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“My babies are here!”
Both Angel and Leigh laughed as Angel’s mother came bustling into the room, beaming with glee that her “girls” were home. Strangely, while Leigh and Angel’s mothers had never become particularly close to each other, they had each basically adopted the other’s offspring. In fact, Leigh got the first hug and kiss on the cheek from Angel’s effusive mother.
She was a beautiful woman, shorter and curvier than either Leigh or Angel. Long black hair had been done up into a messy knot on the back of her head. Behind her was Angel’s dad, standing a few inches taller than Angel and with a cheerful smile on his round face. Her mom was half-Korean and her dad was half-Chinese and they’d given Angel a mixed bag of genetic traits as well.
“So, how are things with you?” Angel’s mom asked Leigh, taking the potatoes and ushering her into the other room. She couldn’t hear Leigh’s answer but she knew her friend would be saying something innocuous, despite the fact that all the parents knew there was something bad going down with her and Michael. Otherwise he would be here too.
“Hey Dad, good to see you,” Angel said, dropping a kiss on his cheek.
“You too, Angel-Face,” he said cheerfully, following the gaggle of women. “Have you heard from Captain lately? He’s got his own ship now.”
Angel groaned. “Oh my god... he’s Captain Captain now?”
She hadn’t heard from either of her big brothers lately. They tended to gather for the big holidays and otherwise there was an occasional e-mail back and forth but not much more contact than that. Percy (short for Percival) was out in Arizona and Captain was working on a private cruise line one of his college friends had started. Neither of her brothers were particularly good at keeping in touch over long distances, although they were incredibly affectionate and boisterous in person.
Captain, the oldest of the three siblings, had gotten the short-end of the stick when it came to names. His full name was Captain Glascock Jones; both Captain and Glascock were family names about to die out so her parents had somehow decided it would be a good idea to give him both. The poor guy couldn’t even go by his middle name—although she knew he’d had a damned good time in school being addressed as “Captain” by his teachers. He’d grown into it and by the time he’d become Captain of the Varsity football team in high school no one was making fun of him anymore.
However, Captain Captain of an actual ship was a completely different story.
“Captain Captain of the Wandering Wreck,” said her dad with a grin. “It’s a pirate themed cruise ship.”
She couldn’t help it, she burst out laughing. “He’s a real swashbuckler now!”
“He wants us to come out this summer and see his ship,” said her dad proudly.
That was one thing she had to hand her parents, it didn’t matter what their kids did, as long as they did it with enthusiasm then her parents were proud and happy. They absolutely supported Angel’s endeavors with teaching self-defense and her Etsy store, as well as her enjoyment of community theater. They’d supported Captain when he dropped out of college and joined his friend Garrett in starting up the cruise ship line and they’d supported Percy when he’d finished college and gone on to be the only Jones child to get a normal nine to five job.
Percy didn’t know what to do with his family a lot of the time. Maybe it was middle-child syndrome, but he’d always been one to quietly go his own way, and he was the only one who’d wanted a “normal” career.
“Sounds like fun, I may join you. Maybe we can even get Percy along and make it a family vacation.”
They hadn’t had one of those in years.
“That’d be wonderful,” her dad said, his face brightening. “Honey, did you hear what Angel said? We’re going to make the cruise on the Wandering Wreck a family vacation!”
With a small sigh, realizing she shouldn’t have spoken up unless she was sure it was what she wanted to do since she should have known how her dad would take the thought, Angel followed him into the kitchen where her mom and Leigh were. Then again, her dad knew exactly how to twist all of his children into line when he wanted to and she knew she wouldn’t be able to say no to him. Looked like they were going on a family vacation that summer.
Her phone buzzed on her hip again, reminding her of the text message she’d received when she was getting out of the car.
Turning on the screen, she saw she had two texts from Lexie.
Hey Angel! I was hoping maybe you’d have some free time tomorrow night...
If you do and you’d be up for helping me decorate Stronghold for the party this weekend, let me know!
Grinning, Angel texted Lexie back.
Sounds like fun! I’ll be there.
Angel
“How’s the job hunt going?” her mom asked Mike. He’d shown up about fifteen minutes late and now he was getting grilled. Which was good because it took attention off of Leigh, which she probably needed after the interrogation she’d gone through upon arrival. “Angel said you’re going to stay in the area for a while?”
“That’s the plan,” Mike replied, giving her mother his most charming smile. “I had an interview today and got in touch with one of my old directors. I might have a small gig lined up, doing some prop-making for her upcoming show. I still have to meet the prop-designer.”
“Wonderful,” her mom gushed. She gave Angel a sly look. “And you’re staying at our Angel’s?”
“That’s a temporary situation, Mom,” she hastily inserted as her father scowled suspiciously at Michael. Dad wasn’t exactly super talkative when in large groups, but she could tell he didn’t entirely like what he was hearing. While her mom loved Mike and hoped for something between him and Angel, her dad was conservative enough not to want a man living in Angel’s house without some kind of commitment prior to the living. Preferably commitment involving a ring. Housemates excepted, of course, although he hadn’t been thrilled about that either. “He’s got his own place to move into next week.”
