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Even after dinner wound down and dessert was served, she kept talking to him, making sure he knew he was included in our family. Yes, he was Perry’s cousin, but my mom now considered him hers, just like everyone else at the table who wasn’t related to her by blood.
We all pitched in to bring our dishes to the kitchen, but she shooed everyone out except Peyton and me. We formed a line. Peyton washed, Mom dried, and I put the dishes away.
“You two are happy,” she said. “I saw it on the phone when we’d talk, but in person it’s different. You’re both settled. You have good men.”
“It’s new for me,” I told her. I hadn’t been with Dexen and JJ as long as Peyton had been with his partners.
“It is. That doesn’t mean it’s any less serious or special. I see the way you three look at each other. Dexen is a great man from a solid upbringing. He’s very business minded but you can tell he melts around you two. You’re good for him. He needs the balance, or he’d work himself sick, just like Perry.”
“Perry would live at the office if I didn’t drag him home,” Peyton said.
“Or if Dom wasn’t here,” I added.
“That too.”
Mom was still lost in thought. “JJ…” She shook her head. “You told me he had lost his mom when he was young. I don’t want you to tell me what happened. If he does one day, I’ll be there to listen. I can see the pain in his eyes when he looks at me. At the way I interact with all of you. He didn’t have his mom when he needed her. He didn’t even have a decent father figure. That poor boy.”
I tensed. I couldn’t help it. Every time his dad was brought up, I got pissed. “His dad is an asshole. I hate to say it, but I think somewhere in there, he does care for JJ. He just has a shitty way of showing it.”
“That man might have given his son half his genes, but that doesn’t make him a dad. A child needs more than a life of witnessing unspeakable shit. That’s okay though. He has you and Dexen. He has Perry, Pey, and Dom. You’re all the family he needs. I bet he comes off tough, like he could shoulder the world, but that boy hurts. He had to grow up too fast, if I had to guess.”
My mom, reading people since she could talk. She had an uncanny way of doing it. She understood JJ after one meal with him.
We finished the dishes to find Dexen and JJ on one couch in the living room, and Dominic and Perry on the other. They had the PlayStation out and were racing cars on the screen. JJ was in first, not that I had any doubt. Even on a video game, he knew cars. Perry was surprisingly a close second with Dexen behind him. Dominic was last. I could see his frown across the room as he tried to get ahead.
JJ crossed the finish line first, jumping to his feet, fists in the air. “Eat it, fuckers!” His eyes went wide when he saw us standing there, namely my mom. “Sorry, Mrs. Lynx.”
She waved him off. “Please. If you think I raised these boys and haven’t heard every curse word known to man… I can probably say things you’ve never even heard.”
Dexen pulled JJ back down to the couch. “No one likes a bragger.”
“You’re just pissed because you came in third.”
Dominic dropped his controller on the coffee table. “This game is rigged.”
My brother leaned on the arm of the couch beside him, putting his hand on the back of Dominic’s neck. “What’s the matter? Can’t handle a little competition?”
“Put me on a stage with anyone and I’ll outdance them. Obviously, I have talent. I don’t need to win this stupid game.” He lifted his chin like he was above such things.
Perry nudged him with his shoulder. “You wouldn’t be saying that if you won.”
“I win in other ways.”
“Uh huh.”
My mom walked into the living room and wedged herself between Dominic and Perry. That couch was bigger than the love seat Dexen and JJ were on. She had a deck of cards in her hand. “Okay, who’s ready for a real game?”
Dexen leaned forward, rubbing his hands together. “What are we playing?”
“Seven card stud.”
“Nice. I’m in.”
“Greer, go grab the poker chips.” She faced Dexen. “I don’t want to play with real money, or you’ll walk out of here penniless.” She winked.
That was how we spent the rest of the evening. My mom won nearly every hand. The ones she didn’t, Dexen did. It was late when we finally went to bed. I couldn’t remember the last time I had so much fun.
As I lay in bed, I found I couldn’t sleep, even though I was exhausted. Dexen softly snored on one side of me. JJ was tucked under my arm with his head on my chest. His soft breaths puffed over my skin.
