My dad looks so proud at Kat’s formality, but I know they won’t let her call them that again. They are much too casual for that.
“Please call us Nancy and Scott,” my dad insists.
Kat points to my dad with her brows furrowed. “So, you must be Nancy, and you”—she points at my mother—“must be Scott.”
My dad’s eyes light up at her terrible dad joke, and he turns to me. “I love her already, Noelle.” He turns back to her. “You guys get settled in. Are you hungry?”
Kat hesitates, and I answer for us, “Yes, please.”
“Dinner or dessert?” asks a voice that comes from the kitchen across the room.
Margot.
Looking at Kat, I wait for her to choose.
“Dessert.”
Glancing back at Margot, I say, “Dessert, please, Mar.”
“You got it, Elle!” she sings to us as she prepares something.
“Elle?” Kat questions.
Shrugging, I say, “Childhood nickname. It was easier than going by Noe.”
She chuckles.
Ben approaches us. “How has my little sister been?”
I accept his open arms, and he squeezes me tighter than needed—and he knows it. He lifts me off of the ground slightly, squeezing even harder.
“Ben,” I cough out.
He laughs as he sets me down. “My bad.”
“Ben, this is Kat, my girlfriend,” I say, the last word coming out a hair quieter.
Ben offers his hand to her, not being the biggest fan of hugs with strangers. “It’s nice to meet you. Abby is upstairs, sleeping. She worked a double last night.”
Kat shakes his hand. “You too.”
My mom ushers us toward the staircase. “You two, go get unpacked. Margot will bring your food up to you. We are going to head to bed. Day ten starts tomorrow!”
It dawns on me that I hadn’t even looked for this year’s list. Scanning the room, I spot a black, white, and gold poster on the wall by the sliding glass back door. I’ll have to check that out later.
“I love you guys.” I hug them all again. “We’ll see you in the morning.”
“Kat, welcome to the family!” my mom exclaims as she hugs Kat again.
Kat is flushed, but she looks comfortable. “Good night, everyone.”
Taking Kat’s hand in mine again, I walk her to the staircase. “We are the last room on the right on the second floor.”
With every step we take, I relax to the idea of this working out, but I get more nervous about the reality that we’ll be keeping this act up for over a week.
When we turn the corner of the stairs and have a bit more privacy, I say, “The room has two beds, so don’t worry; we won’t have to share.”
Walking in silence to the end of the hallway, I open the door and eat my words. Because only one bed is in here.
