Page 43 of Derick

“Yes, but those were your brothers and only a small group. This is everyone in Australia all together at a family dinner tomeet me and Hope to celebrate her birthday. What my dad called family… well, let’s just say I didn’t enjoy those parties when they were all together.” She shivered and rolled her shoulders. I reached over to comfort her. Every time she got that distant look of fear and horror, I wished I could punish her father and his men.

“I can promise you that we are family by blood and through marriage and are nothing like your family.” I gathered her hands in mine just as she reached out to fix Hope’s pigtail for the sixth time. “You both look beautiful. You have nothing to worry about. My parents adore you. Cassie thinks you’re sweet and can’t wait to help show off Hope and brag she was the first to get to befriend you.”

Ruby shrugged and pulled Hope closer to her. “I haven’t had your mum and her sisters-in-law and your cousins all together in the same room with me. What if they act differently with everyone here?” I zoned in as her teeth came out and bit her bottom lip.

“Stop worrying. I promise this will go smoothly.” Giving her hands a gentle squeeze, I shook my head and smiled down at Hope as she turned to gaze up at her mother and me.

“Mummy, how longdded, I’d here forever?” Hope whined. “Nanny, Poppy saids babies coming and isza can holds thems.” She bounced on her toes, enforcing her excitement.

There was no doubt that Hope loved my parents, and they spoiled her rotten. If I was being truthful, my parents wouldn’t give Hope back when they had her, if it wasn’t for them knowing that Ruby wasn’t ready for her to have sleepovers in Nanny and Poppy’s wing just yet. They’d keep her with them as much as they were allowed though.

Kneeling, so I was at Hope’s level, I opened my arms and Hope inched closer but stopped when Ruby stiffened at the sound of the doorbell. I knew my family was doing this so thatRuby knew this house was her safe place and no one would come in without being invited. We were all so close that we never rang the doorbell.

I opened the door. My uncle held a baby in each arm as his wife glared at him.

“—mean I can’t hold my damn children. I’m not even that far alo…” Her words trailed off when she saw us. “Hi. Sorry about that.” Annabelle went bright red. “I’m Annabelle, and this caveman is my husband Carl, and he’s holding Jake and Angelica.”

The babies were about a year or so old. One wore a cute blue onesie, with the Cookie Monster on it. The other wore a pink baby-style tutu with matching shoes and a headband.

“Now that there is another little girl, I may get to hold my daughter.” Annabelle held out a present wrapped in pink paper.

“I doubt it,” Cassie said as she waddled in, barely fitting past people or waiting for them to move. There was no doubt she was going straight for the food.

Dustan gave a chin lift of acknowledgment. He was holding a pink present bag on his arm as he followed his wife like he was ready to catch her if she fell.

Andrew weaved through everyone and went straight to Hope, whose eyes lit up when she saw him. Andrew was kind of like a little kid himself, so I understood why my little princess loved him. “Hope, my princess. You up for some park action tomorrow? I’m thinking we start with the fort and then move to the slides.” Hope let Andrew pick her up and they started to organize their time while Ruby looked on, not only shocked, but a little annoyed.

I grabbed Andrew before he could wander off with Hope without even meeting her mother. “Andrew, you’re being a dick. Can you at least introduce yourself before you wander off with Hope?”

Oakley came out from behind his parents and took Hope and handed her to me, as my Uncle Albert came up and smacked his son, Andrew, upside the head. “I’m sorry for my youngest.”

“Yeah, we’d love to say our brother was dropped on his head, but he wasn’t, so there is no excuse for him being an idiot.” Zeck nudged his brother as he came in and held his hand out to Ruby. “I’m Zeck. The smartest, and apparently the politest, of my family.”

“Hey, I’ll have you know that I kicked all my brothers’ scores with their HSC.” Andrew puffed out his chest and wiggled his brows.

“We never said you weren’t smart. You are an idiot though, especially when you’re being rude and not the well-mannered son I raised.” My Aunt Gillian patted her son’s cheek and beamed at Hope before she handed her a doll. “You’ll soon learn, baby girl, that I’m your favorite aunty.” She then gave Hope a Kinder Surprise and a bag overflowing with presents, kissed her cheek, and walked into the house.

My grandparents came through with my Uncle Duncon and Aunt Carol and bags filled with presents too. My grandfather Russell beamed a charming smile at Ruby. “Welcome to the family.”

My grandmother, Shirley, patted Ruby’s arm. “This is for you.” She gave her a gift. It was wrapped in gold paper with a silver ribbon. I knew what was in the gift as soon as I saw it, and for my grandmother to give it to Ruby, I was speechless for the first time. Ruby clutched the small box to her chest like she knew something important was in there.

“Thank you so much.” A tear slid down her cheek. “I’ve never been given a gift by a grandparent. I’ve never had grandparents. Well, Toby’s grandmother was nice to me, but I never got anything from her.”

Ruby opened the gift, taking her time, peeling off the tape and carefully unraveling the paper to reveal a square, blue velvet box. She caressed the casing before she opened it. Inside sat a necklace with three rings, a plain gold band, a silver infinity ring, and a rose gold band with a diamond that slotted into the silver infinity band. It was a family heirloom that belonged to an eighth-removed grandmother. This was a big deal. I had been honored when my grandmother told me she was going to give them to Ruby. She had told me that Ruby’s bravery had won her over without even meeting her and she just knew they were meant for Ruby.

My grandmother wiped Ruby’s tears away and pulled her into her embrace. “You do now, gorgeous girl.” Grandmother glanced down at where she usually wore the necklace. “These are yours now.”

At that moment, I couldn’t love my grandparents more, and I knew Ruby would be okay. A milestone had been achieved.

Ruby

I couldn’t believehow nice Derick’s extended family was. Hope was in heaven. She was the center of attention and was getting so spoiled I was sure soon her face would freeze with a permanent smile. I felt silly for being so nervous about meeting them. I’d been so sure they’d hate me and be nasty because of what my father had put them through.

One thing I did notice though; there were a lot of males, and the men that had a partner gazed at them with so much love you’d have to be blind not to see it. I wondered if Derick looked at me like that.

As the night continued, I started to set some goals. I not only wanted to get an education, and a safe place to raise Hope, but I wanted Derick like the women in his family had their men. I wanted it all with him. I wanted what I saw in his family. I’d never had feelings for a man before. The only people I’d ever loved was my brother and Hope. They’d been my world for so long I didn’t know if I knew how to love the way a man and a woman were supposed to, but I did love him. The women all looked not just happy, but content and completely at ease. I wondered if I looked like them. I certainly felt safe, happy, and I’d never been content before, but I was calm and not worried. So I felt that was content.

I’d asked Derick and his parents not to go crazy buying Hope things. We’d take her shopping on my half day. I’d always been so frugal with my money. It had taken me a long time to prove I was who I was, thanks to my parents only doing my birth certificate and no other documents. They threw my original out, and when I didn’t have anything else to show who I was, it became another reason it was extremely hard to leave my father and why I’d had to count on my brother so much.

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