The quirky diner held a lot of fond memories for Alice and her inner circle. Not only had her brother and sister-in-law renewed their wedding vows there, but it was the site of her first dates with James. They fell in love in the old place, and she wanted to pay her respects. And maybe eat a few cheesy bites ...
Lost in her musings, she missed James’s question. “Did you hear me, honey?” His dark eyes flashed as she shook herself back to the moment. “Do you want Maddie to take us home first, or to your brother’s?”
Alice looked down at her worn outfit and shrugged. “Anthony and Nat have seen worse than this. Let’s say hi before we crash.”
James winked and turned back to their niece. “You heard the lady. Take us to casa de Snyder.”
Madeline shot a thumbs-up before going back to her conversation about her art classes in school. It wasn’t that she wasn’t into arts as a child, but under the helpful instructions of her uncle, Madeline took to art like a fish to water. She’d had three pieces on display at the high school shows already, all before her senior year.
They arrived at Anthony and Natalie’s house just as Alice ran a brush through her hair. James opened the door, held out a hand, and led her into the backdoor. Before they could cross the threshold, Otis flung the kitchen door open and barreled into them. He’d had yet another growth spurt since they’d seen him, and he looked older than his thirteen years.
“Hey man,” James said, ruffling Otis’s dark hair as he hugged Alice.
“I missed you guys. It’s been so boring around here.” Otis pulled back, looking around for his sister. “Did Maddie crash into anything?”
“I heard that, asshole.” She spat from behind them.
“Language, kids. My poor ears.” Alice stuck her tongue out at Madeline, who paid for her beater car with the money from her childhood swear jars. “I’m guessing now that you’re driving, you have no need to be the profanity police.”
“Boy, it has been a while,” her brother said as he strode into the kitchen. While a little tired from a long day at work, his smile was genuine and warmed her heart.
“Tony!” Alice teased, shelling out his least favorite nickname and falling back into the familiar little sister role. They may be in their forties, but she was never too old to harass her brother.
James shook Anthony’s hand before sidestepping to hug Natalie. “Thanks so much for having Maddie pick us up. You guys are lifesavers.”
Natalie beamed and pulled James into a warm embrace. “Are you kidding? What’s the point of having children of driving age if you can’t use them for personal laziness?” She stepped back and looked over his shoulder for Alice. “Now I’ve seen the world-famous James Gibson. Where is future best-selling author Alice Snyder-Gibson?” She craned her neck as if the room was crawling with authors.
“Oh, I didn’t realize we were throwing around titles.” Alice yanked Natalie closer and threw her arms around her neck. She took a deep breath and savored the aroma of her sister-in-law’s lemony shampoo. No matter the time of year, Natalie always smelled like a citrus grove.
James chuckled. “Yeah, good point. Should we call you Representative Snyder now?” he asked Anthony, who blushed as he busied himself opening a bottle of wine.
“Not until the inauguration next month, and that’s only if you’re in trouble.” He winked and popped the cork, the sound echoing in the crowded kitchen. “Everyone drinking?” he asked, gesturing to his sister with the corkscrew.
“Yes, please.” Madeline raised her hand and smiled. It was the grin that usually had her father eating out of her hand, but not in matters of booze.
Anthony opened the fridge and grabbed two cans of pop. “Nice try, yet again.”
Maddie took the drinks, handed one to Otis, and shrugged. “Can’t blame a girl for trying.” She and Otis clinked cans, muttering something to each other before they stalked out of the kitchen.
Alice felt rooted in place, watching the children she used to crawl around and play with become real people. Madeline’s blonde pigtails were now soft curls that looked just like her mother’s. Otis had grown from chubby toddler to gangly pre-teen overnight, his dark hair curling at his ears like his father’s. If she wasn’t certain it was present day, Alice would swear she was back in their childhood home.
“So, tell us all about Canada. Did you see Justin Trudeau? I hear he’s still single.” Natalie waggled her eyebrows as she sipped from her wine glass.
Alice snorted. “You realize we’re both happily married, right? And now that Anthony’s a big-shot politician, wouldn’t he have a connection to the handsome former PM?”
Anthony grumbled while he pulled out pots and pans for dinner. He was still dressed for work in a suit, the tie loosened around his neck. “I’m a state representative, Alice. I won’t be making weekly trips to our neighbors to the north for parliament meetings.”
Alice pointed at her brother. “Not with that attitude you won’t.”
James came up behind her and snaked his arms around her waist, pulling her against his frame. Just like two puzzle pieces, she clicked into place and sighed contentedly. Even after nearly a decade of marriage, Alice still got weak in the knees for her husband.
“If you’re trying to make your husband jealous, you’re succeeding,” he teased, nuzzling her neck and whispering things that should not be shared in her brother’s kitchen.
Natalie gushed, covering her heart with her hands. “You two are still so freaking sweet. I love it.”
Alice smiled, enjoying the moment of domestic bliss with her family. It felt like yesterday that they all stood in this very same spot; she and James figuring out their relationship, her brother and Natalie doing the same.
Now it all felt perfect, like a Norman Rockwell painting come to life. Anthony threw an apron on, rolled up his sleeves, and started dicing onions and root vegetables. James washed his hands and joined his brother-in-law, discussing the holidays and plans for the new year. Natalie preheated the oven before joining Alice at the counter, wine bottle in tow.
