Something’s wrong. My heart feels tight, and it’s racing too fast. I look into her brilliant violet eyes, Mom’s evil words fading away, and feel dazed and mildly shaky, like the earth is shifting under my feet.
“The character is totally you,” Bryce says with a grin.
“Thanks.” I turn to my stepmom. “Thank you, Akiko.”
She beams. “My pleasure. I just wanted to show my appreciation for…well, everyone.”
“You can do better than autumn for yourself, though,” Aunt Jeremiah says. “Maybe something like ‘home’…? You have a way of bringing people together and making everyone feel welcome.”
Akiko flushes with pleasure. “Thank you. I’m just happy to be part of the family and glad to provide a warm, comforting place for everyone.”
“Except that the kanji for ‘home’ is a pig under a roof,” says Ares.
Dad levels a stare at him that could melt titanium. “That isenoughout of you three.” He turns to his wife. “You’ve done a remarkable job, my love,” Dad says.
We nod even as most of us laugh. Akiko had the unenviable job of marrying a single dad with three emotionally scarred boys. Although she took care to not poke at our wounds, she always stood behind us, letting us know she had our backs.
“Is there going to be any sashimi tonight?” Aunt Jeremiah asks. She’s fond of Akiko’s sashimi, even though there are only ever three slices at the most.
“Not tonight,” Akiko says. “Ailee has a seafood allergy, and I didn’t want any inadvertent cross-contamination. So not even the soup stock base contains fish.” She turns to Klein. “You’re perfectly safe.”
“Oh.” Klein stops, then slides her eyes toward Aunt Jeremiah. A moment later, she starts haltingly, “You didn’t really have to… I mean, I usually just eat around the fish, you know… You don’t have to inconvenience everyone just for me.”
My gut tightens. I know exactly who put that garbage in her head: her cunt-tastic mother and dickless father, who think there’s nothing wrong with ordering a family dinner full of seafood, not caring that Klein wouldn’t be able to eat anything.
Aunt Jeremiah looks at Klein like she just got slapped. “That would make me a bitch, my dear.”
“Exactly,” Lareina says.
“You’re part of the family,” Dad says.
“But I really don’t want to be a bother,” Klein says, almost too desperate to please. It wrecks me to see her put everyone’s needs above her own, even when it might harm her. I would’ve never guessed until I saw the way they treated her at Peking Town. She’s always so sweet and considerate. The hatred for her parents that boils up in me is so fierce that it takes a physical effort not to snarl.
But maybe she and I excel at hiding the damage our parents left behind. Is that why something about her calls to me?
“Good God, child. If we can’t make such a small accommodation, what kind of people would that make us? It isn’t like we can never have seafood again. You shouldn’t feel that your needs are a bother for others, especially not here, not with the family.” Grandma says it warmly, but the firmness in her tone says there won’t be any debate on this point.
Klein takes a moment to process. I tighten my hand around hers, hoping that what we’re saying here sinks in. It’s normal to accommodate, to care for, to show genuine affection for one another. I don’t want her to feel like she’s alone and unwanted, ever again.
“Josh…?” she says faintly, like she doesn’t dare believe it.
“You’re one of us now.” I raise her hand and kiss the center of her palm. “Welcome to the family.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Ailee
You’re one of us now. Welcome to the family.
I almost burst into tears at Josh’s words. I have to bite my lip to contain the sob. Until now, I didn’t realize I’d never felt like I had a family. I’ve never had people become upset on my behalf, or give up their own wants to cater to me.
As dinner progresses, all my anxiety and apprehension vanish. Josh’s family isn’t judging me or trying to put me down. They genuinely want me to belong—and tofeellike I belong.
I’m also thinking of the beautiful character Akiko wrote for me:love. It’s one thing I never felt I deserved, whether from my family or anybody else. I don’t know how to put the emotions swelling in my heart into words.
So I do what I can—enjoy myself without wondering if anything has seafood in it. Or how big the bill would be if I had to hit the hospital for my allergy because an EpiPen wouldn’t be enough. Or how inconvenienced and annoyed everyone would be if I had a reaction. Everything Akiko serves is perfect—delicious and gorgeously presented. And the plum wine is just chef’s kiss. I’ve never had anything this sweet and delightful before. I don’t understand why Josh ate the tacos earlier. I steal a quick glance. He seems to like what he’s eating.
“You could open a luxury restaurant,” I blurt to Akiko.
