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“Same,” Ben says and takes my hand.
Past a living room we walk, and I admire the enormous Christmas tree still at its ornamented best. Eight stockings I spy attached to their fireplace mantel that read in order: Michael, Nancy, Jaxson, Jerald, Justin, Jason, Jake, Jeremy.
Mrs. Nancy Cocker motions to the staircase and we pause to admire photographs from their son’s childhoods lining the walls up the stairs and onward to and throughout the second floor as far as the eye can see. “We have so many grand and great grandchildren, but our boys still own these walls for the most part. They started it all.”
I smile, “Actually, you did.”
“No, I have to give that honor to May and Jerald, not me, may they rest in peace. Now where is Michael?” She calls upstairs. “Honey?!”
The white-haired head of a sophisticated man in his later years pokes out of a room on the right. “Yes?”
“Ben is here with his girlfriend, Willow. Remember Jaxson and Rachel told us about her?”
“Oh yes!” He walks out, wearing a tux for their special night.
“Do we have time to enjoy a drink with them?”
His pale green eyes are smiling as he thinks, “I believe we can do that.” He takes the steps with the slowness of one who, while being in good shape, is still in his eighties. Jaxson is the eldest son, I know that from my ‘lessons’ of the members of Ben’s family. Michael and Nancy Cocker were of the generation that had kids very young, right out of high school, so they’re probably only twenty years older than Jaxson. And he had Ben when he was in his early thirties so…
“Nice to meet you, Willow.”
“You too, Mr. Cocker.”
“Call me Michael.”
I was so busy doing the math that it takes me a second to register, as we walk into their beautiful kitchen, that the backyard is lit up as though a thousand fireflies ignited at the same time and decided to stay that way. I glance to Ben, tilt my head at his expression.
“This way,” he says.
My gaze flicks to his grandparents who have the same expression as he, and Nancy says, “We’ll have drinks outside. We’ve got heat lamps already set up.”
“That sounds lovely.”
We walk to the back door and I am utterly confused to see a party through the glass window. Stunned and not knowing what’s going on, hand-in-hand I follow Ben outside to hear at least seventy people shout, “Surprise! Happy New Year!”
I blink, look to Ben, mouth agape.
He pulls me to him. “Welcome to your first Cocker Family BBQ.” My grin receives a loving kiss before I face the family I’ve heard so much about.
Jonny wiggles his way through the crowd and runs up to me! “Willow!”
I cry out, “You’re wearing a tux! How did you get here?!” embracing him in a huge hug, knowing of course that his grandparents brought him here, because they’re standing right up front, beaming with Sylvia at their side. Gemma reveals herself with a happy grin, stepping out from behind a good-looking couple I am guessing from my lessons about his cousins are Ethan and his wife, Charlie — because she is a redhead and he has a shock of unkempt shaggy hair, an Angels Winged graphic T-shirt under his Tux jacket, no tie. Immediately I realize Gemma’s ‘date’ was a ruse to get me to leave her alone tonight.
But she’s not alone.
Quite the opposite.
With family this close, how could you ever be?
And now she’s part of it.
Just like me.
“I’m in shock,” I confess, blinking to at all the staring faces, all attention still focused on us. Everyone is silent. It’s a bit much.
Jonny shouts, “We got you! It was my idea!”
From my side Ben says, “And this was my idea.”
