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We pull up to my parents’ house, and everything is in full swing.
Cornhole boards are out, poker is being played at one of the folding tables, my cousins are playing basketball and the old-timers are sitting around in a circle talking.
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T. SPEAR
Riley gets out of the car with the confidence of a lioness.
I wave to my mom, and she scurries over to us.
“Mom, this is Riley, my co-worker.” my mom smirks at me and turns her head slightly towards Riley while looking at me from the corner of her eyes for a second. Then puts her full focus on Riley.
“It is so nice to meet you, Riley. Grayson has told us so much about you.”
“That is so sweet of him. All good things, I hope.”
“Oh yes dear, all good things.” She loops her arm through Rileys and starts walking away with her. “Now, come meet the family.”
I stick close behind them while my mom introduces Riley to my dad and every single member of my family before giving her back to me. She kept a genuine smile on her face the whole time and never once looked annoyed.
I lead her over to the food and we grab plates.
“Sorry about that.”
“No, don’t be sorry. It must be fun having such a big family. I loved meeting everyone.”
“It can be. I never had a lack of friends to play with as a kid, that’s for sure.”
Riley smiles at me then scoops some pasta salad, ham, and green beans onto her plate. I load mine with a little bit of everything and we find an empty table.
“Do you want to play corn hole after?” I ask her
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“Sounds like fun.”
I watch Riley as she’s eating her food, she’s watching the kids play basketball and she has an easiness to her smile. She told me family reunions were never a thing when she was growing up, I wonder if she at least got together with family on the holidays.
“I’m going to go play basketball with them,” she says and hops up from her chair before making her way to the kids. Not even giving me a chance to respond. And for the next hour she plays around the world, horse and helps the little ones make free throws over and over again. Never once does she lose the huge smile on her face.
When she is done, she sits back down next to me, out of breath and red from running around.
“That was so much fun. I love your cousins.”
I love that you love my cousins
“Did you not have cousins growing up?”
“Nope. I was lucky to see my grandparents on holidays.”
“That’s rough.”
She nods her head and takes a deep breath, letting the air out slowly from her lungs.
“You ready to play some corn hole before we have to go to work?” I ask her
