“Is this your favorite kind of music? Just an instrument or maybe two with a beautiful voice singing over it?”
“Aw, look at us doing some future spouse getting to know you questions!”
Her hand lightly bats mine in amusement. She lowers her sunglasses to look at me with a sparkle in her eyes before putting them back. I shake my head and pull my own sunglasses down to playfully glare at her. Then the light turns green again, and I focus back on the road.
“To answer your question, yes. It’s raw, and honest, and it makes me feel way too many things. What’s your favorite music?”
“Oh, I was big into bands like 311, Hoobastank, Arctic Monkeys, Muse, because of my older brother when I was young, and they’re still my favorites. That music holds up twenty or so years later.”
She grins.
“I still listen to some of them sometimes too, I love stomping around to Flowing or Creatures by 311 when I’m feeling some kind of way.”
“Are we too old to get into a mosh pit?” I ask.
“We’d pay for it the next day probably, but nobody is ever too old to get into a mosh pit. I was at a concert onceages ago where a couple who were definitely in their fifties or sixties were moshing around and having a blast. They looked so in love, I couldn’t tell whether I wanted to swoon or barf.” The wistfulness that bleeds into her tone tells me everything I need to know.
I know it because without warning, I feel a pang of that wistfulness, too. What would it be like to get old and grey with someone? To be so completely in love that you don’t abandon each other? The image of me and Celeste thirty years from now, going to a concert and dancing around like we’re still teenagers, fills me with a longing I’ve never felt before.
Chapter 11
Gage
I can hear the sounds of laughter and boisterous conversation as soon as I get out of the car. Celeste follows me to the side of the driveway at my dad’s where we walk right in through the open back gate. My dad is getting the grill ready on the concrete slab patio, while Wayne and Braden square off against Gina and Ava in a game of corn hole on the grass. As soon as they see me though, the kids abandon the game and come running toward me. I quickly put the container of cookies I’m carrying onto the nearby table.
“Uncle Gage,” Ava shrieks, and I catch her mid run to swing her around in a hug.
“Hi, sweetheart. Having fun?” I ask, putting her down as I smile at her. She’s such a great kid. Her grades are always excellent, she is obsessed with dancing and doing theater, and has the biggest heart. At ten years old, she’s cooler than I could ever hope to be. Gina also basically said copy and paste me when Ava came along. They’re twins with their long, wavy, dark hair, same eyes, same tall andlanky build, because I swear this kid has grown a foot in the couple of weeks since I last saw her.
“Dad and Braden are winning, but me and mom can still make a comeback,” she says with a little jut to her lip.
“Guess what? No matter who wins, we all get to eat together after, and Papa will sneak you extra dessert,” I tell her conspiratorially. She giggles.
“I want extra dessert, too,” Braden whispers from where he’s come to lean against my arm. I give him a big side hug and ruffle his hair. “How you doing, little man? Of course you’ll get extra dessert, too. You know Papa and I spoil you guys.” Braden is a jokester who will do anything to make people laugh, but he also easily gets shy. Where Ava is more serious and competitive, he’s a typical seven year old who just wants to mess around. He is more of a mix of my family and Gina’s, but he has the Cabrera eyes and hair.
I look at Celeste, and she’s already watching me with a mix of amusement, and what I might call affection if I didn’t know any better.
“Celeste, this is Ava and Braden. Guys, this is my friend Celeste.”
“Nice to meet you both,” Celeste tells them with a smile.
“Oh, thank fuck there’s another adult woman here to talk to,” I hear as Gina charges toward us. I glance sidelong at Celeste as if to say, “I told ya so,” and her lips twitch.
“Swear jar, Mom,” Ava says primly.
“There’s no swear jar at Papa’s sweetie, so I get free rein here,” Gina retorts before hugging Celeste.
“It’s good to see you again,” Gina tells her warmly while rocking her back and forth in her arms.
“It’s great to see you, too,” Celeste replies, looking alittle overwhelmed but pleased. Gina is known for her bear hugs, and I’m not sure Celeste is prepared.
“What am I, chopped liver? No love for your brother-in-law?” I tease her.
“Gage, please, the women are speaking,” she says, playfully shoving her palm in my face to shut me up before giving me a hug, too. Then Wayne and my dad amble over to say their hellos. They offer us drinks, so I grab a beer and Celeste grabs a rosé wine cooler. The smell of grilled burgers, hot dogs, chicken, and vegetables permeates the yard, and my dad takes a headcount of who wants what.
Wayne and I go to help him flip everything and get it all onto serving platters, which he of course grumbles about. Once we’ve all sat down with our full plates, there’s a comfortable silence while we eat our delicious dinners. The kids squabble a little when Braden tries to steal Ava’s hot dog since now he wants one instead of his burger.
“You asked for a burger, and we’re not wasting it,” Wayne tells him firmly. “If you finish it and are still hungry, you can have a hot dog, got it?” Braden lets out a whine but eats his burger. My eyes constantly veer toward Celeste sitting next to me since she’s quiet. Her face is unreadable as she eats her cheeseburger, zucchini, and bean salad, simply observing everything avidly like it’s a new TV show she can’t stop watching. I wonder if she’s ever even had a big family cookout like this before. She’s had to have at least once or twice, right?
