by Nia Arthurs
I drove straight to my family home.
We’d lived at the modest split level house a few streets down from the shores of the Caribbean Sea since I was twelve years old. The peach house was a little yellow in some places and the white burglar bars in front of the French windows and door could use some sprucing up, but it was home. I parked the car in front of the gate and stepped out. I’d replaced my heels with comfortable flip flops and padded my way to the front door.
Mom was a retired counselor so she’d be at home. Dad was probably at the Music Center which he’d founded and built over fifteen years ago. I stepped up to the verandah and pulled on the screen door.
“Ma!” I called, slipping into the house. It was eleven o’clock in the afternoon. The rest of the gang were arriving in about an hour. We hadn’t spent our usual Sunday afternoon together since Archie’s family was in town and they wanted him to themselves for the weekend. The crew had moved our Sunday dinner to Monday.
“Ma!” I yelled.
The tempting aroma of a baking chicken called to me. I inhaled deeply and shouted down the house again. “Ma!”
She appeared in the archway leading to the kitchen with a towel slung over her shoulder. My mom was a really good looking lady for someone pushing fifty years old. Her light cream skin and wide brown eyes were what my father claims, prompted him to take a second look at her. Her sweet spirit and loving nature were what captured his love. Neither of those traits had disappeared through the years.
“Alexi Reyes! How many times have I told you to stop slamming that screen door? You and Archie are going to be banned from this house until you learn how to close it lightly.”
“Sorry!” I yelled back and placed a kiss on my mom’s temple.
She wound the towel and slapped me on the bum.
“What’s gotten into you?”
“Nothing.” I smiled.
Drew Darcy aside, I was really ecstatic about the cartoon program that I’d be co-heading this summer.
“Well, since you’re here, come help me peel the potatoes.”
I washed my hands at the sink and then sat down around the island counter and held soft, boiled potato in the palm of my hand.
My mom prattled on about Eryn’s latest volleyball win as we sat in the warm kitchen and peeled. Of the three of us, I was the most withdrawn when it came to my parents. Melody and Mom were like best friends. And Eryn, as the baby, held a special place in Mom’s heart. I always knew that I was loved, but I didn’t quite fit and that hurt the relationship that I could have had with my mother.
“So,” Mom surveyed my features during a lull in the conversation, “What has you in such a good mood.”
I told her about the programming gig and she congratulated me.
“Who’s the video game man?” She questioned.
“Uh,” I gazed down at the potato and peeled its skin back carefully. “Andrew Darcy.”
“Archie’s step-brother?” Mom echoed. “I thought you didn’t like him.”
“Who told you that.”
“Archie,” She smiled that secret Mama smile of hers.
Archie and my Mom had the strangest relationship. They both loved Step-Up movies and dance shows of any kind. Sometimes, I thought that Archie had a better relationship with my mom than he did with his own.
“Well, Archie has a big mouth.” I quipped, putting the last potato in the large orange bowl. “And I don’t need to like the man to work with him.”
Mom narrowed her eyes at me, “If you say so.”
I slapped the knife against the bowl to knock off the potato crumbs and gasped at her.
“What?”
“I didn’t say anything.” Mom grinned.
“You didn’t have to.” I rolled my eyes. “Come on, put me to work. I feel like cooking today.”
Mom and I hung out for the next hour. I even baked a pan of brownies. Around twelve o’clock, people started arriving. Dad waltzed in first. He was dressed in the uniform of the Music Centre. A light green shirt over khaki pants. His graying hair and dark brown eyes were as familiar to me as the Binary codes of a computer.
“Hey, Daddy.” I gave him a kiss on the cheek when he stepped inside.
“Hey!” He said with genuine joy, “What brings my middle plug home today.”
Daddy set his guitar case on the sofa and joined us in the kitchen.
“I stopped by to hail Mom.”
“Spencer and Peyton are coming too.” Mom informed us.
“Hello?” I heard a voice at the front.
“I’ll get it.” I stood and trekked to the front door.
“Mia!” I greeted Mel’s best friend and pushed open the door.
“Hi,” She smiled at me. Today, she wore a light pink rumper with a seashell bracelet on her wrist. Her hair was pulled up by the front and the back flowed down her back in curled waves. She was stunning as usual. “Mrs. Rey invited us for lunch.”
“Whoa, you’re leaving the store with Evana again?”
“Yeah, she’s a champ.” Mia stepped inside. “Peyton’s coming. He’ll be a little late. They’re in an international conference call.”
“No worries.” I nodded. Mia’s vehicle pulled up to the curb as well and I smiled, anticipating the feel of my sweet niece.
Mia went inside but I stayed right by the door so I could have holding dibs.
“Hey sis.” Melody smiled at me.
“Move.” I shoved her lightly and held my arms out to Ally.
Melody gasped. “That was rude.”
“I’m sorry,” I laughed, “Hi, Mel. How are you, Mel? You’re okay? Great. Now gimme.”
She shook her head at me and then handed over baby Alexis.
“Hi sweetie,” I kissed the baby’s smooth cheek and turned back inside.
Today, Alexis was dressed in an adorable pink skirt and light cream blouse. Her sandaled feet were absolutely darling. The baby had her daddy’s eyes, for they were narrow and a deep, soulful brown. Her hair was already crazily curly like her mother’s and her skin was a light, light brown. She was the most beautiful little girl I had ever seen.
But then again, I was biased.
“Hi, Alexis.” My mom came over to the baby and stole her from me.
I scrunched my nose, but was powerless against the older woman.
“Should we start eating now?” Daddy called from where he was setting the place mats in the dining room.
“I don’t know.” Mia checked her phone for the time. “The guys should be here any minute.”
“Is Archie coming?” Melody questioned from her perch near the island. She was stirring the strawberry Kool-Aid that Mom had brought out of the fridge.
“I don’t know.” Mom said, bouncing Ally in her arms, “But Susan’s coming.”
“Archie’s coming.” Melody grasped her phone in her hands and confirmed. “He just texted me.”
My sister wore tiny blue shorts and a spaghetti strapped white tank top with the words, “I GAVE BIRTH TO A LEGACY”. Alexis had pretty big shoes to fill when she grew up.
The sound of a slamming car door spoke of new arrivals.
In the beginning of the relationship tidal wave that had hit my circle of associates seven years ago, I’d been immune to the love bubble. Spencer and Melody started dating and then two years later they got married, right around the time Mia and Peyton started dating. And then Mia and Peyton dated for nearly two years before they got married. During their first wedding anniversary, Susan and Archie started dating. Soon, my world was filled with couples. Even Eryn had her boyfriends on the side that Daddy knew nothing about.
Thankfully, each member of my family – even the ones adopted by marriage and love - were whacky creatures at heart and the cheesy relationship stuff was often overshadowed by their competitive and outrageous natures.
“Good afternoon!” Peyton called from the living room before his and Spencer’s faces popped into view.
They stood by mom and gave her a hug before s
plitting to their individual wives. If I had met Andrew Darcy eight years ago, I might have been blown away by his good looks. Unfortunately for him, I was surrounded by fit-for-magazine-cover male family members. You would have to be a male Adonis to knock me flat on my back now.
“Hey guys.” I waved to Spencer and Peyton who high-fived me when they passed. It was cool having so many big brothers. Especially since I didn’t have a single guy friend or male interest so there were no opportunities for them to embarrass me. Now Eryn… ha! She got all the big brother overprotective love.
“Yo! I’m hungry!” Daddy yelled to those of us in the kitchen from his place at the head of the dining room table. “Archie can eat when he gets here.”
Mom shrugged and carried baby Alexis into the dining room.
Yasss! It was time to eat.
CHAPTER SIX
The chatter in the living room was deafening. The gang had relocated to the main hall after realizing that with Archie and Susan once more in the mix and Alexis’ baby chair taking up one whole end of the table, we could no longer fit around the eight seater. I sat on the floor and tried to catch the question that Mia, who sat on the opposite end of the couch across from the television, tossed at me. I felt like we were playing a game of telephone because for the life of me I couldn’t figure her message out. I shrugged and tugged at my ears indicating that my auditory nerves were shot. Though everyone (but Alexis) spoke in coherent sentences, I couldn’t make out one word from the overlapping of conversations.
“Afternoon!” Archie burst into the living room and raised his arms high, “The party has arrived.”
“Archie!”
“Susan!”
The gang called from their various places all around the living room.
“Darcy!” I shrieked and immediately, the room quieted and ten pairs of eyes trained my way.
Really? You choose now to be quiet?
“Hi.” Darcy said in that deep timbre of his.
His easy acceptance of my questionable greeting returned the room to its previous noise level.
“Come in, come in! Susan and Archie, you know where everything is.” Mom ushered the three inside the house. She personally fixed Drew a plate of her amazing rice and beans, baked chicken, plantain and potato salad. If the man stuck around, he’d be adopted into the Reyes household and have to fix his own plate just like the rest of us.
I prayed to God that wouldn’t happen.
Susan squeezed herself next to Mel and Archie sat at her feet. Darcy glanced around for a place to rest his bum and his gaze focused on me, despite my attempt to duck my head and eat with my face nearly in my plate.
“Come on over here.” Daddy got up from behind me.
Dad, what are you doing?
I’d been resting near my father’s feet as we ate. I felt comfortable being in that position. I did not smile at the idea of being at Drew’s feet.
No way.
“Come, come,” Daddy insisted.
And so at the risk of seeming rude, Drew took my father’s place on the Lazy-Boy and cradled his food in his hands.
“Hello again,” He said awkwardly to me.
I craned my neck to narrow my eyes at him and then returned to eat my chicken bone stiffly.
Could this afternoon get any worse?
“Lexi, why don’t you tell everyone the wonderful news.” Mom yelled, her eyes moving between both Drew and me with glee.
“What wonderful news?” Melody daintily wiped her mouth with a napkin and appraised me and then Drew.
“Oh my gosh!” Mia yelled. “Are you two together?”
At her question, pandemonium sort of broke out in the middle of my parent’s living room. My father moved forward threateningly, right into Spencer’s raised elbow attached to the hand holding a cup of juice. Dad’s step propelled the handsome Asian’s glass downward, spilling a half-cup of red Kool-Aid and ice all over his fancy white button-down shirt. Peyton started laughing so hard at his best friend that he choked on his plantain. The tall, pale skinned guy started coughing and holding his throat for relief. Panicking loudly, Mia helped him stand and pumped his chest in the Heimlich maneuver. Melody stood up as well, yelling instructions to her best friend.
“You’re not supposed to do it like that! Clasp your hands! Clasp your hands!”
Peyton kept on suffocating and Mia kept on pushing at his stomach but it did absolutely nothing.
“I’m doing it wrong!” She yelled throwing her hands in the air.
Susan stood too and the women began to argue about the best way to perform the Heimlich maneuver while Peyton fell to his knees on the floor, his face turning an obnoxious shade of pink.
“Should I call 911?” Drew inquired, his eyes wide and his arms limp at his sides.
“I don’t know.” I shook my head wildly and waited for someone more adult than me to do something mature.
That didn’t happen.
Amidst the yelling and the sputtering, Archie stood and stepped backward. He tripped over Mom’s kneeling form as she sopped up the red Kool-Aid drops on her tiled floor. The tattooed lawyer went careening unto the ground, knocking Mom over so that her legs flew high into the air. Archie kept rolling until he knocked into Peyton who doubled over with an oof and the perfectly burnt fat plantain went flying through the air.
Unfortunately, Alexis thought this was the beginning of a food fight and began throwing the contents of her plate at her family.
“No!”
“Stop!”
Melody and Spencer instructed their daughter and tried to get to her through the tangle of bodies lying flat on the floor or on their fours crawling around breathing in air (that would be Peyton). I got a slap of sticky potato salad across the chin before Melody reached her daughter and corralled her million dollar aim.
I gazed upon the chaos and winced. Standing slowly, I breathed in and assured my family.
“No.”
Everyone stared at me like I’d sprouted horns and informed them that I was truly an intergalactic alien in disguise sent from my planet to imprison the human race.
“No, we are not together.” I clarified.
They all began to talk in one voice, a tsunami of opinions and retellings and scoldings.
Feeling sympathetic for the way Andrew’s shell-shocked gaze appraised my family, I slapped him in the back of the head to get his attention and gestured for him to follow me. He did so quickly and we made our escape past the yelling and the discussions and the laughter.
“Whoa.” Drew declared when we’d arrived safely into the kitchen.
There was no other word to describe my crazy family.
“Whoa.” Drew repeated.
Case in point.
“Yup.” I stuck my head out of the archway and checked to make sure that our departure went unnoticed.
It did.
“That was… intense.”
I shrugged and checked to see if my brownies had cooled.
“The choking on a plantain thing was new.” I admitted, carefully extracting the tub of Ben and Jerry’s from the freezer. I selected a prime piece of brownie and shoved a spoonful of ice cream on it.
I licked the spoon and lifted the plate in question.
“Sure.” Drew sat down on the island counter and watched as I worked.
I felt like a school nurse placing a band-aid on a psychological wound as I slid the plate of brownies topped with Oreo cookie ice cream down the glossy counter to the handsome man on the stool.
Ice cream can fix anything. Hopefully, it would return Drew’s senses after the episode with my family.
I stuck my fork into the creamy goodness and moaned softly. If heaven didn’t have ice cream, I had serious doubts about going there.
“This is good.” Drew quipped, his lip smeared with the milky froth from the frozen treat.
I moaned again in reply.
For the moment, Drew and I had called a truce. Ice cream had prompted us to wave our white flags. This th
ing could fix world wars. We had just proven it.
“You and Melody are the only children?” Drew questioned.
I licked my spoon and replied conversationally, “We have one more sister. Her name is Eryn. She’s at school right now though. How about you? Is Archie your only sibling?”
“Yeah.” Drew nodded and stuck his utensil into the perfectly browned brownie. “He’s a cool kid.”
“You’re older than him?” I questioned.
“No.” Drew ducked his head and sent me such a shy smile, I almost dropped my spoon. When he smiled all shy and quiet like that, I could almost forget he had an ego the size of Antarctica. “But he’s a lot more…” Drew searched for a word, “open than I am.”
“That’s true.” I grinned, recalling the first time Archie had eaten dinner over at our house. “You should have seen the way my dad looked at him the first time Melody brought him home to meet us. He wore this long beard back then,” I indicated the length of Archie’s beard, holding my palm flat below my chin, “And he had all these tattoos and I was like, Melody just brought this guy home so dad could murder him.” I cackled, “But Archie was so polite and respectful. And he started talking about Step-Up movies and my mom was his forever.”
I giggled lightly and Drew chuckled with me. I realized that I was talking way too much and quietly dipped my fork into my plate for another taste. I wasn’t usually so talkative around people I genuinely disliked.
I wondered if Drew’s lowered guard had prompted that verbal spew.
“Hey, I wanted to apologize.”
I glanced up.
“For what?”
“That night at the party, I shouldn’t have accused you of bad parenting.”
I snickered, “It’s okay. I should have been more careful with Ally. Vodka cheesecakes may not be fatal to children but they’re not the most baby proof treats.”
“Huh.” Drew began.
I narrowed my eyes, waiting for him to say something stupid. “What?”
“You do seem to have a knack for getting food on your face.”
He selected a napkin from the ornate holder next to my plate and softly wiped my cheek with it. My breath hitched as his movements carried whisper soft across my face.