Page 38 of Instinct & New Identity

“Another fair warning,”Ifelt compelled to tell them. “Tracy’sbrotherChetthinks he’sGod’sgreatest gift to women, and he will spend much of the dinner telling you about it.Youtwo will also be fair game to him, as will any other living, breathing woman in attendance between the age of eighteen and thirty-five.Solet me know if he’s bothering you, andI’llhave a word.”

“Vince, if you’re saying any of this to try to deter us, it’s not working,”Valasserted. “Ilove watchingRealHousewivesandtelenovelas, and the way you make it sound, it will be like watching one of those shows in real life.Icannot wait!”

I rolled my eyes, figuring it was best to just let them watch the evening play out.Withthat said, ifChetgot anywhere nearCat, he andIwould be having words.Shemay not realize it yet, but that kiss last night had sealed the deal for me.Shewas mine.Iwould spend as much time asIneeded to convince her to give us a chance beyond friendship.

The planIhad in my mind for when we arrived was to holdCat’shand as we walked in the house so thatChetwould knowCatwas off limits.But, as often was the case, my mom ruined my plan.Assoon as the door opened to my parent’s ranch house, my mom leaned in to hug both girls, withCatbeing last and grabbed her hands to whisk them away to introduce them to everyone.Havingto suddenly deviate from my original plan,Ifollowed close behind, not wanting to giveChetany chance to be his usual creepy asshole right out of the gate.

We walked into the large open room that served as a kitchen, dining room, and living room all in one.Mymom and dad had renovated it a few years ago, and it looked really nice.They’dbought this place after my sister moved out so they could downsize and my mom would have less space to clean.Itwas good for them, but the house hadn’t been renovated since the eighties, so they gutted it and renovated it to exactly what they wanted.

A spacious, bright white kitchen with gray and yellow accents featured a massive island with four barstools.Itseamlessly flowed into the dining area, where a large table could seat ten.

Beyond the kitchen and dining room, a vast living room stretched out, furnished with a plush sectional couch, several recliners, and an enormousTVmounted along the side wall, currently displaying the football game.

My dad, uncle, and cousinChetwere sitting in front of theTVwatching the game.Allthree looked up when my mom announced our arrival and introducedValandCatto everyone.IwatchedChet’sinterest shift from the game to the ladies instantly.Takingthat as my cue,Iwalked over to stand directly behindCat, put my hands on her shoulders, and said hello to my family.

My dad smirked, letting me know he saw my play and thought it was funny.Allthree men got up from their seats to say hello and shake hands.Ibacked off when my uncle and father shook the girls’ hands but put them right back onCat’sshoulders whenChetwalked up.

He saw the sign for what it was and thankfully backed off then immediately honed in onVal.Iwasn’t too worried about that sinceIknewValcould hold her own, andArcherwould be there soon to assist ifChetappeared ready to cross a line.

Glancing up,InoticedTracyquiet in the corner.Shehad been looking at her phone when we first walked in but was now eyeing both the sisters, likely assessing them for potential competition forArcher.

We said hello to myAuntBetsyas well, and thenInoticed my mom’s sisterConniewas also in the mix.Conniewas my mom’s “normal” sibling.Shewas great, but she lived inOregon, where she was an anesthesiologist, so we didn’t get to see her often.

“Here, you all come into the kitchen and meetVince’ssister,” my mom commanded. “Shewas finishing up a few things for me and putting them in the oven when you arrived.”

I followed my mom and the women into the main kitchen space to see my sister sampling several food items.

“Jenny, don’t eat those yet,” my mom reprimanded her and swatted her hands at my sister.

“I was just checking to make sure they weren’t poisoned!” my sister defended.

Coming around the island, my sister hugged bothCatandVal. “Welcometo theFletcherFamilyThanksgiving.Thefull shit show has not yet begun, so you’ve arrived just in time.”

“Jenny!” my mom complained.

“Just trying to warn them,”Jennysaid, then turned to me. “Favoritebrother!”

“I’m your only brother.”Ichuckled asIhugged her.

“You can be both.”Mysister laughed, then turned to the sisters. “Ladies, now that my mom is back to take over, come with me.Ineed another opinion on my thoughts forVince’shouse he’s building.”

She turned to leave the kitchen, waving her hands for them to follow—untilIinterrupted. “Shouldn’tIget to see it too?Youknow, since it’s my house?”

Jenny sighed dramatically, as if offended thatIeven had to ask to see the plans for my own home. “Fine, you can come too,” she relented, then turned toCatandVal. “Mybrother can’t see my full vision, soIneed both of your opinions to prove thatI’mright.”

“You girls all followJenny, andIwill go ahead and takeHarry,” my mother announced. “Imade him a beautiful cat haven.I’llshow it to you later.Come, give me that precious baby kitty.”

My mom cooed at the rat like it was the most precious animal on the planet.Ialso knew there was a high likelihoodHarrywould be catnapped by the end of the day.

“Vince, are you coming or what?” my sister yelled from the hall, soIfollowed.

Jenny had apparently taken over my mother’s craft room.Shehad picture boards and floor plans spread out across a giant table filled with fabric swatches, paint chips, and a whole bunch of other stuffIknew nothing about.

I knew whatIwanted for the main part of the house.Craftsman-style architecture, four bedrooms, at least two and a half bathrooms.Obviously,Ineeded other things too, like a kitchen, living room, and the other usual things, butIdidn’t have big opinions on what those should look like, which was whereJennycame in.

Jenny had what she referred to as “vision boards” spread out with how the kitchen should look, different types of fireplaces, windows, floors, and everything in between.

“This is beautiful,Vince,”Catsaid as she looked at everything.Itfelt good knowing she liked whatIwas building, especially since if she andIcontinued in the right direction, she’d likely be living there with me.

---