Mom leans over and pats Lucy on the shoulder. “As far as I’m concerned, you’re family now, and you know that saying. What’s mine is yours, yadda yadda yadda. I want you to feel at home here, and since you’re carrying my grandchild, you eat every bit of food in this house and I won’t mind. You’ve got to keep your strength up. Plus, if that little one is anything like his daddy, he’s going to be a grower. I swear, I was hungry twenty-four seven with Kale. It’s a good thing I didn’t have a sweet tooth or I probably would’ve put on a hundred pounds. I had a garden at the time, and I was eating more than I could produce. Of course, that was after twelve weeks of the worst morning sickness known to man. Has Kale ever told you the story of how he got his name?”
I groan as a slow smile spreads over Lucy’s face. She leans against the counter and grabs another piece of bread, tearing off an end and popping it into her mouth. “You know, Ginger, I’ve always wondered where his name came from, but he’d never tell me. I think it’s important that I know everything about the father of my child, and I’d love to hear the story.”
Mom’s eyes light up and I groan again. I should’ve prepared myself for this, the trip down Memory Lane, but I was so caught up in the excitement of Lucy’s meeting my family that I forgot how much of an oversharer Mom is.
She claps her hands together, all too delighted for story time. “I completely agree. Kale, go get your sisters so we can sit down to dinner and embarrass the hell out of you. Oh, this is going to be so fun!”
Shaking my head, I know there’s not much Mom can say that’ll faze me when it comes to Lucy. She already knows which subjects to avoid. As I go to find the girls, I only hope that they’ll do the same.
Lucy
GINGER’S DONE everything to make me feel at home, and I breathe out a sigh of relief knowing that Kale’s going to be the subject of dinner conversation. I was hoping not to get grilled the way Mom did to him, and it looks like I’m in the clear on that one—at least for a little while. The truth is that Kale hasn’t let on too much about his childhood and I’m excited to hear about him as a boy, especially from the mouths of the women who I can already tell love him more than anything.
After Kale rounds up his sisters, we fill our plates buffet style before sitting down around a round table that overlooks the gulf. Ginger does a quick blessing, and my cheeks flush when she mentions being grateful that Kale and I could both be here with them. I have to squeeze my eyes shut to keep them from welling up.
As we begin to dig in, Ginger speaks up. “Okay, son, I know this is your first Thanksgiving home in years, and I normally wouldn’t do this to you, but since Lucy’s here, it’s my duty as your mom to tell all the stories I can about you. Since I only have a couple of days, I’m going to start now, going back to the conversation we were having in the kitchen.”
Kale chokes on a bite of turkey, and I watch in amusement as he takes a sip of his water to clear his throat. He sets down his fork, holds up a hand, and stops her. “Can I say something first?” he requests, and she nods her head, waiting for him to start.
This feels all so reminiscent of the scene from just last night, except instead of my mom grilling him, his is ready to spill all his secrets. I let out a small giggle at the thought, knowing that he’s had it much worse than I have on this trip even though I’m the pregnant one. He looks over at me and gives me a wicked grin, which I return. Knowing I have his mom’s acceptance means the world to me, and I’m ready for him to finally spill the beans to his sisters.
He takes hold of my hand and places our entwined fingers on the table. “Umm, well, before we get into the ‘how far can we go to embarrass Kale session,’ I’d like to make an announcement.”
Before he can say anything, the twins start spouting off guesses. “You’re getting married?” Kaylie asks, eyeing me suspiciously.
“You’re gay!” This comes from Kalli, who’s quickly on the receiving end of a slap to the arm. “Hey! What was that for?”
“You’re an idiot. Of course he’s not gay. He’s here with Lucy, you twat,” Kaylie mutters, her voice laced with incredulous exasperation. She gives me a sympathetic smile and shakes her head at her sister’s antics.
“She could be his beard! Come on. You know I’ve always wanted a gay brother, and well, Kale hasn’t dated since— ouch!” She’s cut off when Ginger leans over and pinches her.
“That’s enough, Kalliope Montgomery. Your brother isn’t gay and Lucy is most certainly not his beard. Now shut up, you two, and let him speak.”
Kale glares at his sister, who’s sitting up defiantly, not fazed by her mother’s scolding. “I can’t believe you think I’m gay, Kall.”
She shrugs her shoulders and grins at him. “You haven’t brought a woman home in years. For your sake, I was hoping it was because you preferred men. Now that I know it’s because you couldn’t get a date, I just feel sorry for you. But that’s okay. You know I love you, big brother. Always have, always will.”
“Jesus Christ! Shut the hell up and let him speak, Kalli, or I swear to Zeus I’m going to duct tape your mouth shut,” Kaylie threatens, and I can’t help the laughter that escapes my lips. She looks at me with bright eyes. “Oh, don’t mind me. I’m an equal opportunist when it comes to deities. I’m kind of obsessed with all things religion and mythology. It’s a gift and a curse.”
“Good fucking God,” Kale mutters before standing up and pulling him with me as he wraps a protective, possessive arm around my waist. “We’re having a baby. I’m not gay, we’re not getting married— at least not yet—and Lucy sure as hell isn’t my beard. What she is is the mother of my unborn child and you’re incessant freaking chatter just made me break the number one rule of not swearing around the baby.”
Complete silence fills the room, and I want the floor to open up and swallow me whole. Their ‘incessant chatter,’ as Kale so eloquently put it, was endearing, and I loved watching the back and forth between the siblings. But this? The silence is unbearable as two sets of eyes look back and forth between Kale and me, then to Ginger, who’s smiling brightly, and then back to us.
It’s almost more than I can bear, and I’m about to excuse myself when I hear Kaylie whisper, “Jupiter’s balls,” and the room erupts.
Kalli scoots back her chair and jumps up. Then she runs around the table, and I’m completely unprepared for her collision as she throws her arms around us, jumping up and down at the same time.
“Oh my God! That is so much better than you being gay! I mean, don’t get me wrong. I’d totally love you either way, but I’m going to be an aunt?! That’s the best news ever! You know how much I love kids!” She pulls back and my heart warms at the sight of the excitement on her face. “This seriously is the best news ever. Sorry I called you a beard, Lucy.”
“It’s no big deal. I promise.” I laugh.
A moment later, Kaylie pushes her sister aside and gives us both a hug as well. She’s less rambunctious than her twin, a fact for which I’m grateful because two of them would be way too overwhelming.
When she lets go, I can see that she has tears in her eyes and she’s focused solely on her brother. I step out of the embrace, letting them have their moment. Kalli’s chattering in my ear, but I don’t take my eyes off them. Kale must see her tears, and I watch as he places his hand on the back of her head and draws her into his chest. I can see her shoulders shaking as he caresses her hair reassuringly. I strain to hear what they’re saying, but it’s too low for me to make anything out. I’m confused at Kaylie’s reaction, and for a moment, I feel like I’m missing out on something important, but I have no idea what. Looking over at Ginger, I see that she’s watching them with tears in her own eyes, but as if she can feel my eyes on her, she turns to me. Wiping her eyes, she laughs it off.