“Not mine,” I said, holding up my hands. Mari looked at me at the pronouncement before the new guest made themselves known. “You know exactly where they’ve been...” I whispered in her ear.
She elbowed me, but not before a blush burned her cheeks, and she looked at Janice, who was already headed to greet the guest, not paying attention to us.
After almost a week of pure bliss, it was Christmas Day, and Janice was back. I had been enjoying playing with the band and tutoring Cath, but having so much uninterrupted time to be greedy with Mari was the only gift I needed.
Vander rounded the corner as my mom came to meet him. “You always bring so much class to my house, Vander.” She playfully swatted at him but kissed his cheeks as she grabbed his Crock-Pot. Dinner was open for anybody who didn’t want to be alone. Janice and Mari sang along to festive songs as they set the table and cleaned while I prepped for the meal.
“Cocktail meatballs, made with my special recipe,” Vander explained.
“It’s just jelly and barbecue sauce. He uses frozen meatballs,” I said to the room.
The two women shot me disappointed looks.
“What? I’m not saying they’re bad. But it’s not some treasured secret recipe.”
“Thanks for bringing a dish,” Janice said.
“Thanks for having me, Janice. The house smells great.”
“That’s all Leo. He made braised pork belly with a cherry glaze.”
“Among other things,” I added. I had at least five exquisitely perfected side dishes. Shopping and preparing for this meal was the only thing that finally got me out of Mari’s arms. And even still, we drove into town to the Piggly Wiggly, unable to detach completely. Hands around waists when pushing the cart. Her accidentally brushing her breasts against me when she reached for something. More than once, I had to take a minute to kiss her senseless on a deserted aisle until somebody strolled through. It was a miracle we ever got out of there and with everything we needed.
“Sounds amazing,” Vander said.
We hugged, and I quickly tugged Mari back under my arm. He chuckled at my protective action, but then stage-whispered to Mari, “He’s just jealous of my balls. Always has been.”
“Hi, Vander,” she said as he bent to kiss her cheek. He lingered just for my benefit.
When he straightened, stance akimbo, he looked back and forth between us. “Aren’t you two cozy?”
“Yep,” I said with no further explanation. I squeezed her tighter, and she looped her arms around my waist.
We were cozy. We were so much more than that. The past week had been a delirious carbs-driven sex-a-thon where Mari and I drove each other to the brink of madness with our bodies. Mari’s desperation for me could only be matched by my own for her. I felt like I’d known her forever, our spirits reacquainted. There was no doubt in my mind that Mari and I were meant to meet. That everything had led me to her, good and bad. It was this assuredness that told me not to worry about the bits she still kept to herself. She didn’t care to talk about her family.She spoke about Cath’s audition as if it were a looming deadline. Maybe after that, she would be ready to define our relationship. Until then, I was content.
We’d been just about to sit down to eat when another knock came at the side door. As only strangers used the front door, it had to be somebody familiar.
But when I looked around, everybody I knew was there.
I counted on my fingers, just in case. I noticed then the extra plate I had missed.
My mother fluffed out her sleeves, clanking her wooden bracelets in the process. She took a breath and patted her short curls. Mari raised her eyebrows in my direction as Janice left to answer the door. We shared a look that said,Are we about to get the big reveal?
Sure enough, when my mom returned, she had a person in tow. A person I knew.
Pin Dick stood, ruffled and scowling.
My insides felt like they were turned inside out. All the color drained out of Mari’s face. Whatever her worst fears were, they could only be matched by mine. This wasn’t happening. My mother was a wise, kind, gentle woman of the contemporary world. She raised me to love and accept all.
Pin Dick was her complete opposite. Aside from the most obvious, there were so,somany reasons this didn’t make sense.
I stood on instinct. I wasn’t sure what I would do. Maybe I should punch him in the face. Yes, punching him in the face felt right. Screw toxic masculinity. Sometimes, you fought fire with fire. Vander, likely sensing the tension in the room and seeing my sudden rise, stood at my side. He looked among all of us, clueless but ready to fight.
It was like being fourteen again, walking home to be cornered by the football team. He had my back, no matter what.
Mari stood then too, her hand gently resting on mine. When I looked at her again, she glanced subtly at Janice. A reminder. This wasn’t about me.
The past few months, Janice had an ever-present smile and a lightness to her step. Buthow? Not that I liked to think about these things, but I was confident this man knew less about a woman’s needs than the types of musical instruments in his own school.
