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The squabbling begins, and I can’t wait to go outside. I open the door to the patio and watch the tour boat go by when I find a place against the rails of the deck. I take in the night air and try to figure out what the fuck is wrong with me. Too many things are rattling around in my head. Most of it is foreign, you know, stuff I’ve never dealt with. Like being called a princess, and it has two different meanings. Why do I get hot when Lucas gives me a certain look? Did I fuck myself out of the promotion? Am I being petty? I let the thoughts go round and round inside my mental space.
“Here, I thought you could use this.” A hand appears with a glass of wine.
“Thanks, Lucas,” I reply when I see it’s him. “Sorry about my aunts.”
“Don’t be. They’re sweet. They said, ‘Here, look at these pictures of your new sister’ before pulling out the photo album they had uploaded onto their cloud. You were an adorable little girl.”
“Oh God. The photo album? I did that for them as a gift one Christmas in case the real ones were lost. Great. You saw the one where I was naked in the tub, too, didn’t you?”
“Yeah. But what child doesn’t have one of those?” He takes a pull from his glass with a smile on his lips.
I feel compelled to speak to him, but seeing how things went at the office, I may not be the person he wants to speak with. I go to open my mouth when his phone rings.
“Hello,” he answers. His face beams listening to the other person speak.
I can tell it’s the same female voice, and it adds to the confusion in my head. I immediately think it’s Mandy from work and wonder Why do I care?
He walks away laughing, leaving me hanging.
I take my glass and go back to the table. “Hi, family. Sorry, I couldn’t take the forthcoming baby stories, so I left ahead of them.” I giggle.
“Where is Lucas?”
“I dumped his body in the river.” I take a bite of my food.
They all turn and look at me with crazy eyes when I don’t crack a smile at my joke. Little do they know, it could’ve very well been true.
“Sorry about that. I had to take a call. I went looking for my little sister and figured she must’ve wandered back inside to our loving parents,” Lucas says as he rejoins us.
I roll my eyes externally, but internally I smile.
“I do have to go, so, Dad, put this on my card and I’ll tell our server to box mine. Can you bring it home for me?”
“Sure, son. I guess you are going on a late date with that young lady from the weekend you were telling me about.”
“I have a date, but it’s not with her.” Lucas looks at me.
“Oh, a player. Well, I’m sure Monie will have a talk with you about your ways,” my mom adds. “She doesn’t like men who play the field.”
Meanwhile, my throat catches a lump, and I fight hard to hold back my tears. Even going as far as to fake a sneeze so the drops that did pool could fall.
“Achoo!” I wipe the falling droplets of water and grab my napkin to wipe them.
“Oh dear, are you getting sick?” my aunty asks.
“No, ma’am, my allergies, I’m sure.
“Well, you ladies have a lovely evening.” Luke kisses my mom and aunties on their cheeks. “It was a pleasure meeting you both.”
“Likewise,” Aunt Gwen says as she bats her eyelashes.
“Dad see you when I get home. Bye, sis.”
Lucas strolls out of the restaurant, and my heart sinks even more.
We finish our meal with light conversation and third-degree questioning by Gwen and Bev. The server brings the bill, and I take it from him.
“I got it,” I boast proudly.
