Page 56 of Catalyst

“You really don’t haveto do this. I know Sara put you on the spot the other day, so if you don’t want to go, it’s okay.”

Ellie reaches across the console of the car and grabs hold of my hand. “I’m really excited to go, Adam. I promise.”

“Okay. I just know they can be pushy. And loud. And obnoxious.”

“And fun… hilarious… welcoming, as well as many other awesome traits. What is this really about, Adam? Why are you nervous?”

Such a good question, and one I’m not entirely sure I know the answer to. Why am I nervous about Ellie meeting my family? She fit in with my siblings like a long-lost puzzle piece at laser tag. The texts I got afterward were endless, saying how much they liked Ellie.

I glance at her, only to find her looking at me with patience and openness. Something I’ve come to understand is her way of indicating that she’s listening. She isn’t going to offer cheap platitudes or condemn me for my thoughts; she’s merely giving me the space to say how I’m feeling without judgment. It’s become one of my favorite things she does.

I take a deep breath and decide to spew all the thoughts in my head, even though I don’t quite understand them fully. “I think I’m nervous because I’ve never done this before. The only time I’ve ever brought a girl home was in high school, and that doesn’t count to me. I didn’t have many other options for places to hang out back then.”

“Which makes me going to family dinner a big deal,” Ellie says.

“I guess so. The weird part is… this doesn’t feel monumental. And don’t take that the wrong way. I just mean… this feels natural. Like you going to my parents’ home is a normal occurrence. Does that make sense?”

“Yes, it does. Do you think feeling comfortable about me meeting your family is what’s making you question yourself?”

“Maybe. To be honest, I’m afraid I’m jinxing our relationship by bringing you to dinner. As if by taking this next step, it’s going to burst the bubble of happiness we’ve created, and now everything is going to go up in flames.”

“Well, that’s a scary thought.” Ellie raises her eyebrows.

“No kidding. And I hate that I’m a doomsday thinker. It drives me crazy that I can’t just enjoy this moment. Because I want you to be here. I want you to meet my mom and dad and find out exactly how crazy an Ellis family dinner can be. I can’t wait for you to see this other side of me that’s the complete opposite of CEO Adam.”

“And I want to see him, too. Although, I think you’ve shown me that side of you more often than you think you have.”

I pull into the driveway of Mom and Dad’s house, parking behind Nolan’s car. Everyone else is parked on the street to keep from getting blocked in. I turn off the car but don’t make a move to get out. Ellie holds on to my hand, squeezing my fingers in a show of support.

“We don’t have to go in there, Adam. We can make some excuse that I might be coming down with a stomach bug or something and just go back to your house.”

I smile at her, grateful she’s willing to take the fall for me to keep me from being uncomfortable. “No, I’m just being my typical over-analytical self. Let’s go see what everyone’s up to.”

I get out of the car and run around the front to help Ellie out. She grabs my hand, and we walk up the sidewalk toward the front door. The noise is already deafening, which makes me grin. With a twist of the knob, we walk straight into the house. Everyone is sitting in the living room that’s right off the entryway, and they all get up to say hello.

Ellie immediately starts a conversation with Sara and Natalie. I have a feeling the three of them will be as thick as thieves by the end of the night. Tucker, Natalie’s husband, has their adoptive son, Noah, in his arms as he comes over to shake my hand.

“How are you, little dude?” I ask Noah. He’s only five, and I swear, he is smarter than a ten-year-old.

“Good. Grammy C is making me mac ‘n’ cheese tonight.”

“She is? You lucky duck. Think she’ll make enough for me, too?”

He shrugs. “Prolly. But Uncle Nolan already said he’s gonna eat it all.”

“Psh. No way, I’ll kick Uncle Nolan’s butt, and then you and I can have the whole bowl to ourselves.” I wink.

Noah grins at me and wiggles down from Tucker’s arms. He races over to Nolan, likely telling him what I said, and Nolan throws Noah over his shoulder, making Noah giggle like mad.

“He still settling in okay?” I ask Tucker. The adoption was finalized a few months ago, and Noah started going to kindergarten this year. It’s a lot of changes for a little kid.

“Seems to be. He’s made a few friends at school and is having fun, despite already knowing most of what they’re teaching him.”

“That’s good to hear.”

“Hey.” Natalie comes over to give me a hug. Her red hair is tied up in a ponytail, and her green eyes are happier than I’ve seen them in a while. I have a feeling that’s due to the blond-haired little boy in the other room. I glance around to find Ellie, but I don’t see her. “Your mom stole her away into the kitchen already. She’s really great, Adam.”

“Thanks. I better go make sure Mom hasn’t scared her off yet.” I widen my eyes as if I’m frightened of my mom, making Natalie laugh. I head straight for the kitchen at the back of the house. This was always Mom’s favorite place to be. In the house we grew up in, it was our command center. We did our homework in the kitchen, had difficult conversations, and spent most of our evenings there while Mom cooked dinner.

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