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“Eurgh, Brayden!” A shout comes through the hall, followed by my eldest niece. “I told you to stop using my eyeliner as a crayon!” Becca is taller than Elle and although her hair should match everyone else in the family, she has bleached it whiteblonde. She looks up to see me and loses her anger. “Uncle B!” She jumps into my arms.
“Hey kiddo, how’s things?”
“Fine, if my idiot cousins would stop going through my freaking bag.”
“Don’t call them idiots,” I say putting her down and bopping her nose, which she scrunches.
“Oh my god, you brought a girl?” She notes Elle.
“I brought a friend. Elle, Becca, Becca, Elle.”
“Hi, you’re pretty.”
“Hi,” Elle chuckles. “You’re pretty too.”
I take Elle’s hand again and lead her through to the kitchen, leaving George, Brayden, and Becca in the hall having several arguments at once. Taking Elle through to the hub, I try and see it through her eyes. Five sisters, three brothers-in-law, one soon-to-be brother-in-law, four nieces, and two nephews. The room is pretty full and loud, I can’t see Mum anywhere but there are enough sets of eyes zoning in on Elle for now.
My oldest sister, Monica, is the first to approach. “Hi, baby brother,” she hugs me tight.
“Hey, Mon. How’s things?”
“Same old, same old. I have a teenage daughter, a pre-teen daughter, and two young boys. I’m prematurely grey and pulled a muscle trying to get ice cream out the freezer last night. So, you know.”
I chuckle, my sister is ten years older than me, so I have to ask. “Are we sure it’s premature?”
Fuck you, she mouths at me but her smile just makes me laugh harder. “So, are you going to introduce us?”
“Yeah, uh everyone, this is Elle, Elle this is everyone.”
There’s a chorus of hellos and welcomes while Elle waves shyly at them all. I guide her to one of the bar stools at the island and stand behind her, resting my hands on the countertop either side, caging her in. “That’s Monica, my oldest sister, her husband is the grown-ass man over there trying to beat a child at noughts and crosses, his name is Billy.” Billy waves with his signature lopsided smile. “They are Becca’s parents and the kid currently beating him is Janie, their other daughter. Their two boys,William and Daniel are there in that corner playing snap.” They all look up to say hello as I mention their names.
“Hi,” Elle cheers back with a smile.
“The scary looking one over there is Pamela, that’s my older sister. Don’t piss her off; she’ll gouge your eyes right out.”
Pam scowls at me, her short-cropped purple hair and eyebrow piercing do kind of give her a scary vibe, but she is probably the gentlest of all my sisters. Elle chuckles low and I don’t miss how she leans back into my chest. I move my arms to tighten my embrace.
“Pam’s married to Guy and they are Brayden and George’s parents. That’s Ginger,” I lean in to whisper in her ear, “Yes, my parents named their red-haired daughter Ginger.” She giggles quietly. “Ginger is my twin,” Elle gasps at that and turns to look at me, wide-eyed. We are only an inch apart and I swallow hard, aware of everyone watching us. So I look back to the family, jerking my chin to my brother-in-law. “Ginger is married to Sanjay, their daughters are Jasmine and Nina.” They all wave at their turn. “The one feeding her baby is Penny she is my younger sister, and the guy making gooey eyes at her is Vince, her fiancé.” Vince flips me the bird without taking his eyes off his girls. “Their baby is Moira and she was born last month. Last, but by no means least, you have Jules.” I point to my baby sister, sat at the island with her head bent over a paper of some sort. “My littlest sister and the brainbox of the family.”
“You have five sisters?” Elle looks at me in disbelief.
“Yep.”
“How did I never know this?”
“You been trying to hide your embarrassing family from pretty girls, Brenty-Boy?” Billy says with a smirk. God, I hate that name.
“More like trying to protect others from you lot,” I retort.
“Who needs protecting?” My mother’s voice cuts through the chatter as she emerges from the garage carrying what looks like a platter of desserts. I leave Elle to help Mum with the plate.
“Mum, this is my friend Elle.”
If my mother is surprised that I’ve bought someone home for the first time, she doesn’t show it. She gives Elle her biggest andwarmest smile and wraps her in a tight hug. “Elle, how lovely to have you. Has anyone offered you a drink?”
“Oh, I…er…” Elle stutters, not wanting to get anyone in trouble.
“Despicable, honestly, who raised you all?” Mum addresses the room.
