47. Jules #2
I expected falling in love with Drew to strike me in the face, the very personification of a person who’s going to tell me, ‘Bitch, you’re in love, get used to it’.
Instead, love snuck up on me in the quiet moments.
In the moments when he held my hands, when he told me his fears and listened to mine, when he said he’ll always keep me safe and my mind found his arms to be a safe place to rest.
I fell in love with Andrew Callahan the same way I learned to breathe… like it was something I was always meant to do and couldn’t survive without.
“Here we are,” I say, holding up a bottle of amber liquor. “The brandy.”
“Have either of you ever had brandy before?” Roman asks, leaning against the kitchen counter.
Lavinia and I look at each other in question and shrug.
“I’m sure we’ve had cocktails with brandy in them,” Vin says.
“Don’t forget Aunt Constance’s brandy and rum cake which she makes every Christmas,” Drew adds.
He’s making us mushroom, spinach, and cheese rolls because they’re my favorite.
I offhandedly mentioned to him that I was craving them yesterday morning and now he’s making them.
Clearly, this is the kind of man you are when you’re not a total loser and/or your parents showed you what a healthy relationship is supposed to be like.
For example, Roman fits in the first category because his parents suck, but he’s not a total loser so he treats Lavinia like a person and a Greek goddess.
“You know what I just realized,” I say, settling a hand on my hip.
“Both Callahan siblings are married to and have a relationship with two people who have terrible, traumatic relationships with their parents.” I wave a finger between Roman and me.
“Our definition of a healthy relationship and family comes from the Callahan family.”
Lavinia and Drew exchange a glance in realization, and then Lavinia shrugs.
“Both of you are hot. It makes sense,” she says.
“I don’t know about him, but I definitely am,” I say. “Who wants brandy?”
“I’ll pass,” Drew says. “That thing is potent and I don’t want to accidentally slice off a finger.”
“We definitely wouldn’t want that,” I say, winking at him.
Drew blushes as Lavinia exclaims, “Gross!”
“Yeah, I’ll abstain as well. I have to drive us back,” Roman says, smiling at Lavinia’s reaction.
Laughing maniacally, I open a cupboard and grab two fancy cups that Drew got for me in Toronto.
“We have brandy glasses,” Drew says.
“These are whimsical.”
I pour a little shot of brandy in both cups and Lavinia and I raise them in a toast.
“Salut!”
I take a small sip and it goes down burning, making me retch. Lavinia’s also coughing, making a face at the taste.
“I’m not sure I like hard liquor,” she says, voice rough.
I nod in agreement, even as I take another sip. It goes down much smoother and I finally appreciate the taste.
“Roman and I are thinking of buying a house,” Lavinia says, when we sit down for dinner. Delucia’s, of course. Drew and Roman got Caesar salads with dressing on the side because they can tell their trainers they kind of followed their diets.
“Oh my gosh, you’re pregnant,” I say.
Drew nearly chokes on his salad as Lavinia and I laugh, passing a glass of water to Drew. I know she’s not pregnant. She got her period this morning, she told me on the phone.
“They’ll be your nieces and nephews,” Lavinia reminds him.
“She was just drinking brandy,” I say.
“They’ll be his spawn,” Drew says, pointing his fork at Roman. “I’ve met the cats. They take after him. Except for Salem, who’s downright friendly for a cat.”
Roman grins at him. “The kitties love you. Any human children we have will be the cutest, most adorable Callahans.”
I agree with him on that. Both Roman and Lavinia are devastatingly gorgeous so they’ll have the most adorable babies if they choose to do so.
“If we buy a house in the neighborhood, we’ll be close to you,” Lavinia says.
“Please don’t buy a house close to me,” Drew says. “That’s the worst idea I’ve ever heard.”
“I’m not buying a house close to you. I’m buying a house close to my best friend,” Lavinia says.
“Semantics.”
Lavinia sticks her tongue out at him. “Just for that, I’m going to guy the house next door.”
Roman and I exchange a glance, sighing at the fact that at least we’re only children and don’t have siblings to argue with on petty things.
After dinner, Drew pulls out backgammon and we spend thirty minutes trying to figure out how to play it since none of us have ever played before.
Drew sits next to me, his shoulder brushing mine occasionally as he and Lavinia continue to argue.
Board games bring out the worst in people, apparently.
It’s funny to think that not too long ago, I would have never agreed to be on a team with Drew.
Now I find myself wishing that he would purposely lose so Lavinia and I can win because Drew and I are a team and he should know that winning is very important to me so he should lose.
Bailey rests her head on my thigh under the table as Lavinia laughs over something Roman’s said and Drew grumbles. I can feel my nervous system stabilizing by the second, which truly worries me.
Because I’ve been happy once before and I ended up losing everything.