Page 115 of Love Undiscovered
“And, if that fails, then just undo another button on your blouse. You’ll distract everyone at the table with your boob-alicious splendor and they’ll forget you can’t carry on a conversation.”
She laughs. “Boob-alicious splendor?”
“Hey, they distract me every time I’m trying to think clearly.”
Remi leans up and kisses me on the lips, a quick peck that is over too quickly. “Thank you for talking me down off the ledge like that.”
“Anytime, woman. Now let’s get in there. I’m hungry.” She shrieks as I slap her on the ass.
I knock on the front door instead of walking in so I can give my family a minute to disburse from the entry. But it doesn’t matter because my mom and all three sisters are still there when Mom opens the door. As is my dog Hudson, who my parents pick up to stay with them a few times a week when I work overnights. Or when I let them think I’m working overnights.
“Hello Chancey, dear,” my mom says, patting me on the cheek as she brushes past me to get to Remi. “You must be Remi. Look at you. Just beautiful.” She gives her a hug that Remi returns a little less enthusiastically. I did forget to mention that my family is big on hugs. Remi looks at me over my mom’s shoulder, her eyes wide and pleading.
“Ma, give her some space, we just got here.”
Mom steps back slightly. “It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Bauer.”
“Oh, you can call me Annalise, dear. Or Mom.”
Remi’s eyes grown round.
My sister, Audrey, steps in next to introduce herself and gives her a brief hug. Followed by my other two sisters, Eliza and Charlie. Hudson sits on the floor, waiting patiently, his tail thumping away at some excited beat in his head.
“Ok,” I tell him as a release and he comes running to us, immediately thrusting his head between Remi’s legs. At the same time, my sister Audrey asks, “So, how are the date questions working?”
I have a feeling she’s setting out to embarrass me.
Remi laughs awkwardly. “That was you?” She pets Hudson on the head, trying to subtly push him from between her legs. I snap my fingers and he heels at my side.
“They’re good and make for some interesting conversations,” Remi says. I pull her into my side and give her waist a squeeze. She looks up at me and smiles, I just can’t tell if the smile is relaxed or panicked.
“I love your outfit,” Eliza says. “Is that vintage? It’s amazing!” Remi smooths her hands down her skirt and nods. All I know is there’s a skirt and a shirt, both black and tight, and Remi looks amazing in them.
“Yes,” Remi says. “I found it in a store down on Mission Street calledSecond Chances.”
“I’ve been there,” Charlie says. “They have amazing stuff.”
“We should all go one afternoon,” Audrey says. “Leave Hailey with the boys and have a girls’ day.”
“Yes!” Eliza says.
“You just want a day without the baby,” Charlie teases Eliza.
“Duh,” Eliza says.
“Okay girls, let her get in the house,” my mom says. We make it through the entryway to the great room where the TV is so I can introduce her to my dad, Brian, and two brothers-in-law, Mike and Nate. My niece, Hailey, shrieks when she sees me and starts crawling toward us. I pick her up and swing her around, then blow raspberries on her belly until she squeals.
“I see you have the same wooing technique for all women, regardless of age,” Remi says. My family quiets and glances at one another. Remi’s eyes widen to an unnatural shape. She mouths something to me that I can’t quite decipher but looks a little like the wordpepperoni.
My dad starts to laugh and says, “She’ll do just fine, son.” He pats her on the back as he says it. Remi stumbles forward a step. Dad’s a big guy and doesn’t always realize his own strength. I catch her in my arms and pull her to me as my mom and sisters dissolve into giggles. Hudson barks and runs in circles.
Remi pinches my side, I look down at her, and she looks back at me, a desperate look in her eyes. I lean down and whisper, “They fucking love you.” She relaxes a little against me and starts to laugh with everyone else.
That’s pretty much all it takes for my family to immediately bring her in as their own. Exclaiming how fantastic she is and how she fits in wonderfully. So, to prove her point, I grab Remi by the waist and blow raspberries on her belly until she squeals.
My mom and sisters swarm and pull Remi toward the kitchen area and begin twenty questions times four: asking about where she works, lives, what she does for fun, and anything else they can think of.
I grab myself a beer and a glass of wine for Remi. I catch her eye when I drop it off to her on my way to the couch to catch the end of the game with my dad, Nate, and Mike, she looks at me and smiles. It’s tentative, but it’s not forced or overly panicked.
Yeah, she’s going to be just fine.
