“That’s her favorite movie,” Ariel said. “I think we’ve probably watched it about a million times. I tried to get them intoThe Little Mermaid, since I like to pretend that’s what I was named after, but they don’t like the older animation.”
“Poor Becca,” Mallory chimed in as she poured herself some coffee. “She’s getting to that age where they start learning things they don’t want to know. Like when I asked Taylor to stay up with me so we could catch Santa putting presents under the tree on Christmas Eve.”
“Did you catch your dad?” Erica guessed.
“Yeah, but that’s not even the worst part,” Mallory said. “Taylor already knew Santa didn’t exist at that point, so he kept me awake just so I’d be disappointed!”
Erica turned to her husband in shock. “Taylor!”
“What?” He laughed. “She said she wanted to meet Santa! I figured it was time for her to learn the truth anyway. I’m sure you’re thinking she was, what, like eight in that story? She was twelve.”
“But I still believed!” Mallory doubled down. “That’s what matters.”
“You still believed at twelve?” Ariel made a face. “Even I figured it out at ten.”
“Okay, whatever. I was just trying to make a point, but I should’ve known you two would’ve found a way to turn it all around.” She smirked and shook her head, happy to be surrounded by her siblings and their playful banter. “Where’s everyone else?”
“My kids are at the store with mom,” Ariel said. “But I don’t know where dad is. I just assumed Sasha was at work.”
“Dad’s probably sleeping in,” Taylor announced. “He was out with some of his travel buddies last night and I think they might’ve had a few too many beers. One of them had to drive him home and everything.”
“Wait a minute, he told you he went out with his travel buddies?” Mallory frowned over her mug. “That’s weird.”
“Is it?” Talyor asked.
“Only because he told me he’d been at the office. He said you and Erica were using his car and so he had to get a ride home from one of his coworkers.”
Taylor shared a look with his wife and then shook his head. “No. We weren’t using his car.”
“And he never mentioned anything about going into work,” Ariel added.
“You know, I had a feeling he was lying to me when I talked to him last night.” Mallory walked over to the island and set down her mug so she could lean her arms against the coolmarble. “I was walking home when I saw him get dropped off, and when I asked where he’d been, he got all anxious. Then he said he’d been at the office, which I thought was strange since he was supposed to be off this whole week. Plus, he was dressed way too nicely for going into a mostly empty office the week of Thanksgiving.”
“But why would he lie?” Ariel asked. “What could he have been doing last night that he wouldn’t want us to know about? Did he develop a gambling habit or something?”
“He could’ve been on a date.”
It wasn’t only the suggestion that made Mallory’s skin crawl—it was the fact that it’d come from anon-member of the family. Sasha had apparently been listening in on their conversation and emerged from the hallway with Dot on her hip. “Sorry, didn’t mean to eavesdrop.”
Mallory had a hard time believing this. “Our dad wasn’t on a date,” she said, giving Sasha a narrow-eyed look. “He would never cheat on our mom.”
“Yeah, sorry Sasha, but you have no idea what you’re talking about,” Taylor said. “And frankly, by saying something like that, you’re crossing a line.”
The young woman shrugged. “I didn’t mean to offend. And I wasn’t even suggesting that he was cheating. I thought maybe your parents had an open marriage or something.”
Ariel scoffed. “What? Why’d you think that?”
“There are just a few things I’ve seen and heard that made me think they weren’t your average, traditional married couple.” Sasha switched Dot to her other hip and stared at all of them like a deer in the headlights. “Seriously, if I’d known this was how you guys would take it, I never would’ve said that thing about him being on a date.”
“How else would someone take a comment like that?” Mallory demanded. “You don’t know anything about ourparents, and yet, you’re passing judgment on our father out of nowhere?”
“I’m not judging anyone! I just thought that maybe your dad found out your mom was seeing someone else, so he started dating someone too.”
“What?” Ariel gasped. “Now you’re saying our mom is a cheater?!”
“No! I mean—that would depend on what kind of arrangement your parents have. It’s just—I saw her flirting with some guy at the farmer’s market and—”
“Okay, I’ve heard enough.” Taylor put his hands up and got off the kitchen stool. “You’re completely insane if you think my parents aren’t madly in love with each other. And loyal! God, they’re the most loyal people I’ve ever known. You’re—” He stuck a finger in Sasha’s direction, but when the young woman stepped back with a pathetic yelp, he dropped his hand and stormed out of the kitchen. Erica waited a few seconds and then slid off her own chair.
