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I realized that was one of the major differences between my upbringing and his. It explained why he was close to his family.
“Not to mention, three boys and a little girl who thought she could keep up with the boys occupied the bulk of my time,” Dana said. “I needed the extra eyes. Then Edmund started walking and all hell broke loose. By the time Rose was born, we were in full chaos.”
I took a sip of my wine, feeling a warmth spread through my body. Listening to them talk about their family made me envious. I had grown up in a household that was the complete opposite. My parents were never around. I had nannies, lots of nannies. It was why I had always been drawn to people like the Ashfords, who had a close-knit family.
“Do you miss it?” I asked, looking at Dana.
“Miss what?” she asked.
“Having a big family,” I clarified.
Dana’s face softened and she exchanged a look with Philip. “Of course, we do,” she said. “But they’re all still home, except for Roman. Things are still chaotic, but now it’s not pulling little boys out of trees or walking into a kitchen sink full of frogs—that was the girls.”
I burst into laughter. “No kidding.”
“Oh, those were the easy days,” Philip said, sighing. “There were the golf cart incidents. Was it Theo that put the one in the pond?”
Dana nodded. “Yes. He said he thought the gas was the brakes.”
“I did,” Theo said, laughing. “I was eight. I didn’t know how to drive.”
“Eight!” I exclaimed, trying to picture a young Theo driving a golf cart into a pond. “That’s insane!”
“It was a bit of a wild time,” Dana admitted. “But we wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
“I can imagine,” I said, feeling a pang of longing. I had always wished for a big family, but it was too late for me now. “You guys are lucky to have each other.”
“We certainly are,” Philip said, smiling at Dana.
“But it wasn’t always easy,” Dana said. “Raising six kids is no joke. There were times when we wanted to tear our hair out. But we got through it together.”
“And we had Theo and Roman to help keep an eye on the younger ones,” Philip added.
I listened intently, fascinated by their stories. The Ashford family dynamics were so different from my own. I had grown up with privilege, but that privilege came at a cost—the cost of my parents’ absence. I envied the Ashfords’ ability to rely on each other, to have each other’s backs no matter what.
As I looked around the room, I noticed how comfortable they all were with each other. The way they laughed and joked, the way they touched each other affectionately. It was as if they were all part of a secret club that I could never be a part of.
45
THEO
“I’ll walk you home,” I said when we realized it was well after midnight.
“I would say I’m fine, but you’re going to do it anyway,” she said, smiling.
“Yes, I am.”
“My parents will be there,” she said. “It has to be a quick goodbye.”
“I know.”
We left the house with my arm wrapped around her shoulders. “I’m really looking forward to going to your home,” she said.
“I can’t wait to show you around,” I said.
“I like your parents. I understand you so much better now.”
“What does that mean?” I asked.
