Page 117 of Peppermint Bark

Elijah had barely shifted into park before my door flew open. Isaac pulled me out, his big hands wrapping around the back of my head to hold me close. “Oh my God, I can’t believe it’s really you.”

I wrapped my arms around his waist, breathing in his protection and security. “I’m so sorry,” he gasped. His shoulders shook as he squeezed me tighter. “I wasn’t there when you needed me, I couldn’t find you, and I —“

“None of that now." I pulled back and wagged my finger in my big brother’s handsome face, like he'd done to me so many times in our childhood, and he released a soft chuckle. "What's past is past, and we're here now, together.”

He squeezed me tighter and I tucked into his hug, knowing how badly be both needed this touch, and said into his neck,. “I want to meet your family.”

“Our family,“ he said with delight. “And I want to hear everything we missed. Mama recapped your visit, said your big angry boyfriend decked Levi. I wish I could have seen that.”

I shrugged uncomfortably, not wanting our first conversation to be about Levi, Alex and, you know, assault and battery. So I asked, “You ever talk to Dad?”

“No, I call Mama at work, to check in and remind her that she’s got a safe space here if she ever needs a break from him,” he scowled, and the expression felt oddly comforting. I never thought I’d miss a scowl. “But I've barely talked to Dad since he kicked you out. Rachel tried to extend an olive brand with a wedding invitation, but he refused to step foot her in her family's synagogue. We only take the kids to see Mama when he’s out of town.”

Isaac kept his arm wrapped around my shoulders as we turned towards his house, where a pregnant woman stood on the front steps, He shouted playfully, “Rach, what part of ‘bed rest’ do you not understand? The bed, or the rest?”

She put her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes at his bossiness. I liked her already. “Unless you’re going to empty my bedpan, I have to walk sometimes.”

“That’s why we have a nurse living with us,” he flicked a thumb towards Elijah.

“Nope,” Elijah said, lifting his hands. “Don’t put me in the middle of this.”

“If you were civilized and brought your sister inside the house instead of standing in the cold, this wouldn’t be a problem.”

Behind Rachel’s legs, a little girl hovered, clinging to her skirt. As we stepped into the foyer and removed our jackets, she held her arms up to Isaac, who scooped her up. “Leah, this is my sister, your Aunt Grace.”

God help me, I never thought I’d hear those words in my brother’s voice.

My niece eyed me warily, glancing over my shoulder at Elijah, then back at me with the same expression that people made when they couldn't tell us apart. He nudged me gently, "Guess I should have worn my glasses."

"Grace is my little sister too," he explained. "That's why we look so much alike."

Leah said, "Just like the new baby?"

"Exactly," he said, "Except you'll be five years older than them, and I'm only three minutes older than Grace."

"A fact that he'll never let me live down," I said with an eye roll, and Leah grinned shyly. When I held out my palm for a handshake, she leaned fearlessly away from Isaac towards me, and I extended my arms to hold her against my hip.

Both my brothers took a minute to compose themselves, so I turned back to Isaac’s wife. “We haven’t officially met, I’m Grace Alvarez.”

“Grace Alvarez? You took Mama’s maiden name?” Isaac said in surprise.

“Grace Alvarez who teaches mindfulness?” Rachel asked at the same time.

Their eyes met for a moment in confusion.Leah wiggled on my hip until Elijah held out his hands and she leaned into her favorite uncle, dragging him over to a nearby dollhouse.

“Yes, I took Mama’s name, and yes, I teach mindfulness. How do you — ?”

“I’m Rachel Cohen, we’ve been emailing about your spring workshop at the domestic violence shelter,” she said in stunned surprise as I felt my mouth go dry. “Mariana told me it was incredible and I should book it after my maternity leave so I could be there.”

We stared at each other, letting the reality of our small world collapse around us. Maybe, even without my trip to visit my family, I still would have ended up here. Maybe Rachel would have seen me at that workshop and …

“You look just like Elijah,” she said, her hands resting on her belly, and Isaac took her elbow and guided her to the couch, “I would have recognized you right away. These two have told me so much about you over the years, and we've all been keeping an eye out for you, but I expected it to happen in line at Starbucks, not …" She shook her head in disbelief.

Isaac carried snack bowls to the coffee table, then lifted her pregnant cankles into his lap before asking, "How do you know Mariana?”

“She’s my case worker, I’ve …” I coughed, hoping Elijah had already told them so they’d had time to prepare, “I’ve applied to be a foster mom.”

Rachel's face lit up, so I sat down in a chair and told her about my job at the hospital, about being there for Ruby’s surgery, about how her mom Sarah died and she needed a home.

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