Page 110 of Bad Seed

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It was just after 5:00 p.m. when Brendan and Harley started up Pope Mountain. Shirley Pope had issued an invitation they weren’t about to refuse. All of her sons had already met Harley. Shirley knew about the moratorium on visiting, and understood why, but it had been hard to know what they were going through and not be able to help.

By the time they left Jubilee, the sun had long since disappeared behind the mountain. Everything was slowing down for the arrival of nightfall—even the cold wind had laid.

It was one of the few times in Harley’s life when she’d felt out of her element. She’d never loved a man like she loved Brendan, and she wanted his mother’s approval. No amount of reassurance he’d given her was going to count until she and Shirley Pope were face-to-face. As they started up the mountain, she took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly, willing herself to relax.

“Harley, darlin’, she’s going to love you.”

“You can’t know that,” she said.

“Yes, I can. Mom knows us better than we know ourselves. If we love, then she’s satisfied. She has always wanted nothing more than happiness for all of us because she had so little of it for herself. Our joy is her joy. You’ll see. All I can say is, she’s nothing like your mother. You will not be judged.”

Harley smiled. “Good to know.”

The headlights continued to light their way and, now and then, reveal a furry little denizen scurrying across their path or catch one ducking into the underbrush at the side of the road. Harley thought about living among things unseen and realized she felt safer up here with Brendan than she had on the streets of Chicago.

But when he began slowing down, anticipation made her shiver. As he took the turn off the road, she caught a glimpse of the name S. Pope on the mailbox, and then they were driving up a one-lane road through what felt like a tunnel of trees. She saw a glow of lights and then they drove into a clearing and she saw the house, lit up in every window like a church at Christmas, and the long front porch that ran the length of the house, and the porch swing, and all the chairs against the wall, and cars lined up along the front.

“Looks like the brothers are already here,” Brendan said as he parked.

The scent of woodsmoke was in the air, and there was the sound of music coming from inside as they got out.

“Somebody’s dancing with Mom. Probably Wiley, but we’ve all done it in our time. She pretends she doesn’t like it, but she does. Come on, darlin’. We’re the guests of honor. Let’s go make an appearance.”

He clasped her hand as they walked up the steps together and were heading to the front door when it suddenly swung inward, and Harley saw a woman standing in the doorway and knew without asking thatwas Shirley. The faces of her sons were evidence of her DNA.

“Come inside out of this cold!” Shirley said, and then clasped both of Harley’s hands. “Harley, finally I get to meet you. I’m Shirley. Welcome to our home.”

“Uh, I’m here, too,” Brendan said.

Shirley laughed as she hugged him. “You already know you’re loved. Harley’s new to this madness. We’re all in the kitchen, of course. Come introduce your girl to the rest of us. Ava is beside herself at the thought of getting another sister.”

“She’s not a thought, Mom. She’s a for-sure,” Brendan said. “Come on, Sunshine, let’s do this.”

Harley was swept up into the family as if she’d always been there, and meeting Ava was a surprise. She hadn’t expected a tiny blond in a household of dark-haired giants, and then remembered Ava wasn’t related to Shirley. Only to her sons, but it didn’t appear to have ever mattered.

Everything out of Ava’s mouth was Grandma this, and Grandma that, and Wiley was her Bubba, and her brothers’ wives were her sisters, and that was Ava’s world. And now, she’d added Harley’s name among them. Brendan was right. She’d had nothing to fear.

But it wasn’t until they got the food on the long, wooden table and sat down to eat that Harley saw the true beauty of family.

Three generations in one place, and two more babies waiting to be born, all talking and laughing, and teasingand sharing food and stories without missing a bite or a breath. It was like watching a tennis match on speed, and in the middle of it all, she saw Brendan in a new light.

He was the youngest brother, but the tallest brother. He was the quietest brother, but his delight in being among them was written on his face, and he kept up a running monologue for Harley’s ears only, constantly explaining the connections between everyone at the table and the people they were discussing.

Finally, Shirley raised her hand. “If I might get a word in…” They immediately hushed. “Thank you. I needed to make sure Harley’s ears weren’t about to fall off.”

Harley grinned. “No, ma’am. I’ve loved every minute of this. I’m an only child and my parents haven’t lived under the same roof together more than a week per month in all my days.”

“Whyever not?” Shirley asked.

“My father, Jason Banks, is a scientist at NASA. My mother, Judith, is well known in her field as a playwright and screenwriter. I am an only child. I don’t think becoming parents was ever on their radar, but you know how that goes. Once I aged out of tolerating being put on display, I was sent to private schools, then off to college, and out on my own. Not a sad thing. Just how I grew up. Only now, thanks to Brendan, I see what I’ve been missing.”

Wiley piped up. “We think little brother is all thatand a bucket of beer, but you’ll have to watch out when it comes time to eat. He’s never full.”

“Oh, we’ve already had words over a piece of pie,” Harley said, and when they all burst into laughter, Brendan felt obliged to explain himself. “She let it sit in the mini-fridge nearly a whole dang day. I couldn’t stand the suspense.”

Laughter rolled around the table again, and as it did, Brendan reached for her hand beneath the table and gave it a quick squeeze. She glanced up at him, her eyes twinkling in delight.

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