Chapter 24 #2
“Don’t you start,” I snapped at my brother. “I moved a coaster at your bar once and I saw your spirit leave your body.”
“Hey,” Marlee cooed, “leave my man alone. He does not need to join me in my therapy sessions, he just needs people to put things back where they found them.” Her impersonation of my brother sent me into a fit of giggles which everyone else joined - well other than Seb - who was scowling.
“Maybe if you didn’t move things without even touching anything,” he replied, pulling her in to kiss the top of her head with the kind of affection that didn’t need announcing. Just a gentle thing shared between people who didn’t have to think twice.
I hated how much I noticed. Hated more that I checked to see if Coop did too, his gaze already honed in on me as if he could read my mind.
“You four will be the death of family dinners,” Mum said dryly, shooting us a glare we all knew meant no more teasing. “I do not want a repeat of the baked dinner of 2010, so regardless of age, bank account status or fake relationship drama, we love each other here.”
“Ooooh, what happened at the 2010 baked dinner?” Marlee asked, completely ignoring the point of Mum’s comment and I bit back my smirk.
“In my defence,” I started, palms raised ready to explain.
“Is this a new explanation or a refresh of an old one?” Cooper interjected.
“Seriously, Toby and I want to hear this story, don’t we?” Marls said to a clearly lost Toby who was too busy opening his beer to pay attention. The poor bloke probably just wanted a quiet dinner.
“So, Evangeline was sprouting some boring Maths fact she’d Googled before dinner-” my brother started.
“I didn’t Google it!” I exclaimed with the same vehemence I’d used in 2010 and every time this discussion came up since.
“Okay, maybe she just randomly discovered that if you multiply numbers by 11, you can work it out in your head or some shit.”
“Language, Sebastian,” Mum reprimanded, although I could see she was enjoying this as much as he was.
“You still don’t even understand it, Sergeant Schedule,” I said, causing Cooper to choke on his water. “I was telling them how if you multiply any number by 11, you can do it in your head. Like 11 times 23 is 253 - because you just put the digits with their sum in the middle.”
Everyone was staring at me as though what I just explained was rocket science.
“Seriously? Like 23 times 11 equals 253. 2 + 3 = 5. So that would be two, five, three.” I said slowly, using my hands for added emphasis, and still the table stared at me silently.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” I snapped, immediately apologising to my mum before everybody fell into peels of laughter.
“That hurts my brain,” Marls giggled.
“So, this was exactly how we felt,” my brother continued. “Only Evs got really mad, because then I embarrassed her by saying she was just trying to impress Cooper, and I actually think steam came out of her ears.”
“Because you were being a dick!” I snapped. “I’ll just give you ten dollars at this point, Mum.” I added, referring to my excessive swearing.
Cooper, who’d been silently laughing through the whole retelling, finally chimed in.
“Anyway, I’m sitting there minding my own business, still trying to mentally work out that maths equation, which I still don’t understand if I’m honest, and a shoe comes flying across the table and whacks me in the head.
” His hand unknowingly reached for the spot above his right eyebrow where my glittered sneaker had smacked him all those years ago.
“Oh my God!” Marlee squeaked, her hand over her mouth, eyes sparkling with delight.
“I meant to hit that fool.” I pointed at Sebastian who was now in hysterics.
“And that is why we aren’t allowed to bicker at the table,” Mum said, biting back a laugh of her own.
“Dinners here were always the best. Both because of the food and the entertainment.” Cooper said genuinely.
“Speaking of,” Marls took the opportunity to segue, “Seb said you’ve been baking all day, Jude, what delicacies do we have on the menu tonight?” Marlee loved Mum’s treats and no doubt was hoping there was enough to take home.
“Well, I made macadamia cookies but I also whipped up some sticky date pudding,” she declared, to a chorus of exaggerated ooohs and aahhhs led by Cooper.
“Evy made some of your little choc-mint slices the other day and they were so bloody good.” Cooper praised and I stood suddenly, reaching for any dishes which looked finished.
“Which ones are they?” Sebastian asked, handing me his plate.
“What are they called, Evy?” Coop asked before answering his own question. “You know the ones you make each year on my birthday,” he said to Mum, who spotted the opportunity like a hawk and dove for it like Olympic gold was on the line.
“Ohhh, you mean Evangeline’s mint slice brownies.
I wish I could take the credit for those but that’s her recipe.
I’ve never even tried to replicate them.
” She said, and I mouthed a string of profanities into the open air.
There was a beat of silence before Coop mumbled a reply which I didn’t catch, intentionally banging the dishes loudly to avoid whatever came next.
But I knew it was too late. The cat was out of the bag.
I was mid-stacking the dishwasher when I was hit with the scent of leather and spice. I knew when I turned around it would be to a face full of questions I didn’t know how to answer. So, like any intelligent woman, I ignored him and looked for anything within arms reach to throw in the dishwasher.
Plastic scissors - dishwasher safe, obviously.
Tupperware - not dishwasher safe? Are you kidding? You’ll be right.
Plastic bottles - why the heck not, shouldn’t be too harmful.
Anything to escape looking at him or having to admit that for the last fifteen years, I’d been the one baking for him, just so he would receive something on his special day.
“Do you always wash empty cream containers before you recycle them?” I could hear the humour in his tone and spun around slowly, already defeated and was met with him leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed and a smile sent from heaven plastered on his face.
Damn Brad Pitt looking thirst trap! He had the kind of grin which made your ovaries weep eggs in the hopes one might magically impregnate on sight - anything to have part of that inside you for as long as possible.
“Yes, all the time,” I lied and his eyes sparkled.
“Really?”
“What do you want, Cooper?” I asked, more embarrassed than irritated. He didn’t deserve my annoyance, he’d done nothing wrong other than discover how mildly obsessed I’d been with him, but I didn’t want to talk about it. Not now and definitely not here.
Surely Mum saw the look I gave her. The look which begged her to accept his claims and thank him for his praise. Instead, she’d not only seen it, but she’d done the complete opposite, as if she loved nothing more than ratting me out for my meek little crush.
“I came to see if you needed help washing the empty cans?” He held one of Toby’s beer cans aloft, and despite my best efforts, a laugh escaped.
“Fine, you big, annoying detective. I confess.” His grin widened which made my scowl reappear. Although I was finding it difficult to maintain even faux anger.
“What do you confess?” He asked, taking a step closer, whilst still maintaining a safe enough distance.
“It was me,” I admitted. “I remember how sad I felt when you told me you didn’t get to spend your birthday with your parents and I never wanted you to go a year without knowing someone was thinking of you.
” I shrugged, throwing the tea towel onto the bench.
“It’s not a big deal.” I preempted before he made this into something so much bigger than it really was.
He didn’t reply, staring at me as if he couldn’t quite decide what to make of it all.
“So you weren’t just trying to impress me like Seb said?” His familiar grin wrapped around me before he pulled me in for a full body hug and the warmth of his embrace moved through me from the top of my head down to the tips of my toes.
“Some years, that delivery was the only thing that made me smile all day. Thank you, Evy.” I wanted to remain in this moment for as long as I could, because I knew it was as deep as it was genuine.
I wanted to bask in the euphoria that I had been able to bring him such comfort despite being so far apart.
But it felt too heavy and not quite the time, so instead I offered a mumbled you’re welcome.
Neglecting to highlight that even after all that time apart, I still thought about him far too often for someone who wasn’t trying to impress him - even if we were living completely different lives.