Ashley waved her comment. “Whatever you want. When you’re done, you can take the plates and cutlery out and set them around the dining room table.”
Amy glanced from the clutter on the counter, with several bottles of sauces, and the pots and pans on the stove to Ashleyherself, who looked happy and in her element. “Are you sure there’s nothing I can do to help here?”
Ashley shook her head. “Angie will be here soon, and so will Emily and Sophia. Between the three of them, I’ll have more than enough help. Jude will come and help you once he gets back from the store.”
Sighing, Amy spun on her heel and made her way outside. While she didn’t feel comfortable staying for the family gathering, given everything Ashley had already done for her, Amy knew the least she could do was help set up. So, she found herself in the backyard, standing underneath the late morning sun and studying the greenery around her, with a row of rose bushes on one side and two smaller trees on the other. When Jude stepped outside and lifted a hand to his face, Amy had already unfolded two tables and was wiping them down.
Wordlessly, he left his shoes by the door and walked over to her. “I see Ashley has you on backyard duty.”
“I’m happy to help,” Amy said with a smile. “I really appreciate the two of you letting me stay here and wanting to include me in everything.”
Jude hoisted up another one of the tables, a lock of white hair falling over his left eye. “You’re family, Amy. You don’t need to thank us for anything.”
“I appreciate it anyway.”
Silence settled around them as they moved the tables around. Then, Amy unfolded a few of the tablecloths and spread them out. Pausing to smooth out the wrinkles, Amy heard the first of the guests arrive. She leaned sideways and saw Angie, Rebecca’s daughter and the chef at the Herring Cove Inn, burst in, carrying a black duffel bag. With a laugh, Emily appeared and unzipped the bag, taking out a series of pots and pans to set out on the remaining space in the kitchen. A short while later, Terry, Angie’s sister and a criminal lawyer who had her own practice,appeared, her sleeves rolled up to her elbows and a determined gleam in her eyes.
Together, all four women set to work, chopping vegetables and marinating the poultry and meat. The doorbell rang, and a tall man with wisps of thinning hair and pit stains under his arms came in. Although it took Amy a while to place him, she eventually recognized him as Lily’s Uncle Frankie, whose loud voice echoed throughout the house.
His wife, Paula, came in shortly after and joined the rest of the women in the kitchen, pulling a cutting board and knife closer to her. The doorbell rang as Amy was heading back inside. She was carrying the dinner plates as if her life depended on it and paused only to offer Jonathan and Suzie, Frankie and Paula’s kids, a small smile. Wordlessly, Jonathan’s wife, Joanne, came over to help her, and the two of them worked in companionable silence while Amy struggled to remember all of the names and match them to their faces.
A pair of teenagers shuffled into the kitchen, and Amy stopped to glance at them over her shoulder, smiling when Ashley swatted them both out of the kitchen. When they brushed past her, Amy’s stomach dipped, not being used to having so many family members around at the same time. She half expected someone to start yelling or a plate to break somewhere, bringing an end to the steady stream of conversation and laughter.
With a sigh, Amy watched as the teenagers went out into the backyard to finish setting up. Joanne Wilson, Jonathan’s wife, introduced them as Jaxon and Reese, her kids.
By the time Amy finished setting up the dining room table, more and more of the Wilson clan was arriving. She spotted Rebecca, Lily’s other aunt, in the living room, clearing away the coffee table and chatting with another woman with bright red hair. The two of them waved at Amy, and she gave them botha polite wave back, taking far too long to recognize the woman with red hair as Alice, Rob’s wife.
Rob, Rebecca’s son, was speaking loudly, his voice spilling in from the backyard and earning a chorus of laughter.
Ashley’s son, Jeff, arrived when preparations were halfway through, his hair in tufts on top of his head and his eyes tight around the edges. His expression immediately softened as he hugged his mother, with his wife, Tay, pausing to do the same. Together, the two of them stepped back and called out to their kids, Jason and Maria. Then, Emily’s kids, Charlotte and Savannah, came in, carrying coolers and plastic bags full of chips and an assortment of snacks.
Amy beamed when they recognized her.
It wasn’t long before laughter filled every corner of Ashley and Jude’s house, even spilling out into the backyard. Every space was occupied, and Amy found herself squeezing past a few times to carry out trays and casseroles of food. She was carrying out pots full of meat to Frankie, who was stationed at the grill, when Lily and Ben arrived.
Lily pulled her in for a hug and lingered before greeting everyone else.
Ian and Sophia, her late Aunt Kelly’s kids, called out when they came in through the door, looking flushed and sweaty.
Lily’s Aunt Heather was the last to arrive with her husband, Ed, in tow, and their two kids, Luke and Tammy, following close behind, carrying even more coolers full of drinks and snacks. Tammy’s husband, James, and Luke’s wife, Denise, immediately dispersed, finding different ways to help. Their children, Josh and Emma, introduced themselves briefly before vanishing in the avalanche of people around her.
Amy had never seen so many family members in one place.
All of them looked genuinely happy to be there.
Conversation rose and fell as Amy made several trips to and from the kitchen, always finding Ashley when she needed help. Her arms ached from carrying so many casseroles and dishes, but she didn’t mind. Being around the Wilson clan, in all of their messy and chaotic nature, made her feel like she was part of something bigger.
Something that mattered.
And she hadn’t realized just how much she missed being part of a functional and happy family until she was included. Everyone went out of their way to be nice and talk to her, making her feel less and less like an outsider with each passing minute. Her stomach was full of butterflies, and her heart was racing as she moved steadily back and forth, basking in the warmth and love around her.
This was how a family was meant to behave.
And this was how it was meant to feel to host parties.
Although a small part of her kept hearing Eric’s voice in her head, finding reasons to criticize everything she did, she did her best to push it to the back of her mind. Instead, she focused on the stories being told and the sound of laughter filling the air.
Her forehead was covered in a thin sheen of sweat when she paused to lean against the nearest wall and catch her breath.
