Page 74 of A Hard Fit

“Do what?”

“Make excuses for his shitty behavior.”Finn had stopped making excuses for his family about twenty years ago.

“I’m not making excuses!”

Do you really believe how much you get paid doesn’t matter?Finn wanted to ask, but he was afraid of where that conversation would go. He rubbed his forehead, thoughts swimming. “Okay. Okay.” He put the truck into gear. “Maybe I just need to get to know him better.”

Rory nodded, relieved. “I’m sure that’s it.”

I’m sure.

* * * *

“So, tell me again…who are your mom’s brothers?” Rory and Finn were tucked onto the couch eating breakfast casserole Christmas morning. Finn was doing his best to memorize the Barrett family tree before becoming mired in its branches.

Rory drew a line in the air with their fork. “There’s Alfie, George, then my mom, then Philip—they’re the ones that just moved back here from France.”

“And which one is the one that said Ophy put on weight?”

“That was my dad’s brother, Frank.”

“God…” Finn rubbed his eyes. “I’ll never remember them all.”

“No one expects you to memorize all the names instantly! It’s like forty people—”

“Forty? Are you kidding me?”

Rory grimaced. “Close to it, anyway.”

Finn set his bowl of casserole down and shot Rory a pleading look. “I can’t do this. What if we stay home today and…and use your special present?”

Rory flushed. “As tempting as that sounds, I can’t skip my family Christmas… At least Jackson will be lost in the crowd?” Their smile faltered at the expression on Finn’s face. “Listen…” Rory put down their bowl and took Finn’s face in their hands. “You are smart and sweet and gorgeous and an extremely generous lover…”

That got a chuckle from Finn. “Let’s not bring that up today, though?”

Rory smiled and tucked one of Finn’s curls behind his ear. “Only if things are going really badly.”

* * * *

Davis took their coats again, then Finn was loose in the lion’s den. Three small boys came screeching through the foyer wielding toy space weapons, one of which nearly took Finn’s eye out.

“That’s Leo and Troy, my cousin Steffie’s kids, and my cousin Xavier,” Rory explained as the boys charged up the stairs.

Finn nodded and filed that away.Leo, Troy, Steffie, Xavier. Got it.

A harried woman with pink ends to her long blonde hair appeared in the foyer, watching the boys disappear at the top of the stairs. “Leo!” she bellowed. “What did I just tell you?”

“Sorry, Mom!” came the faint reply.

The woman groaned, then saw Rory. “Hey, Rory. Merry Christmas!”

“Merry Christmas to you,” Rory replied, returning her hug. “Finn, this is my cousin, Steffie. Steffie, this is my partner, Finn.”

She hugged Finn too. “Welcome to the family! My wife, Mikala, is somewhere around here, and I’m sure she could commiserate with you about joining this shit show.” A crash from above startled them all. “Leo!” she hollered again. “IsweartoGod!” She sighed. “See you two in a bit.” Steffie stormed up the stairs, muttering under her breath.

“Well, okay!” Rory said. “Look at that, you’ve already met four people!”

Finn gave them a wry look as they made their way into the house. There was a snack buffet set out in the living room where most of the adults appeared to have gathered. Finn waved at Griffin, who was on the couch talking to a few others Finn didn’t know yet. Rory’s dad was grazing at the table…and he was wearing a dark-green cable-knit sweater almost identical to Finn’s.

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