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“Yeah, maybe it’s too much for right now,” Melinda agreed.
They were only trying to be nice, but I needed to keep my eye on the ball. This wedding wasn’t going to plan itself. “It’s not too much,” I declared. “Ithasto happen this way. I’m supposed to be married before I have a baby, and I intend to make that happen. I can handle it, you guys.”
The rest of the car ride stayed on the quiet side.
– – –
The table was set with red and gold linens, the candles were lit with little pinecones scattered around, and we sat down to a holiday dinner that my father had cooked all by himself. My mother had never been particularly into cooking, so Dad cooked on holidays and special occasions. He had a whole arsenal of family recipes handed down to him by his mom and was an excellent home chef.
It was tense and awkward at first. Even though the food was delicious, my mother barely touched her plate, instead knocking back Chardonnay like it was going out of style. She had been distant all night, and the conversation was minimal. I wanted to break the silence and get people talking again.
“Dad, these potatoes aresogood,” I said, helping myself to seconds.
“Crispiest you’ve ever gotten them,” Larissa echoed.
“Really impressive, David.” Nathaniel hadn’t spoken much to my dad, but at least they were being cordial.
My Dad pursed his lips when he looked at Nathaniel but nodded an expression of thanks for the compliment. “The trick is,” he explained, “you have to get the outsides fluffy in a colander before you throw them in the roasting tray. It lets more surface area come into contact with the hot oil, so they brown up better.”
“That’s a great idea,” Melinda said. “I might try that on my own roasted potatoes sometime.”
My mother looked up from pushing a perfectly cooked potato around her plate. “These are hardly a dish for a weeknight. Once a year is more than enough considering all the calories in this.” She gave Melinda a long look as she took a hearty sip of wine.
Her wine has plenty of calories, too.
Larissa cleared her throat. “Speaking of calories, I’ve been eatingtonslately. Swimming really burns a lot, and you have to be a strong swimmer if you want to surf big waves.”
“It’s so cool that you’re trying big waves now,” I said, eager to hear more.
“Yeah,” Melinda agreed, “I love watching when the championships come to town. All those big guys on even bigger boards.” All three of us girls giggled.
“I have a friend who’s a big wave surfer,” Nathaniel piped in. “I can put you in touch with him if you’d like.”
Larissa’s eyes lit up. “That would be great!”
Dad topped off everyone’s red wine and poured some more sparkling grape juice into my stem glass. “Larissa is an excellent athlete,” my dad said, looking at Nathaniel. “Won all sorts of medals in high school for track and soccer.”
“I bet she made you proud.” Nathaniel said, sipping his wine.
“She sure did. All of my girls did. They still do.” Dad smiled warmly at Larissa, then turned his gaze to me, and finally gave Melinda a sweet wink. He had been much better than I expected tonight and talking with Nathaniel casually like this was his way of making a genuine effort to connect.
I only hoped everything would stay on the right track. Our family may not be perfect, but we were a family, and that was the most important thing in the world to me.
– – –
My sisters volunteered to do the dishes so my dad could relax with his wine after cooking. After chatting with Nathaniel and me in the living room for a while, Dad asked if Nathaniel could grab some more bottles. My sisters were going to want to open another one when they were done cleaning, anyway, and my mom was almost finished with her bottle of Chardonnay.
Nathaniel headed down to the wine cellar in the basement, and my dad and I started brewing a pot of coffee for anyone who wanted some. I knew Nathaniel would, since he’d be driving us all home later.
“Dad,” I said, getting a mug from the cabinet and turning it in my hands, “I wanted to thank you. For everything. Having a family dinner like this means the world to me. Thank you so much for having us over.”
He smiled. “I’m glad you’re here. I couldn’t stand the thought of spending the holidays without all of my girls.”
“Just think–next Christmas we’ll have a little baby here for the first time. You’ll be the best grandpa.”
“Grandpa is a term I didn’t think I’d be hearing so soon,” he said, “but I’m happy for you, Amelia. And I am trying. With Nathaniel, that is.”
“I know, I’ve seen you. Youhavebeen trying with Nathaniel; I’ve noticed it.” It was true. He had pushed himself, and I was grateful. “Dad, I really appreciate that you’re making an effort. I know it can’t be your favorite thing to do right now. But I hope that over time, it’ll get easier.”
