Seth laughed. "I'll let the baker know she has a fan club."
Nearby, Devon leaned against the fence.
"You realize," he told Seth, "if you keep feeding this family pastries, you're stuck with us forever."
Seth looked over. "That sounds suspiciously like a threat."
"It is."
"Good to know,” Seth answered.
Everyone laughed. I watched the exchange quietly.
Nobody treated Seth like a guest anymore, or someone temporary. It was natural and effortless, the way my family accepted people once they decided they cared about them.
I glanced toward Seth. He'd noticed too. I could tell.
The slight softness in his expression gave him away, and his shoulders seemed more relaxed now. It was as if he'd finally stopped waiting for someone to tell him he didn't belong here.
My chest felt warm. For the first time in years, I wasn't looking at what everyone else had.
I no longer compared myself to Carter and Devon, Mark and Zack, Chris and Jaime, or Levi and Mason. I wasn't wondering when my turn would come.
Every time I looked around today, my eyes kept finding Seth, and every time they did, I felt ridiculously lucky.
A while later I found myself standing near the edge of the yard with a drink in hand. Mom joined me. I braced myself automatically from years of conditioning.
She followed my gaze toward Seth, who was currently being interrogated by Zack and Mason about pastries.
Then she smiled. It wasn’t her plotting or matchmaking smile. She genuinely seemed glad for me, and that took me slightly back.
"You look happy,” she remarked.
I blinked. Was that was it? There were no prodding questions, or concerned looks. I looked back toward Seth, toward the life unfolding in front of me, and realized she was right.
"I am," I admitted.
Mom squeezed my arm. For a second I saw the relief there.
I like to think it wasn’t because I'd found a mate, or that I’d finally caught up to my brothers, but because she could see I was genuinely happy. That mattered more.
Eventually the afternoon softened into evening, the sun dipped lower, and the conversation slowed. People settled into chairs, and grabbed drinks.
At one point Seth stood beside me watching everyone laugh, and share stories. Was he observing the easy way my family moved around one another?
He was quiet enough that I noticed.
“Is something the matter?” I asked.
He hesitated.
Then said softly, "You all fit together so easily. That’s all.”
I followed his gaze and saw Carter laughing at something Devon said. Chris was chasing Pampi. My parents were teasing Mark. Years and years of shared history.
"I guess we do,” I said.
Seth nodded. Something uncertain flickered briefly across his face. Old insecurity perhaps, one I'd seen before. I turned toward him.
