, they smile and follow Lacey down the hall.
“Dinner will be ready in about ten minutes, girls! Please be out by then,” Laurie shouts after them, shaking her head.
“I don’t like that she’s listening to Wes Jones.
He’s got tattoos, and his ears are pierced and—” Laurie’s eyes widen, and she clamps her mouth shut. “I just think he’s too old for them.”
I internally roll my eyes. Good to know she hasn’t changed too much.
Tal clears his throat. “Well, if he’s good enough for Elli to marry, he can’t be that bad of a person. His music is really good, Mom. You should listen to the song he wrote for Elli. It’s beautiful. ”
My jaw drops open. “Your cousin is married to Wes Jones ?! Why didn’t I know?”
Tal’s eyes light up with humor. “They’re not married yet, but yeah. The wedding is supposed to be sometime next year, I think. My other cousin is married to Morgan Fowler.”
I scrunch my nose. “Am I supposed to know who he is?”
“He’s a famous football player. Played for the Denver Mustangs.”
I can’t help the unladylike snort that comes out of me. “Do I look like a sports fan?”
“No. And I love that about you.” He leans in for a kiss but must snap back to reality and remember where we are because he focuses back on his mom. “Do you need any help with dinner?”
Laurie’s eyes—a darker blue than Talmage’s—volley between us again, wide and curious. Like she’s unsure what to make of our relationship.
“No, no. I’m just waiting on the rolls to be done. I hope there are no dietary restrictions, I forgot to ask.” She sounds almost… sheepish.
“Harper has diabetes, but she’ll just need to input what we’re eating so she can get the right amount of insulin,” Talmage supplies before I can. Did he research? How does he know that?
“Oh. I’ll be sure to make something more diabetic friendly next time, then.”
“Thank you,” I whisper. It’s kind of her to offer, and a small part of me lights up with hope that there could be a next time. Maybe this is a step in the right direction for us .
Laurie nods before rushing off to the kitchen, and Talmage guides me over to the couch, sitting us on one end, my thigh squished up against his.
His dad reaches over and extends his hand. “Welcome to the family, Mackenzie. I apologize it’s a bit of a delayed welcome.”
“Thank you, sir. I’m honored to be part of it. I love your son very much.”
He waves me off. “Call me George. I’ll wait to pepper you with questions until we’re at the table, otherwise Laurie will just ask them again, and I don’t want you to have to keep repeating yourself.”
“I appreciate it.”
“Dad, how’s business going? Any new projects?” If I remember correctly, Tal’s dad is a landscape architect and does a lot of business planning out the temple grounds for the church.
“It’s going well. We will start on the gardens for the Lehi temple soon, since construction will start in about six months. How are things at the station? Your ankle all healed up?” George points his chin to Tal’s ankle.
Tal nods. “I’m almost one hundred percent. I should be back to full duty soon, after I get approval from my physical therapist.”
“Glad to hear it.”
“Dinner’s ready!” Laurie calls at the same time three giggling teenage girls come bouncing down the hall.
I’m glad the girls have already connected with Lacey. I hope—if things can be mended with Laurie and George—it means they’ll have a lifelong friend in their… sister-in-law.
Ew. Kinsley has a crush on her brother-in-law .
Thank God nothing will probably come of it. Tim hasn’t spared her a second glance, and I think she’s too wrapped up in whatever Lacey is talking about to notice.
After the ordeal with Jeremy, the last thing we need is Kinsley getting her heart crushed by someone we’ll have to see often.
We sit around the table, Tal to my left and Harper on my right, and George asks Thomas to say a prayer.
I haven’t prayed in a long time, but I bow my head anyway. I turn to peek at Tal, who I find already staring at me.
“I love you,” he mouths, squeezing my thigh under the table.
“I love you, too,” I mouth back, resting my hand on top of his and squeezing back.
After everyone mutters, “Amen,” we pass each dish around the table and scoop up what we want. Once everything has made its rounds and everyone starts eating, Laurie clears her throat. “So, Mackenzie, tell us about yourself. What do you do for work?”
I swallow the bite of mashed potatoes I just put in my mouth, dabbing the corners of my lips with a napkin. “I’m a bid desk specialist.”
“Oh? I’m unfamiliar with that job title. What is it you do?”
“I put together quotes for companies wanting to purchase tech equipment. We work with anyone from schools to government entities to software developers. We generate discount codes and things like that. It’s mostly a lot of copying and pasting. ”
I hate explaining my job because it sounds so unimportant. I mean, it kind of is, but it’s the first one I found when I needed one, and the company’s been decent so far. The schedule is flexible, and the pay is okay. All I cared about was my ability to be home for the girls in case of an emergency.
“That sounds like a boring job,” Lacey pipes up.
I shrug. “Yeah, but it pays the bills.” Mostly.
Talmage’s family takes turns asking me and the girls questions, and as the night goes on, I feel slightly less anxious. No one’s made any snide comments or back-handed remarks, and I’m feeling hopeful Tal can reconcile with his family.
“All right, kids. Favorite time of the week. Tell me what’s been going on in your lives,” George says once the interrogation has ended.
Laurie and Lauren clear the plates as Thomas starts off, and it takes all of dessert and then some before we get all the way around the table.
At the end of the night, Laurie gives me a gentle shoulder squeeze and a Tupperware full of leftovers to take home, and I’m feeling lighter than I was when I got here.
Maybe, just maybe, the girls and I will be accepted into this family.