Chapter 26 Has Meaning
HAS MEANING
“Welcome to chaos,” her aunt Sophia said when she walked in the door on Christmas morning. Alana, her parents, and her brother all drove over together. There was no reason not to.
“I welcome it,” she said. “I can’t wait to see everyone.”
She had gifts for them all because she just loved kids.
There was yelling and giggling in the back of the house and she was positive it was her cousin’s kids playing with the loot they got from their grandparents.
“Alana,” Zandra yelled when she walked into the family room in the back of the house. Penelope’s daughter was four and the oldest of her cousins. “Are those for me?”
She laughed. “They are for all the kids.”
“That’s my daughter,” Penelope said.
“The most vocal of the group,” Griffin said. “Always.”
“Someone has to be,” she said.
“I got trucks,” Micah said. Zandra’s brother was two and spoke well. He was on the floor smashing them together and sending them launching with Emily’s son, Cole, who was three.
“I see that. Where is Cara?” she asked of Cole’s twin sister. “I’ve got gifts for her too.”
“She’s pooping,” Zandra said. “Her butt stinks.”
“Your child,” Griffin said to his wife. “Just remember that.”
“You’ll never let me forget,” Penelope said.
“We’ve got lots of gifts,” her mother said. “Something for everyone.”
When Cara came running back in, Alana unloaded her gifts and let the kids have fun opening more loot.
Emily and her husband, Crew, were off to the side talking to Crew’s grandmother. Lucy was the only family that Crew had and was welcomed in by her Aunt Sophia and Uncle Mason as one of their own.
“How is work going?” Uncle Mason asked her.
“It’s great. I love it.”
In more ways than one, but she wouldn’t admit that to anyone here.
When Penelope snorted and stared her down hard, she wondered if Kelsey had blabbed about Brennan.
But her mother shot her cousin a look and she realized who the culprit was!
Good lord, there were no secrets in this family.
“I’m glad to hear that,” Uncle Mason said. “Your father says you’re happy all the time, but we knew that.”
She turned to her father. “You didn’t tell me anyone was asking.”
Her father shrugged. “Everyone just wants to make sure you didn’t rush in your decision to leave Boston.”
“I should have left sooner,” she said drily.
“But then you might have found someone else to get a piece of ass from,” Penelope whispered in her ear and then kept walking.
Her face lit on fire.
“I think I’ll go talk to Emily,” she said and moved to the other end of the room.
“My sister is being a smarty pants again, isn’t she?” Emily asked.
“Always,” she said. “How are you doing?”
“Great,” Emily said. “Have a seat. If you’re occupied talking to me, Penelope will be forced to watch all the kids. Serves her well since her son winds mine up.”
Alana smirked. “Micah is a wild one,” she said. “But your son is fussier than them all.”
“I’m not sure where he gets it from,” Lucy said. “Crew ate anything you put in front of him. The same with toys and clothes. He never cared. But Cole, he wants what he wants when he wants it.”
“Kind of sounds like my grandmother,” Crew said. “The same person who had Christmas Eve poker last night rather than coming to our house for dinner.”
She tried to keep any expression from her face.
She knew Lucy lived in the retirement community. Just like Brennan’s mother did.
And Sadie Andrews had some Christmas Eve poker game she was part of last night also, which was why Brennan and Becca were alone.
What a small world.
She’d have to bring it up another time to verify, but today wouldn’t be the day for it.
“My poker game was probably more lively than your kids watching movies before bed,” Lucy said. “They are young yet. Give them some years and then we can have our own card games going.”
She laughed when Emily rolled her eyes. “We would have played cards with you,” Crew said.
Lucy waved her hands. “I don’t want to play cards. Poker. I enjoy taking people’s money. New girl in the area is sly though. Sadie is rough to get a read on. Her facial expressions never change. She bluffed me out of three hands last night.”
And there was her answer. Before more was said, she stood to leave. She didn’t want to hear things about Brennan’s mother before she met the woman herself.
“I’m going to see if anyone needs any help in the kitchen,” she said.
She moved past the kids playing and toward the food. Her aunt handed her a glass of wine. Penelope was putting snacks together, her mother and aunt chatting. It was only the four of them.
“Spill it,” Penelope said. “You’re on the clock. Here comes Emily. Wait up.”
She turned to see her other cousin rushing in. “Don’t start yet.”
“Mom,” she said. “How could you?”
Her mother shrugged. “I can’t help it. You look so happy and then went there yesterday and came back with that bracelet.”
Penelope snagged her arm and held it up. “Pretty. Aquamarine, right?”
“Yes,” she said. “It has meaning.”
“What kind of meaning?” Penelope asked, her hips thrusting forward.
“Penelope!” Aunt Sophia said. “Do you ever change?”
“No, what fun would that be? I’ve got to stay sharp to keep my hubby on his toes,” Penelope said. “Come on. Give us something. It hasn’t been that long, right? Will you bring him to Kelsey’s wedding?”
“It’s been a few weeks,” she said. Yet it felt like months. Maybe a year. Just a lot more time than it’d actually been. “And we’ll both be at the wedding.”
“I assumed that,” Emily said. “But will you be together?”
“It’s my hope. No one at work knows we are dating yet. Though with the way my mother is flapping her lips that is likely to change soon enough.”
“A mother does those things when she is happy,” her mother argued.
“I’m happy too,” she said. “He’s such a nice guy. And Becca is a doll.”
“What does she know about you and Brennan?” Aunt Sophia asked.
“That we are a different kind of friends than she and I are. I’m letting Brennan handle that.”
“Probably the smart thing to do,” Emily said. “The twins are the same age and they wouldn’t understand it.”
“I just realized that Lucy and Sadie, Brennan’s mom, are in the same poker club. I thought it a few minutes ago and then Lucy said Sadie bluffed her.”
“That’s why you left?” Emily said. “Because you didn’t want to hear anymore?”
“Yeah. I’d rather meet her myself. She was a single mother and raised Brennan alone after her husband died. She never tried again, he said. Sounds like a really strong lady and most likely has tough opinions.”
“A mother always does,” Aunt Sophia said.
She turned and put her arm around her mother’s shoulder. “Like you do, Mom?”
“Always. But I know that you’re plenty resilient yourself.”
“I am.”
“Kicked that asshole to the curb,” Penelope said. “I would have made sure my stiletto got caught up in his ball sack at the same time.”
The wine she was sipping went right up her nose and she coughed. “I wish I thought to do that.”
“Dad said he’s trying to get into the executive office,” Penelope said. “That could be why I thought of it.”
“What?” She turned to her mother. “How come Dad didn’t tell me?”
“Because my daughter is talking when she shouldn’t be,” Aunt Sophia said. “Penelope.”
“She did it on purpose,” Emily said. “No one needs to be blindsided and she wanted Alana to know.”
“There is no way Mitchell, Ethan, or your Uncle Mason would hire him. He’s not in finance, so no part of your father’s department,” Aunt Sophia said.
Alana clenched her jaw. She didn’t want that, but secretly, she would have been angry if he was promoted and ended up working near her family after what he’d done.
“Thanks for telling me,” she said.
“No more talk about that prick,” Penelope said. “Let’s talk about another male’s anatomy that I hope you’re getting.”
Her mother was in the room. Her aunt too.
“My daughter is shy, but since Brennan’s SUV was at my house overnight, we know Alana has a smile on her face for more than one reason.”
She threw her hand in the air. “I’m out of here.”