“No,” Brooke says, stomping her foot. “Girls are supposed to have long hair, and boys are supposed to have short hair.” Her eyes bounce between Oliver and me. “You both did it wrong.”
Oliver tries not to laugh. “Well, actually–”
“Ooh, DEADNAME, did you bring pumpkin pie?” Liam asks, eyeing the covered dishes in the crate Oliver’s carrying. “I told Grandma to tell you to make it again because it was really good.”
I grin. “Yep, I sure did. I brought cookies, too.”
All four children’s eyes light up—even little Mason looks up from the toy truck he’s been playing with.
“What kind of cookies?” Aiden asks.
“Snickerdoodle, chocolate chip, and sprinkled sugar cookies,” I answer. “But we can’t eat them until after dinner, okay?”
“Can we eat dinner now?” Brooke asks.
“Let’s go inside and find out,” I say, straightening up and gesturing for everyone to follow me.
Together, the six of us head to the front porch. I briefly pause, take a deep breath, open the door, and step into the foyer.
“Mommy, mommy, mommy!” Brooke yells, running ahead of us with Aiden close behind. “There’s a big boy with long hair here!”
Liam holds Mason’s tiny hand and leads him into the living room, leaving Oliver and me alone in the foyer, though not for long.
My cousin, Taylor, steps into view through the dining room and flashes an eager smile. “Aww, it’s DEADNAME and her date! Come on in!”
Oliver emits a low-pitched growl just loud enough for me to hear, but I nudge him, and he stops.
“Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!” I announce. “Where should we put the desserts?”
Voices from several directions echo our greeting, but most seem to come from the kitchen. Taylor’s husband, Danny, steps into the foyer from the living room, arms open and a kind smile on his face. “I can take that off your hands, man. I’m Danny, by the way.”
Oliver smiles politely and hands off the crate. “Thanks, Danny. I’m Oliver.”
“Come on, we want to meet the boyfriend!” my cousin Ashlynn shouts from the kitchen.
Hands now free, Oliver wastes no time finding and interlocking fingers with mine, and together we venture deeper into the house.
The foyer branches in multiple directions—the den is on the left, the living room and stairs to the second floor are straight ahead, and the dining room is to the right. The best route to the kitchen is through the dining room. As we walk, I catch a glimpse of the living room, where Bluey is playing loudly on my parents’ massive mounted television. The kitchen, however,is far more overstimulating. All the overhead lights are on full, harsh brightness, and I’m immediately bombarded by food smells, oven fans, and unfamiliar music in the background. The room is crowded with all the women of the family, plus Aiden, Brooke, and a smaller girl I quickly recognize as Harper, clinging to Taylor’s leg.
“Happy Thanksgiving, sweetheart!” Mom steps into my path and envelops me in a hug. Estee Lauder overpowers the savory food smells, but it’s not necessarily better.
“Happy Thanksgiving, Mom.”
“And this must be Oliver!” Mom says eagerly, eyeing Oliver up and down. “My goodness, you’re so tall!”
Oliver grins. “Thank you! I’ve been working out.”
Mom blinks in confusion, but Taylor laughs out loud. “Ooh, he’s cute, tall,andhe’s got jokes!” She holds out a hand. “I’m Taylor Graham, DEADNAME’s first cousin. I think you just met Danny—he’s my husband.”
“Nice to meet you,” Oliver says, shaking her hand before looking down at Harper. “And who’s this?”
Harper’s huge eyes somehow grow even bigger just before she cowers behind Taylor.
“This is my little Harper,” Taylor explains. “She’s shy, but she’ll eventually warm up a little. It’s just a lot right now.”
“I know how you feel, Harper,” I say softly.
Taylor squats down to Harper’s level. “Hey, Bunny, do you remember DEADNAME? She’s Mommy’s favorite cousin, and she’s very nice.”
