by M. M. Koenig
Bri’s car was already in Trey’s driveway. The cream two-story house in front of me had always served as a gateway to happiness. The front of the house had a wide porch that ran from each side, with stairs in the center leading to the huge oak door. I smiled as memories of playing with Trey and Micah on that porch filled my mind.
As the memories surfaced, my nervousness about walking through that door with Ethan intensified. My sweaty palms were just one of the many signs that my body had hit freak-out mode. Other than my visit a few months ago, I had always set foot in that house with Micah by my side. The exceptions were when he was grounded, sick or the family was on vacation. The thought of Micah swirled a mixture of emotions that I still carried around. It bothered me more each day that he had skipped out on me again. I took another deep breath and reached for a memory that didn’t have Micah in it. I focused on how much I enjoyed spending time in the kitchen with Trey’s mom. She taught me so much in that kitchen. I held on to that while rounding the front of Ethan’s car.
“You look like you’re ready to throw up. Are you sure about this?” Ethan asked, taking my hand.
“I’m fine,” I murmured, gripping his tightly.
“Are you sure? Because you’re cutting off my circulation right now,” Ethan replied, cocking an eyebrow.
“OK. I’m a little nervous. This is new for me,” I admitted, loosening my grip.
“Are you saying I’m the first guy you’ve brought home?” Ethan inquired. His eyes danced at the idea, but his face quickly fell when he put it all together.
“Micah and I were childhood friends. I didn’t date after he left. Then you marched your way into my life,” I stuttered, keeping my eyes on the brick path. “I’m glad you chased me though. It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” I finished, more confidently.
Ethan brought his free hand around my neck and gave me a quick kiss before resting his chin on the top of my head. “I didn’t chase you Mia. You can’t chase something that is meant to be. We’ve always belonged together.”
“Are you two going to come in some time this century or just stand out there kissing and whispering to each other?” Bri shouted from the porch.
Please God, don’t let there be an audience.
I slowly turned to face her and sighed in relief when I saw Bri across Trey’s lap with no one else in sight. “What are you doing out here?” I asked on our way up the stairs.
“We’re avoiding the chaos in the house. Mom is still working on dinner. The hellions are hungry. You know how they are Mia,” Trey answered, with a knowing smile.
I chuckled. “What’s for dinner?”
The meal aspect of this evening excited me. His mom’s cooking was the best thing I had discovered, besides Oreos. Trey rested his head against Bri’s shoulder. His face spread into a cocky grin as he tortured me by stringing out the answer.
“Mom’s pulled together a couple of your favorites. I think she wants to spoil you. I swear, you’d think she won the lottery anytime I tell her that you’re coming around,” Trey mused. I paled as my stomach dropped. Trey’s face softened in apology. “She’s made battered sausages, coddle, champ, colcannon, and cottage pie.”
Bri was about to jump in with what I could only assume would be an off-handed remark. She was not fond of the Irish food we tended to eat at Trey’s. The front door opened and closed in a rush. It stopped her from ranting.
“Trey, dear, would you and Bri please set the table?” Mrs. Donovan requested.
Her blonde hair was in a messy bun, but the rest of her was as radiant as ever. She had a youthful face that was rarely without a smile. Her gray eyes matched Trey’s, but lacked the intensity of his. Hers contained a warmness that emanated around her face. Aside from the different eye color, I’d always thought I could pass as one of her kids too. She wiped her hands on her apron and fixed her eyes to the ground to scan for any toys that usually found their way out of the house.
Trey winked at me as he got up with Bri. They made a beeline around his mom and into the house right as she looked up to see Ethan and me. Her face brightened on her way across the porch. She took a seat in the spot Trey and Bri had vacated. I cursed him for leaving me on my own to do the introduction. He could’ve at least tried to help me out.
“Mrs. Donovan, this is Ethan Fitzgerald,” I said nervously.
My stomach knotted itself so tightly that I wasn’t sure I’d even be able to eat. I gestured to him and gripped his hand even harder. Ethan grunted when my nails broke his skin, but kept a smile on his face.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for inviting us to dinner,” Ethan spoke up, extending his open hand.
Mrs. Donovan gave him a warm smile while returning the handshake. “I keep telling Mia that she doesn’t need to call me Mrs. Donovan anymore, but she seems to struggle with the idea of calling me by my first name, which is Lillian. Welcome to our home.” Her smile widened at the sincerity radiating from Ethan. She turned to me and said, “Mia, would you mind helping me in the kitchen? There’s plenty to do yet.”
“Of course,” I answered without hesitation.
Lillian rose to head back inside. Ethan and I fell in step behind her.
“If you need more hands, I’d love to help,” Ethan offered.
“That would be wonderful. Take a minute to say hello, but then come find me,” Lillian replied as she opened the door.
The noise poured out in all directions. We made our way through the foyer towards the hall leading to the living room. Ethan froze as we entered. The ruckus we walked into fell to a dead silence as a multitude of kids stared blankly at us. Ethan narrowed his eyes in demand of an explanation for the kids, that ranged from teenagers to toddlers, which were gawking at us.
“Sorry. I should’ve mentioned their names before we got here. This is Thomas, Tory, Trevor, Tighe, and the twins are Tara and Tawney,” I said quickly.
I had no time to point any of them out or see Ethan’s reaction because there was a three-year-old running straight for me. His hands waved eagerly in the air as he toddled across the living room.
“Mimi,” Tighe squealed.
I scooped him up for a big hug. He leaned in to give me a sloppy kiss on the cheek. I answered with two sloppy ones on each of his. Tighe giggled as I shifted him to my side so that we could say hello to everyone else.
“This little one is Tighe,” I said, tickling his side.
Ethan nodded towards Tighe, but tilted his head towards the pairs of eyes fixated on us. I cursed under my breath, annoyed that they wouldn’t say anything. Typically, they were never at a loss for words. Tighe squirmed in my arms so I gave my attention to him rather than the rest of the crew.
“Mimi, I’m not little. I’m three. I’m a big boy!” Tighe shouted.
“You’re right buddy. You’re a big boy now,” I replied, rubbing my nose on his forehead.
Ethan gave me a soft smile as we walked further into the living room where the rest of the kids sat between the chairs and couches. Thomas and Tory had put their video game on pause to inspect Ethan. They were sixteen and fourteen, so I doubted they really cared. Tara and Tawney stopped painting their nails and gaped at Ethan for a ridiculous amount of time, causing me to roll my eyes. They had turned thirteen recently, and puberty had set in, so Ethan was eye candy to them. Trevor stood as still as a statue in the middle of the room.
“Hey Trevor. Do you want to come over and say hi to Ethan? He doesn’t bite. I promise,” I said, doing my best to reassure the very anxious four-year old. He blinked, but made no movement for several seconds. I started to walk towards him but he flinched, so I stopped.
“Maybe later,” Trevor whispered before running off in the direction of the playroom.
I figured Ethan had probably had his fill of judgment. I was about to steer us towards the kitchen when Bri approached from behind. She reached for Tighe once she was next to me. He jumped into her arms with a huge smile.
“Bibi,” he squea
ked.
“Don’t let it bother you Ethan. They did the same thing to me for at least a month when I started coming around. Just challenge them in something or other. They will be putty in your hands before you know it,” Bri murmured as she tickled Tighe’s sides.
“Spoken like a seasoned pro,” Ethan remarked.
“You have no idea,” she answered with a wink.
“It wasn’t that bad Bri. You’re exaggerating to freak Ethan out,” I rebutted.
Bri tilted her head at me with her eyebrows furrowed. “Mia, they adore you because you’ve been here every step of the way. It’s a bit more daunting to come in as an outsider.”
“I’m going to side with Bri on this one,” Ethan said, with a wide grin.
I rolled my eyes. “Let’s go. We need to help finish dinner.”
As Ethan and I walked away, Bri started joking around with the kids. Ethan relaxed a little as we headed to the other side of the house. Trey was still working on setting the table. Passing the dining room that connected to the kitchen, I paused at the sight of him as he stood there counting down all the plates, silverware and cups to ensure he had the right amount. His dad had to be on second shift because his place was noticeably empty.
We walked into the kitchen with our hands locked together. Lillian noticed it immediately. She smiled before directing Ethan to the island and me to the counter next to her. Ethan instantly recognized his task and picked up the gelatin. He slid over the tiny bowls full with oatmeal so that he could add the next ingredient. Ethan’s eyes kept darting to the whip cream then over to me as he licked his lips devilishly. My eyes bugged out about as loud as my scowl screamed for him to knock it off. He mouthed ‘later’ to me, before turning his attention to his task. My body blazed at the idea of doing that later. I shook off my own impure thoughts and tried to cool down. Lillian turned to give Ethan instructions and smiled widely when she saw him already at work. She directed her attention back to the bread and pies in front of us. She passed the pies over to me so that I could top them while she finished working on the bread.
“So how long have you two been dating?” Lillian asked curiously.
“Over a month,” I answered quietly.
“It would be longer. Mia was rather stubborn about admitting she had feelings for me,” Ethan jumped in humorously.
Lillian laughed lightly. “I’m not surprised. Mia has always been like that.”
I gave her a faint smile. The possibility of her asking any further questions about us dating, or bringing up any stories from the past made my stomach queasy.
“You seem at home over there with the Donegal,” Lillian pointed out.
Moments like these made me extremely grateful to have her in my life. She knew I was on edge. She had a mom’s intuition with me that I cherished more than anything.
“My grandma is Irish. I spent plenty of time in the back of her diner learning recipes from the home country,” Ethan responded enthusiastically.
“Do you enjoy cooking?” Lillian asked, completely at ease with him.
“I do. Finding different foods and mixing them together to see what you can get for a meal is like an art form,” Ethan answered with passion.
“I bet there’s a lot that you and Mia can learn from each other. She’s an excellent cook,” Lillian said with a proud smile.
“I’m alright. I doubt I’ll ever be able to cook like you,” I said shyly.
“How’d the troops take to him?” Lillian asked, directing her focus towards me.
I was glad that Ethan was behind me so he couldn’t see the color in my face drain. “They didn’t say a word. The older ones stared. Trevor ran away. Tighe is Tighe, so you know how he handled it.”
“It’s new. They’ll adjust in time,” Lillian assured.
She ran her fingers down my cheek to comfort me. Ethan cleared his throat. We turned around to give him our attention.
“Lillian, I want you to know that I love Mia. I respect that she has a history here. I’m not here to erase it. I just want to become a part of it,” Ethan said, gazing at me adoringly.
“I sensed that from the moment I saw you two talking by your car, but thank you for being direct with me about how you feel. We all love Mia very much,” Lillian answered.
The color returned to my face. It was more than likely maroon. I had forgotten about the kitchen window. “Of course, you were watching us when we arrived,” I muttered, embarrassed.
Lillian laughed as she gave my side a gentle squeeze. We worked in silence to finish off supper. I finished topping the pies and turned to see how Ethan was doing. Lillian joined me. His forehead crinkled as he carefully went from dish to dish putting the same amount of whip cream on each one. We laughed at the sight of him.
Ethan poked his head up. “My grandma taught me to be precise.”
“She did an excellent job. They look perfect. Let’s eat,” Lillian said.
Between all our hands, we were able to get most of the dishes on the table in one trip. As we brought in the plates and bowls from the kitchen, I stopped to watch Trey. He was on the floor with Bri keeping Tighe busy. I wished even more that Bri would tell him. I knew without a doubt that Trey would be a great dad. He never grew bored with the little ones. Trey played into whatever game they invented, no matter how boring it was for him. He had the tough guy persona, but he was a softy underneath. I had known that for years, and Bri knew it too, so why she was keeping him in the dark about his own kid was beyond me. She stared at Trey lovingly as he eagerly participated in Tighe’s game of make-believe.
Lillian came in from the kitchen and stopped behind me with her hands on my shoulders and whistled loudly. I grinned at the sound I had heard so many times growing up – it was the call to supper in this house. Trey pulled Bri up before scooping up Tighe and placing him in his highchair. He situated it between Bri and himself before sitting down. Bri took her seat next to Tighe. Ethan and I filled the chairs across from her. The rest of kids filed into the room like a stampede of elephants. Thomas took a seat next to me with Tory sliding into the seat next to Bri. They went for the dishes only to have their hands slapped back by Bri and myself. We shook our heads. They gave us a sheepish look and folded their hands on their laps.
“You idiots know better,” Trey reprimanded.
“Treabhar, you know we don’t use that word in this house,” Lillian chastised.
Trey flushed dark red. I bit my lip to prevent myself from snickering. Ethan ran his hand down my leg. It kept me from laughing outloud, as every inch he touched tingled. I crossed my legs to cease the heat travelling south. Ethan smirked. I grabbed his hand to deter any further action.
“Sorry Mom. Let’s say grace,” Trey muttered.
We bowed our heads and thanked the Lord for the food in front of us. We started passing the dishes around the table and filling our plates. Once they were full and all the dishes had made the rounds, we dug in to the amazing delicacies. Everyone was rather hungry, so the chitter-chatter that usually accompanied their meals was on the quiet side. Trevor started to squirm next to Lillian. By the look on his face, I knew things were about to get real awkward.
“Who’s that guy with Mia? Where’s Micah? She always comes here with Micah. Where is he?” Trevor asked, clearly unhappy.
Oh, to be a child. His question is simple and pure. As are most things that come from a child’s mouth before they lose that innocence.
Lillian gave me an apologetic glance before turning to Trevor. Ethan tensed, and who could blame him, considering the older ones were boring a hole into him with their stares. Bri and Trey remained quiet and gave Tighe their attention. I grabbed Ethan’s hand and settled it on the table for all to see.
“Trevor, this is Ethan. When I visit, I’ll be with Ethan, not Micah. I don’t know where he is, but I’m sure he’s fine,” I said softly.
Trevor scrunched up his face. Apparently, that was not the answer he was looking for. Lillian grabbed his chin to silence him, but he
pushed her hands away. It surprised me to see his reaction, because he was the shiest of all her kids. He was visibly upset that I was here with someone else.
“I saw Micah. Why didn’t he come with you?” Trevor asked angrily.
My eyes darted to Trey, who looked at me, equally alarmed. He took a steady breath before passing Tighe’s sippy cup over to Bri. She took it, with a careful eye on us.
Trey focused on Trevor. “Buddy, when did you see Micah?”
“Yesterday,” Trevor answered.
Trey and I took a deep breath at the same time. It wasn’t what either one of us had hoped for, because we knew yesterday to Trevor could mean weeks or months ago. Ethan squeezed my hand. I ran my fingers along his knuckles, but didn’t look at him. He’d see right through me and put me on the spot for the truth. I refused to do that in front of Trey’s family. Lillian relieved us all by excusing everyone.
After the kids left with their desserts, I grabbed my empty plate along with as many others as I could carry before fleeing the room. Bri and Trey remained seated as they cleaned up Tighe. Ethan followed me into the kitchen with a handful of plates. As I dumped the dirty dishes by the sink, Ethan pinned me to the counter. His heart was beating rapidly against my back as his deep breaths heated my neck.
I swallowed against the lump in my throat. Hearing Micah’s name come out of Trevor’s mouth in the tone it did had sliced open parts of my heart that I’d closed off. I had forgotten how attached he was to Micah, and to us as a couple. My hands shook as I tried my best to push aside the angst spreading from a deep place within me.
“Why did Trey question him?”
Ethan’s irate tone made me flinch. His hands slid over mine to stop my fidgeting.
“We haven’t seen or heard from Micah in weeks. I told you he never showed up when we were supposed to meet. You haven’t made it easy to talk about him,” I reacted defensively.
I squirmed to get away from Ethan. I was slowly starting to unravel with the stress attacking my nerves, coupled with the heavy worry in my head. Ethan didn’t budge.