I followed them, cheeks flamed from being caught and center aching from being interrupted. “You little sh?—”
But it was too late. They were already cowering behind our mom when I stepped into the kitchen. “Language, Cleo!” Mom shrieked. She put her hands on her hips as my sisters peeked out from behind her. “You’re an adult, now. You can’t be chasing your sisters around like this.”
Josie looked slightly embarrassed at what she witnessed, but Lennox stuck her tongue out at me as a taunt. When Mom turned around, I narrowed my eyes again and mouthed, “I will end you.” All the color drained from her face, which was enough for me. It wasn’t like I would be here to follow through on any threats, although I’d keep this in mind when she got a bit older and brought her first boyfriend home.
Being so much older than them hadn’t gotten easier over the years. It was so painfully obvious now that I kept to myself most of the time. Sometimes Josie would come to me for advice. I’d been the one she called when she started her period for the first time, which I was grateful for. Thankfully, it’d been over the summer, so she hadn’t needed to worry about explaining a change of clothes in her locker or why her bathroom breaks made her late to class like I had.
I crossed my arms as Grady walked past me toward his mom. “Well, if I’m an adult now, I’d like to be able to have a privatemoment alone from time to time. They shouldn’t be sneaking up and embarrassing me?—”
“Oh, hell no,” my dad groaned. He joined the fray, plugging his ears as he took a seat at the table. “I don’t need to hear about private moments?—”
“It’s only natural,” Marsha interrupted, ready to play devil’s advocate. “You remember what it was like to be young and in love, I’m sure.”
I smiled at her words, looking down at my feet. It was no secret I loved Grady or that he loved me, but hearing her say it made it feel real. We weren’t dismissed as two crazy kids who had no business feeling the way we did. It was legitimized.
“Just keep it away from me,” he muttered before taking a sip of his beer. “I got two more daughters to worry about after this. My heart can’t take the stress.”
“Douglas, your heart is just fine,” Mom called over her shoulder. “Just count your blessings we still have a few years before worrying about this stuff with Josie.”
Josie’s head snapped up. “Wait, worrying about what?”
“I think they’re talking about boys,” Lennox said with a roll of her eyes.
“Ew, gross.” Josie scrunched up her nose, but not in time to hide the hint of curiosity I saw there.
“That’s what I’m saying,” our youngest sister mumbled.
Dad looked between the two and shook his head. “God, help me.”
Robert clapped him on the shoulder. “Ain’t enough prayers in the world to save you from three daughters.”
“No shit,” Dad snorted, pushing to his feet. “Let’s get these steaks going so I don’t have to sit here andlisten to this.”
Grady’s fingerslightly traced the exposed skin along my shoulder as the cicadas sang loudly in the summer night. Kenny Rogers was playing on the radio, and Dad belted out the words while Robert played the air drums in the background. We all laughed until our sides hurt, calling for an encore as the music faded away.
They both groaned, wiping the sweat from their brows. “I’m too old for a fuckin’ encore,” Dad panted.
“Yeah, drumming takes a lot out of a person,” Robert said. He sat down and reached for his beer, pausing before it reached his lips. “But I bet if y’all asked nicely, Grady here would love to sing everyone a song.”
Grady immediately shook his head. “Oh no, I’m good being an audience member. Y’all do your thing.”
“Come on, son. We were just your openers,” his dad teased. “You’ll have to get over that stage fright sometime. Might as well be now.”
“I didn’t even bring my guitar?—”
“Isn’t it in the truck?” Marsha asked. “I could’ve sworn I saw it…”
“But I haven’t warmed up?—”
She snapped her fingers. “It’s a good thing you’ve been singing along with these two buffoons all night, isn’t it?”
“Mom—”
“I’m afraid you can’t out bullshit a bullshitter, son. I will win every time.”
Robert laughed. “Might as well get used to it. I’m sure you don’t win many arguments as it is.”
I chuckled. “No, he definitely doesn’t.”
