Page 88 of Not A Chance

He locked his phone and tossed it on the couch beside him. “Every time I come home, I remember how much I like being here. Some of the memories are hard, of course.” His voice was rough with emotion, but he kept his volume almost to a whisper.

Theo looked at the mantle, where photos of his mom and the family were displayed. “When I’m not here, it’s easy to put a lot of things before them.” He nodded at his family. “But I’ve missed a hell of a lot, Rocky. There’s got to be a way to get back here more. I just haven’t found it yet.” He rubbed his face with his hand that wasn’t holding on to me.

My stomach clenched with an uncomfortable emotion, witnessing Theo struggling. I wanted him to have everything that made him happy. It rankled that I couldn’t jump in and fix it for him.

As if he read my mind, Theo pulled back to meet my gaze and said, “It’s not on you to make it better, Ind. It’s huge that I can say aloud what’s bothering me. I haven’t had that in years.” He nodded at the mantle again, meaning his relationship with his mom.

Against my will, my eyes started to fill and threatened to overflow. I blinked rapidly to try to clear the overwhelming warmth running through my limbs. Gah! What was he doing to me?

He brought his hand up to my chin, directing my watery gaze back to him. “It’s more than enough that you’re here. Having you by my side just hearing me is the biggest help, okay?”

It was all I could do to nod. I didn’t trust my voice not to come out uneven, or worse, tears to start falling in earnest.

“Kids.” Joe stood up and went over to a side table, where he pulled something from its drawer. “Your mom and Gong Gong would have given me hell for forgetting to give you these on Christmas. It’sbeen years since we had the whole family together for the holiday, so this year, it feels extra important.” His smile was warm but sad.

I looked at the lai see he held in his hands, my heart giving another traitorous thump. Their mom had given me my very first lai see when Emery invited me over for Chinese New Year when we were six. I still had every red envelope I’d been given in a small wooden chest I kept on my dresser.

Alice couldn’t have known what it would mean to me to be included in their family traditions that first year, but she made sure I got a red envelope every year on my birthday.

He came back in front of the large sectional where we were all sitting. Joe set all but one envelope on the ottoman and stood in front of Emery, holding it out to her with both his hands.

Emery, in turn, reached up with both hands and a grin to receive it from her dad.

I surreptitiously opened my phone camera and snapped a picture of the two of them. The love they had for each other was clear in their eyes. I couldn’t stop the flash of my own father in my mind and thought how many light-years away I was from the Layne family traditions.

The sweet moment was interrupted by Liam. “Hey! How come she gets her lai see first?”

Theo sighed good-naturedly beside me, his body pressing more deeply against mine as he muffled a small chuckle.

Joe didn’t blink, giving Liam a quick look. “Because she’s my favorite child. Obviously.” He kept his expression completely deadpan as Liam’s mouth formed into an O shape.

Joe kept his face neutral while Emery took her red envelope with both hands. But he didn’t leave Liam hanging long before he turned and offered him a wink.

“Good one, Dad.” Theo nodded and called out from beside me. “We’re just racking up the payback for all those years of pranks, Li.”

Like the mature adult he was, Liam kept his attention on his dad while putting his arm up and aiming a middle finger at Theo.

Picking up another envelope from the ottoman, Joe paused in front of Liam and held it out to him. “Li, you know parents don’t have favorites. Or rather, my favorite is whoever is giving me the least amount of headaches at any given moment.”

Chase elbowed Liam. “Then it’s really never been either of us. And he doesn’t know thehalfof the shit we’ve pulled.”

“What?” Joe’s spine straightened, stopping him from leaning down to give Liam his lai see.

Liam let out a bark of laughter so loud that it startled Giz from her nap on Emery’s lap. “True. They’ll never actually even the score, will they?”

Chase shook his head “no” with a smile.

That seemed to be all it took to settle Liam back into his mellow mood. The rest of us received our red envelopes without any more fanfare.

Joe returned to his recliner next to the couch, and his hands suddenly looked a bit restless in his lap.

“What is it, Dad?” Emery’s brow wrinkled in concern.

“God, I know you’re all adults, and it should be easier to say this. But turns out it isn’t.” Joe’s gaze landed on each of his children, still appearing hesitant. “Okay, I’m just going to come out with it… I’ve asked Sherri out on a date.”

Sherri was their long-time next-door neighbor and family friend. She’d been the one to stay with Theo’s siblings when Joe had to coach away games.

Joe’s words were met with a few seconds of silence. Theo’s thigh went rock hard with tension under my hand. I gently rubbed myhand back and forth across it, offering my silent support.

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