Page 120 of My Family

I finally spot him near one of the picnic tables, sitting with Tyler and a woman who must be his aunt Marie. She's shorter than both of them, with curly brown hair pulled back into a messy bun, and she's wearing a yellow floral dress that stands out.

"That's Ethan!" I tell my dad, pointing. "And his brother, Tyler. The woman is their aunt."

My dad nods, following me as I approach them.

Ethan looks up and sees me coming. He breaks into a smile and waves.

"Hey," I say, stopping at their table. "This is my dad, Thomas. Dad, this is Ethan, Tyler, and…"

"Marie," the woman says, standing with a warm smile.

She extends her hand to my dad, then to me.

"So nice to meet you two. Join us," Marie says, patting the bench beside her. "There's plenty of room."

My dad sits down across from Tyler, who gives him a small nod.

I slide in next to Ethan, our shoulders touching. Without thinking, I reach for his hand under the table, but then I realize I don't need to hide it.

So I bring our hands up and rest them on the tabletop, my fingers laced through his.

No one blinks.

My dad stares for a second, but then he smiles at me, almost like he's proud of me. It makes me want to cry again. As usual.

Marie just keeps talking about how proud she is of Ethan and Tyler and how well they're doing in their classes.

"Ethan tells me you work in the kitchen," she says to me. "That you're quite the cook."

"I'm learning," I say, feeling my cheeks warm.

"So, Thomas, what do you do?" Marie asks.

"I'm a mechanic," my dad says.

"He can fix anything," I add. "Cars, trucks, refrigerators, whatever."

My dad looks pleased but embarrassed.

"Well, I try anyway."

The conversation flows easily after that. Marie asks questions that somehow get everyone talking. She draws Tyler out with questions about his classes. She asks my dad about cars.

After a few minutes, Marie suddenly sits up straight, like she's just remembered something important.

She reaches into her purse and pulls out her phone.

"Oh! I almost forgot," she says, her eyes bright with excitement. "I thought maybe… your parents might want to say hello."

She looks at Ethan and Tyler.

"I called them this morning. They said they'd try."

The temperature at the table drops about twenty degrees.

I feel Ethan's hand go completely still in mine.

Tyler scowls.