Sophia sighed and pushed herself up to her feet. Then she rolled up her yoga mat and let it fall against the wall behind a glass display that boasted her mother’s mug collection. Using one hand, she gathered her hair into a bun at the nape of her neck, and, using her other hand, she used a towel to wipe the sweat off of her face.
As much as she hated to admit it, Zoe was right.
She’d spent the night tossing and turning, alternating between videos that showed her how to 3D print her own cake designs and videos that showed her how to set up motion detection cameras all over the house. When it didn’t work, she’dspent hours in the kitchen, making a few different kinds of cake and cupcakes until the kitchen smelled like a pastry shop and her arms were sore.
Still, it had done little to unravel the knots in her stomach.
When it came to entertaining people, Sophia knew she was completely out of her depth, but since this was their first Labor Day with Lily and Ben, she’d thrown herself at the opportunity a little too enthusiastically. Months ago, it had seemed like a good idea, and she’d even been excited about the prospect of hosting the entire family and making her mother proud.
Now, it felt like she wanted to find the nearest bathroom and hurl.
It’s just nerves. You can do this. You’ve seen your cousins and aunts do this a million times. You’ve even helped. You’ve got this, Soph.
Zoe leaned over the counter and waved a hand in front of her mother’s face. “Hello? Mom, are you okay?”
Sophia let her hands fall to her sides and cleared her throat. “Yes, I’m fine. I was just thinking about what else I can make.”
Zoe raised an eyebrow. “I’m pretty sure you’ve baked enough treats to feed an entire village. It’ll be more than enough for everyone.”
Sophia glanced around the kitchen and frowned. “What if it isn’t?”
“You do realize there’s going to be more food, right?” Zoe stepped out from behind the counter and made a beeline for her mom. “You’ve got this.”
Sophia gave her a small smile. “Thanks for the vote of confidence, sweetheart.”
“I know how anxious you get when you want things to go right. As much as I love your anxiety-fueled cakes and cupcakes, you do need to take a breath. Have you slept at all?”
“I thought I was the mom,” Sophia teased, pausing to squeeze her daughter’s hand. “I’m fine, honey.”
Zoe searched her face. “Why don’t you go lie down for a couple of hours? We’ve still got a while to go before everyone shows up.”
“But the house—”
“I’ve got plenty of help.” Zoe looped her arm through Sophia’s and dragged her in the direction of the backdoor leading into the hallway that connected her apartment to the main house. “I’ll wake you up if I need you, okay?”
Sophia gave her daughter a quick peck on the cheek and disappeared into her own apartment. There, she spent an entire hour trying to get a hold of Zac, only to receive a busy signal. When she came out of the shower and was towel-drying her hair, her phone lit up, indicating an incoming message.
Zac sent her a brief Labor Day message, and it wasn’t long before her phone went dark again.
Sophia sniffed, the tight ball of emotion in her chest making her throat close up. Tears burned the back of her eyes, but she blinked them away, changed into a knee-length dress, and laced up her sandals. Then she hurried back into the main house in time to greet Lily and Ben at the door, followed closely by a sweaty-faced Aunt Rebecca, who had wisps of dark hair stuck to her face and a strange glint in her bright eyes.
Sophia stood by the door and lifted a hand up to her face.
In the sun-soaked distance, she made out her uncle’s car pulling up next to the curb. He stepped out and went around to the trunk. Together with his wife Paula, the two of them brought out bags and bags of food and drinks. Sophia gave them both a quick hug on their way past and paused to wave at their kids, Jonathan and Suzie, Jonathan’s family in tow.
Jaxon and Reese gave her quick smiles before they disappeared into the backyard. Sophia retreated into the kitchenand was moving some of the trays around when Aunt Heather materialized, with Uncle Ed bringing in enough meat and chicken to feed the whole country. In silence, the two of them helped unwrap the food and passed it to Uncle Frankie, who had his thinning hair slicked back and a kiss the chef apron tied around his waist.
It wasn’t long before the smell of barbeque filled the air.
Sophia was rearranging platters when Tammy and Luke appeared, sporting identical apologetic smiles and making their apologies for being a few minutes late. Immediately, they got to work setting up the tables and roped their kids, Abby, Tania, Josh, and Emma, into making sure the backyard was in order. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted her Aunt Ashley and her husband, Uncle Jude, passing out drinks and keeping the conversation going.
Jeff, Emily, and Tara came in a short while later to help carry out the rest of the food. All of them paused to shove and yell at each other before they disappeared, leaving Sophia alone in the kitchen with Angie. When Rob and Terry came in to try and sample some of the desert, Angie chased them out with a spatula, leaving Sophia in stitches.
She was still laughing when Lily came into the kitchen, dressed in a knee-length, patterned dress with long, auburn hair plaited to one side. “What’s so funny?”
“You’d think I’d get sick of watching Angie kick out anyone who tries to steal food, but it never gets old,” Sophia replied without looking up from the tray of cheeses. “It’s very satisfying.”
“And I keep finding creative ways to do it, too,” Angie added from her spot at the stove. She was stirring a pot of sauce, a smile hovering on the edge of her lips. “Secretly, I think they enjoy being kicked out.”
