“That’s pretty admirable.”
“Yeah, it is. And they’re good parents. I love my family, and I’m grateful for the support and love they give me. I just wish I didn’t feel like such an outsider.”
Sienna covered Aaron’s hand with her own, and he gave her a quick smile.
“What about your sisters?” Sienna asked. “I want to hear about them, too.”
“Dana’s twelve years older than me and married with three kids. She’s bossy but gets the job done. Lisa’s married too—two kids for her. Madison is closest to me in age. She’s pregnant with her first, and they’re planning a summer wedding. The three of them together are like clucking hens. They’re always up to something, and usually they forget to include me in their plans.”
“Like the party?”
“Like the party.”
“Maybe that’s more of a sister thing than an adoption thing.”
Aaron shrugged. “Maybe. All I know is it’s another reason why I don’t feel like I belong.”
They talked for the next four hours about everything under the sun—movies, books, childhood memories.
“We should be there in about an hour,” Aaron said as they passed a sign announcing the mileage to the upcoming towns.
“What can I expect when I get there?” Sienna asked. “Do they know I’m coming?”
“Yes. My sisters and their families will probably be there, dying to meet you. Dana said she’d tell mom we’re coming for her birthday, and that I’m bringing my new girlfriend. The party’s still a secret.” Aaron grinned. “My sisters and mom will try to talk you to death. They’ll probably tell you lots of embarrassing stories about my childhood and try to make me blush.”
“Will it work?”
“Depends on how embarrassing the story is.”
“What about your dad?”
“He’ll say ‘hi’ and then disappear into his man cave to watch football.”
“Fair enough.” Sienna tried to quell the butterflies bursting to life in her stomach. She could do this. Once she met his family, maybe she’d finally understand where Aaron was coming from. Because regardless of how this weekend went, she had to tell him about Hunter when they got home.
“Here we are,” Aaron said.
They approached the city limits sign, the headlights flashing over it briefly before it disappeared behind them. Sienna couldn’t make out much in the darkness, just the outlines of buildings and trees. He turned off the main road and started down a peaceful lane. Houses were set back from the road, lit windows peeking through the thick trees that seemed to be everywhere.
He rounded a bend and turned down a private drive. The house hid behind dense trees, porch lights illuminating the wrap-around porch.
“Is that it?” Sienna asked.
Aaron nodded. “That’s home. You ready?”
No. She’d never met a boyfriend’s parents. Dane hardly counted—they’d been in high school, and she’d known his family for years.
Sienna swallowed, her nerves tingling in anticipation. She had no idea what she was about to walk into, despite the prepping she’d received from Aaron.
But it didn’t matter how nervous she was—this was about Aaron and what he needed right now. She’d get over her nerves and get to the bottom of this.
She took a deep breath, then nodded. “I’m ready.”
Sienna stared up at Aaron’s childhood home, her knees trembling with nerves. The house was modest, neither too small nor too large. One dimly glowing porch light revealed red siding and white trim. Mature trees towered in the yard, shadows against the already dark night. Across from the driveway sprawled a pasture. She could just make out the outline of a barn and what appeared to be two horses grazing.
Sienna nudged Aaron’s shoulder with her own, trying to make her voice light instead of nervous. “You didn’t tell me you were a farm boy. Why don’t you have a southern accent?”
Aaron threw back his head and laughed. “My parents ask me the same thing all the time. I had a slight one but lost it within a week of moving to Pennsylvania.” He grabbed both their bags from the trunk of the car, and Sienna followed him to the front door. She was surprised when he rang the bell instead of just barging in.
The door burst open, and a woman stood there, her sagging arms opened wide. “Aarón!”
“Hi, Mom.”
She wrapped him in a tight hug, the top of her gray-streaked blonde head barely reaching his shoulder. Aaron leaned down and kissed her on the cheek.
“And this must be Sierra,” she said. “Dana told us you were bringing a girlfriend.”
“It’s Sienna,” Aaron corrected. “Sienna, this is my mom, Jessica. Mom, this is Sienna.”
Jessica wrapped her arms around Sienna in a hug, which she returned. Jessica was soft and comforting, with a faint floral scent surrounding her—not at all what Sienna had expected.
“I am so glad to meet you,” Jessica said. “We didn’t even know Aarón was dating anyone.”
Had Jessica just pronounced his name with a Spanish accent? “It’s a recent development,” Sienna said. “We met at the beginning of the semester.”
“Well, come in, come in.”
The living room was cluttered with knick-knacks and framed photos, but vacuum lines in the carpet and a gleaming mantelpiece said it had been recently cleaned. A faded floral couch and love seat filled the room. Magazines scattered over the end table, a hodge podge of home goods and southern living selections.
“Your father’s already asleep, and your sisters will be here soon.” Jessica held up her phone. “They wanted me to text when you got here. Sienna, you’ll meet their kids tomorrow.” Jessica lumbered over to the worn leather recliner, her apron releasing a thin cloud of flour as she sat. “I must say, this was a surprise, having you show up like this. I know I told you to stay at school, but I’m glad you came.”
“Me too,” Aaron said. He didn’t mention anything about the surprise party, or how his sisters had neglected to invite him. Sienna’s heart swelled with pride. Aaron was a good man who respected his family. It made her like him even more.
“I’m guessing you want to get settled,” Jessica said. “The two of you can take Dana’s old room for the weekend—it has the most comfortable bed. The sheets are fresh, and I just cleaned the bathroom yesterday.”
Sienna’s eyes widened, and she turned panicked eyes to Aaron. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gave a reassuring squeeze.
“Sienna can take Dana’s room. I’ll stay in my room this weekend,” Aaron said.
Jessica waved a hand dismissively. “I’m old, but I’m not old fashioned.”
“Mom.” Aaron’s voice held a warning. “Separate rooms are fine.”
Jessica adjusted her apron, mouth turned down in a frown. “No need to get snippy.”
Aaron gave Sienna an apologetic look and grabbed both their bags. “Come on. I’ll show you to your room.”
“Your sisters are on their way,” Jessica called after their retreating figures. “Don’t be too long.”
Aaron led Sienna up the stairs and into the first room on the left, shutting the door behind them. The walls were painted a soft eggshell. A basic navy comforter covered the bed, and sheer curtains hung at the one window. A dresser stood against the wall, the top devoid of any knick-knacks or photos.
Sienna gave Aaron a meaningful look and opened the door a crack.
“Sorry about that,” he said.
She raised up on tiptoes, pressing a light kiss to his lips. “Thank you. I didn’t expect her to offer us one room.”
“No, thank you. For coming with me.”
Sienna pulled away a few pleasant minutes later, blushing. “Is this your room or Dana’s?”
“Dana’s. My room’s next door, and the bathroom is at the end of the hallway. Clean towels should be in the linen closet.”
“Thank you.” Sienna lightly traced the tattoo on Aaron’s bicep. “Am I crazy, or does your mom pron
ounce your name with an accent?”
“Yeah.” Aaron scrubbed a hand over his face. “She and my dad wanted to honor my Mexican heritage, so they gave me the acute mark above the ‘o.’ I dropped that in high school—no one ever pronounced it right anyway—but my family still uses it.”
Okay, that was a little strange. Sienna was beginning to see why Aaron felt like an outcast. “I’ll pronounce your name however you want me to.”
“You can pronounce my name however you like, as long as you keep dating me.” He leaned down and kissed her.
The cracked door flew open. Sienna jumped away from Aaron, her cheeks flaming. A woman leaned against the door-frame with a smirk. She had blonde hair pulled up in a ponytail and large startling blue eyes.
“I found them!” the woman called. “When you two are done, come downstairs. Dana and Madison are here, and we want to meet Sienna.”
She left, closing the door behind her. Sienna hid her head in Aaron’s chest.
“Oh my gosh, I’m so embarrassed. Was that your sister?”
Aaron chucked. “Yeah, that was Lisa. I guess I should properly introduce you to them.”
“I don’t know if I can show my face now.” She couldn’t believe she’d been caught kissing Aaron, especially after they’d made such a big deal about separate rooms.
“They’ll tease us, but it’ll be okay. I’ll be right beside you the whole time.”
In the living room, three very blonde women with very fair skin stood behind the couch, whispering. They all looked up when Aaron and Sienna entered.
“Glad you could join us,” the girl with the ponytail—Lisa—said. Her eyes twinkled with mirth, and she held out a hand to Sienna. “Hi, I’m Lisa.”
Before Sienna could say anything, the shortest sister had her arms wrapped around Sienna in a hug.
“I’m Madison.” She placed a hand on her back, and Sienna noticed her protruding stomach.
“And I’m Dana,” the third woman said, holding out her hand. “We’re so glad you could come.”
“No thanks to you.” Aaron glanced behind him, presumably to make sure Jessica wasn’t near. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
Dana shrugged. “Madison was in charge of invitations.”
Madison put a hand on her hip. “That’s not fair. Lisa said she’d mention it when she called.”
“She never called,” Aaron said.
“Gabe was going to call you for help on an art project for school, but he ran out of time, and I forgot,” Lisa said. “I didn’t think Madison would neglect to send you an invite.”
“We’re being rude,” Dana said, and her tone indicated the conversation was over. “It’s so nice to meet you, Sienna. We’re glad you could come, even if we did almost forget to invite you.”
“So how long have you been dating?” Madison asked.
Aaron wrapped an arm around Sienna’s waist and pulled her against him. Fire spread through her body at his touch. “Just over a month,” Aaron said.
Lisa raised an eyebrow. “So it’s new. You’ve never brought a girl home so quickly.”
That was news to Sienna. She liked the idea that she meant more to Aaron than any other girlfriend had. Hopefully that meant he would quickly get over her news when she told him about Hunter.
“When it’s right, it’s right,” Aaron said. He gave Sienna a tender smile, and her heart did back-flips.
“We’re happy for you,” Madison said.
“Yes, very happy. Now let’s talk about the party before Mom comes back.” Dana handed Aaron a list and a credit card. “I need you to go to Walmart and pick up these things. Dad said it’s fine to use his card. Think you can handle that?”
“Right now? It’s almost midnight.”
“I know, but we need your help getting things set up in the morning, and we didn’t have time to shop today. We’re going back to my house right now to assemble the party favors.”
Aaron snatched the list out of Dana’s hand, and Sienna could see the frustration in his tightly coiled muscles. “We’ll take care of it.”
Lisa gave Aaron a kiss on the cheek. “You’re a peach. Get the pretty plates, okay? Something festive, not just the boring white ones. Let Sienna pick them out. And get mom a birthday present from you while you’re there.”
“Since no one bothered to tell me about the party, I mailed Mom a card last week.”
“A card?” Madison snorted. “Get her a nice robe or some new pajamas. She really needs both of those things.”
Aaron rolled his eyes and grabbed Sienna’s hand “Come on, let’s go.”
Sienna woke up early the next morning and tiptoed to the bathroom, where she quickly showered and dressed. Another text arrived from Dane, begging her to contact the Petersons. She knew she needed to call him. And she would—after she told Aaron everything. One crisis at a time.
Downstairs, she found Aaron and his mom in the kitchen. The room was dated, with faded wallpaper and cheery blue cabinets, but it was cozy too, with a breakfast nook in one corner and the yeasty smell of fresh bread permeating the air.
Aaron hopped up from the counter and gave Sienna a kiss. “Good morning. How did you sleep?”
“Great, thanks. You’re right, that bed is insanely comfortable.”
“Told you,” Jessica said. A timer went off. She grabbed some hot pads and set a pan of cinnamon rolls on the counter. Sienna’s mouth started watering.
“Wait for these to cool, then frost them, will ya, Aarón? I’m sorry I can’t stay, but I promised Sue last week that we could hit the tent sales early this morning and then get pedicures. I tried to reschedule, but she was insistent. I’ll be back this afternoon.”
“Sure thing, Mom.”
Jessica pointed a finger at him. “Make this girl feel welcome. Help yourself to anything in the fridge or pantry, sweetie.”
“Thank you,” Sienna said. She wasn’t sure if she should call Aaron’s mom Jessica or Mrs. Johnson, so she decided she’d avoid using names until she could ask Aaron.
As soon as Jessica left the room, Aaron pulled out two plates and put a cinnamon roll on each of them. He dropped a generous dollop of frosting on top, then handed one to Sienna. “They’re better warm,” he said. “I’ll frost the rest later.”
Sienna took a bite of the cinnamon roll, and her eyes rolled back in pleasure. “Your mom knowns how to bake.”
“She’s an excellent cook, too.”
The door banged open, and Lisa, Dana, and Madison walked in, their arms filled with packages.
“We’ve been waiting almost twenty minutes for Mom to leave,” Lisa said. “Sue had to talk fast to convince her not to cancel. She wanted to stay home with you.”
Aaron rolled his eyes. “So now it’s my fault?”
Lisa opened her mouth, but Madison interrupted.
“Cinnamon rolls? Yum.” She dropped her bags on the counter and grabbed a plate, helping herself to one.
“Eat quickly,” Dana said. “We’ve got a lot to do before the party this afternoon.”
The morning was a rush of activity. Aaron and Sienna set up round tables and plastic chairs in the spacious backyard, while his sisters argued over whether to use blue or white tablecloths. It felt weird to be outside setting up tables and chairs in October, but the Virginia weather was still a balmy seventy degrees. The grass was summer-green and freshly mowed, and the neatly pruned rose bushes still held full blooms.
It wasn’t long before Aaron’s brothers-in-law, with their children in tow, increased the noise level significantly. Aaron’s five nieces and nephews, from the one-year-old toddling about on unsteady legs to the ten-year-old who pretended indifference, all seemed to adore him. He tossed them in the air, sneaked them cinnamon rolls, and chased them around the yard until his sisters yelled at him for not helping. But they chastised him with the fond annoyance only sisters could display, and Sienna could tell they loved him.
The three sisters directed their sometimes unwilling group of he
lpers. The last hour was complete chaos. Aaron rushed armfuls of supplies out of the backyard and into the kitchen while Sienna arranged food on platters. She had to admit that while his sisters were bossy, they’d managed to transform the backyard into an elegant garden party in just a few hours. Barn wood vases with burlap bows held bright yellow daisies in the center of each table. Party lights had been strung about the yard. A quilt, handmade by Dana as a birthday present to their mom, hung on an easel near a small table. Madison had made a guest book with pictures from Jessica’s childhood, and Lisa created an elegant chalkboard sign to welcome guests.
Guests started filtering in, dressed in everything from cheerful blouses to worn jeans.
“Five minutes,” Dana called as she set a beautiful three-tiered birthday cake on the dessert table. “Sue just texted and said they’re almost home.”
Sienna looked around for Aaron, feeling suddenly self-conscious and unsure of her role. Her eyes roved the crowded backyard, searching for Aaron’s signature dreads among the fifty or so guests. She found him near the refreshment table, setting down a large fruit platter.
He looked up, as though sensing her gaze, and strode over.
“Are we supposed to hide?” Sienna asked, looking around the backyard. Round tables surrounded by chairs filled most of the area. A refreshment table ran along one side.
Aaron laughed. “Unfortunately, no. I’d pay good money to see my sisters crouched under a buffet table.”
“Quiet!” Lisa hissed to the small crowd, motioning with her hands.
The side gate creak open, and Jessica appeared, looking pretty in a sundress with her hair pulled back in a twist.
“Surprise!” everyone yelled.
Jessica placed a hand over her heart, laughing. “Oh my.”
“Happy birthday,” everyone called out.
“I’m going to go give her a hug,” Aaron said.
Sienna nodded and hung back. She stayed on the outer fringe of the tables, not wanting to sit but not sure where else to go.
A Hispanic woman sidled up next to Sienna, her face wrinkled and back stooped with age. “Hello,” she said, the word heavily accented. “I’m Camilla Hernandez. I live a few houses down from here. How do you know Jessica?”
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