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“Not much snow where you’re from?”
She shook her head. “Nope.”
“Well, it sticks around here more often than not.”
“Definitely will be an experience for me.”
“Did you bring warm enough clothes?” Gareth asked, feeling a bit concerned that she might not have.
She crossed her arms and kept her gaze on the fire. “I think what I have will be okay.”
“Layers are great, so if you think you’re going to be cold, just add another layer.”
“Okay, everyone,” his mom called from the kitchen. “Come grab something.”
Gareth turned away from the fire and headed to the counter where his mom had been putting the food as she’d dished it up. With so many hands, it didn’t take long to get all the food from the kitchen to the table in the dining room.
Soon, they were all seated, and Gareth found himself across the table from Aria, with Jake and Wade on either side of him. Aria had a seat between Janessa and Layla, who looked like she had plenty to say to the new person in her life.
Gareth wondered if Aria would get impatient with Layla, or if she’d embrace the little girl’s enthusiastic, curious personality. They’d all gotten used to it, and since there were so many of them, she could spread her conversations out among all of them.
He could only imagine how someone who was an only child must view their family. When he’d been away at school, even people who had siblings were shocked to find out he had nine of them. Or maybe it was eleven, since Wade and Jack felt like brothers. Once he’d passed three siblings, he’d kind of taken the viewpoint ofwhat was one more?
His parents had said they were done with both biological and adopted children, but that didn’t mean that they’d say no if another child showed up in their lives needing a family. Gavin admired that about his parents, but he did kind of hope that their family was now complete. Well, except now his mom was after them to give her some grandchildren, so if she had her way, their family would still be growing.
CHAPTER EIGHT
As soon as Aria walked into the church with Janessa, she wished she could turn around and leave. When Janessa had told her the previous night that she left for church around ten-thirty if she wanted to go with her, Aria should have politely declined.
It wasn’t that she had anything against church, but she was used to attending in anonymity. When she and her mom had gone, it had always been to a mega-church where they blended in.
Aria had never asked her mom why they hadn’t gone to a smaller church or why they hadn’t gotten more involved in the bigger churches they’d attended over the years. She’d just accepted that if her mom felt they should attend those bigger churches, she must have a good reason.
And now, Aria was faced with endless introductions to people who would remember who she was while she’d never be able to recall all the names that were being tossed at her. Some of them were people she’d met at the clinic, but the panic she was experiencing had erased their names from her memory.
She didn’t know why it hadn’t occurred to her that she would be attending a church in a small town where everyone seemed to know her friend and her friend’s family.
Rubbing at her arm, Aria tried not to scratch like she wanted to. The urge to get rid of the itch of anxiety beneath her skin was nearly overwhelming.
Calm down. This is ridiculous.
Not one person greeted her with anything but friendly and welcoming expressions.
“Let’s go sit down,” Janessa said as she grabbed her arm.
Aria allowed her friend to guide her into the sanctuary and to a row that was about mid-way to the front. She would have preferred to sit at the back, but she was glad that at least they weren’t sitting right at the front.
“Sorry if that was a little overwhelming,” Janessa said softly. “I forget what it’s like for someone who’s not used to our church.”
“It’s okay.” Aria gave her friend what she hoped was a reassuring smile. “I’ll get used to it.”
Janessa grinned at that. “It’s okay if you don’t. I still feel a little overwhelmed by everyone in the church knowing everything about me. There are times I’d like to just blend in and be able to worship. But between who my family is and being a person of color in a fairly white town, I’m never going to blend in.”
Aria frowned. It hadn’t even occurred to her that Janessa and Jay might struggle with something like that. But as she considered Janessa’s words, she knew that it would be so stressful for her if she were in their position. But she wasn’t in their position, so she’d never truly understand how it felt.
She reached out and squeezed Janessa’s hand. “I’m sorry you have to deal with that.”
Janessa shrugged. “For the most part, I don’t think about it, and people who know me from the clinic or church don’t treat me any differently. But there are days when I just want to hide from the world, and the only way I can do that is to leave Serenity or stay inside.”
