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When I walk inside and close the door, I lean against it and my shoulders lower a full foot. The last time I felt this relieved, I had just passed the WREB examination, the last thing I needed to get licensed as a dentist. Both times I felt like I’d been under water, unable to breathe, and now I’m finally at the surface, able to take a big gulp of air.
14
Emily
Tuesday
“I think that’s it for what we wanted to discuss, does anyone else have anything to add? We’ll be back to Wednesdays next week, just FYI,” Jackson says, looking up from his notes.
Some version of “I think we’re good” comes from every member, as my mother and father stare at me.
“What?” I ask.
“So, is Max still…here?” Mom asks coyly, although she’s been studying me like a chimpanzee for the entire meeting.
“That’s crazy he just showed up,” Annie says. She’s so pregnant, but she still insists on sitting in on our meetings, although she’s due to have my niece any day now.
I look back, and Olive is giggling, wrapped up in her iPad with her giant headphones that Whitney, my other brother’s fiancée, got her for her birthday.
“He’s still here.” I swallow, although my throat is closing.
“So, does she know?” Mom asks.
“No. I don’t know when to bring it up. He and his girlfriend came to dinner last night…”
“His girlfriend?” Annie’s mouth drops.
“Burke was there too. It was perfectly normal.” Normal as in my daughter acted like Noelle and Burke were radioactive.
“What’s his girlfriend like?” Annie asks. While my brothers like to pretend they don’t care, I notice all of them move an inch toward the center of the table.
“Tall. Blond. Gorgeous,” I say.
“You’re gorgeous too,” Annie says. I mouth Thank you to her.
Cam’s mouth straightens to a tense line. “Has he tried anything with you?”
“What? No! They’re totally in love. We’re just trying to figure things out as parents who want what is best for Olive.”
“Now he wants to be involved? He needs to earn it.” Cam smacks his fist into his hand. He’s about as scary as a capybara.
“This all could be a misunderstanding, right?” Dad, always the optimist.
Jackson and Reid shake their heads.
“Is it time to tell Olive?” I lean in, and so does my family.
I can hear a gulp from my mother. “I think so. She deserves to know. I would be so nervous.”
“The thought of it makes me want to vomit,” Annie says.
“Better you than me,” Reid says. He reaches across the table to pat my hand in his own way. “You can do this.”
“I have zero idea how she’ll react,” I say.
“Mom” is loud and directly in my ear. I jump from my chair and land at an angle. Jackson catches me and shifts me back onto my seat. Maybe he can catch my heart when it explodes out of my chest.
“What, honey?” I brush my hair from my face. Please, God, I hope she didn’t hear that.
