Page 95 of All the Ugly Things
“It’s dinner at Dad’s. Wear whatever you want.” I flipped out my hand. “Wear that for all I care.”
“I can’t do that! What will everyone else think?”
Panic raised her voice, and I went to her, pressing my hands to her cheeks. “You could show up in sweats and fresh from sleep, pajamas, or a ball gown. The only thing anyone will care about is that you’re there. I promise.”
“I should wear a dress,” she mumbled, eyes wide and round. Afraid.
That she wanted to make a good impression was endearing. Her fear over it unnecessary.
“I’m in jeans and a T-shirt, Lilly. The only thing that matters is your comfort. Okay?”
I bent down to look her in the eyes, let her see my sincerity. It took several beats of her heart before she nodded and exhaled.
“Okay. Okay. I’m okay.”
“Good.” She smelled delicious. Like white cake and vanilla frosting. My favorite. I wanted to lean in and see if she tasted as sweet, but I dropped my hands and stepped back. “Go change if you want. I’ll wait here.”
Now we were here, Lilly dressed in jeans that didn’t look faded and worn from use and in a silver tank top with sparkles along the neckline. She’d hugged a black sweater to her chest almost the entire ride and hadn’t spoken a word.
I wasn’t surprised. I knew her past. I knew how she didn’t like being in cars. Because of that, I’d made sure to drive cautiously. Add on the anxiety of dinner and I let her have her space.
“This neighborhood is so beautiful,” she said as we drove through the golf club community where Dad lived. “Did you grow up here?”
“Mostly. I think we moved out here when I was ten. Mom and Dad needing a bigger house and they wanted space for all of us to run.”
“The yards are enormous.”
“An acre of land for each lot, I think. Sucked on Halloween, though. We always begged Mom and Dad to take us to the neighborhoods where houses were closer together.”
“More candy with less work?”
“You got it.” She laughed quietly and slipped her bottom lip between her teeth. “What was your house like?”
“Huge. Cold. Probably similar to this neighborhood in all honesty, but this just feels more comforting than mine ever did.”
I bit down the urge to ask her why, but in truth, this neighborhood was beautiful even with its imperfections and occasional yards that went un-mowed for too long or leaves that didn’t get raked. Sure, we had money, and yet I doubted anyone in this neighborhood felt the need to show off how perfect they were as much as Lilly’s family had.
I pulled into the curved driveway in front of Dad’s ranch home, right behind Brandon’s Land Cruiser.
“Brandon will be here with his fiancée Jenna. She’s a nut and a bulldozer, but I think you’ll like her. If she gets to be too much, just let me know.”
“Bulldozer?”
“She’s a lawyer,” I said, as if that explained it all. “Deals in family law and she’s damn good. But that also means she thinks she’s right all the time.”
Lilly laughed. “Who else is coming?”
“Don’t know. Sometimes no one, sometimes there’s a full house. Sunday dinners are always an open invitation.”
It wasn’t entirely uncommon for someone we hadn’t seen in years to show up, but my parents had started this tradition back when I was still a teenager, letting everyone know, for however long or short they were there they’d always be welcomed.
“A few years after Mom’s death, Matt and Will came home. They were eight and ten when they were taken from their parents who couldn’t raise them and stayed with us for two months until suitable family members took them in. They showed up when they were twenty-two and twenty-four, wearing suits and large, nervous grins.” I smiled at the memory. I’d answered the door that day and while it had taken me a few seconds to remember them, they had no problems remembering me.
“That’s… that’s incredible,” Lilly said, eyes watering and looking at the front door like it had magical powers.
I was pretty sure it did. Or it was the people inside that brought the magic.
“They hadn’t known about Mom but were in town visiting family.” I cleared my throat. That day. It wasn’t so uncommon but it stuck with me. They werewreckedwhen they learned about Mom. “Anyway, they’re successful now. Happy. They live in Chicago. Will owns his own carpentry business and Matt works for the Chicago Storm as one of the team’s sports therapists. I know they stay in touch with Dad now.”
