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She whisked me away before I could protest, leaving Beau standing in the entryway with an amused expression on his face.
The kitchen was massive and somehow still felt crowded. People were everywhere. Leaning against counters, gathered around the enormous island, moving in and out through multiple doorways. A giant charcuterie board dominated the center of the island, surrounded by plates and napkins and wine glasses in various stages of emptiness.
“Red or white?” Tiana asked, already reaching for a bottle.
“Red, please.”
She poured a generous glass and pressed it into my hands. “Now. Tell me everything about yourself.”
I shrugged. “I don’t think there’s much to tell. I’m still waiting to have a story.”
“Oh, I bet that’s not true,” she said. “I bet you’ve got a great story.”
Before I could figure out how to answer, a small body crashed into my legs. I looked down to find a tiny girl with wild curls and a sticky face staring up at me with enormous eyes.
“Who are you?” she demanded.
“Katie!” A woman I recognized as Kensey swooped in, scooping the toddler up with practiced ease. “Sorry about that. She has no concept of personal space.”
“It’s fine,” I said, though my heart was still racing from the surprise attack.
Another small human appeared, this one slightly older with dark hair and a mischievous grin. He tugged on Tiana’s sleeve. “Grandma, can I have more cheese?”
“You’ve had three pieces already, Grant.”
“But I’m still hungry.”
“Then eat some fruit or you won’t poop for a week.”
He made a face like she’d suggested he eat poison, then darted off toward the living room where I could hear more voices and laughter. I stood there, clutching my wine glass, feeling completely out of my depth.
This was nothing like the dinner parties my father threw when I was growing up. Those had been formal affairs with strict seating charts and approved conversation topics. Children were expected to be seen and not heard. I’d spent most of those evenings sitting silently at the table. I’d been taught to only speak when spoken to. I remembered counting the minutes until I could escape to my room.
Here, the children ran freely through the chaos. People talked over each other and laughed way too loud to be polite. There wasn’t staff serving people. Everyone helped themselves to food without waiting for permission. It was messy and loud and completely overwhelming.
It was also kind of wonderful.
Victoria appeared at my elbow, a smile on her face. “Surviving so far?”
“Barely.”
She laughed. “It gets easier. The first time Callum brought me to a family dinner, I hid in the bathroom for twenty minutes.”
“That’s actually very comforting.”
“The trick is to find a corner and let the chaos wash over you. Try to learn three names and then the next time you’ll learn three more. Eventually you stop noticing the noise and just kind of get absorbed in it.” She grabbed a piece of prosciutto from the charcuterie board and popped it in her mouth. “Also, eat. Tiana’s feelings get hurt if you don’t try everything. These are not the Hollywood types that don’t believe in eating. They eat.”
I smiled. “That’s my kind of people.”
I reached for a piece of cheese, reminding myself about what Tiana said to the kid. I would definitely be mixing in some fruit.
People continued to flow in and out of the kitchen. Drew appeared briefly to grab a beer, ruffling my hair like we were old friends before disappearing again. Cleo waved from across the island, deep in conversation with someone I didn’t recognize. Max stopped by to say hello, his handshake firm and his smile genuine.
“Glad you could make it,” he said. “Beau seems happy.”
I didn’t know what to say to that, so I just nodded.
Eventually, someone announced that dinner was ready. The chaos shifted from the kitchen to the dining room. The table was massive, easily seating the entire family with room to spare. I found myself sandwiched between Cleo and Victoria, with Kensey across from me. Beau was further down the table, caught up in conversation with Jeremy about something that had them both laughing.
