Page 26 of All I Desire

Remy, my youngest brother, punches my leg lightly. “Sit down and eat with us.”

“Shh,” Leilani pipes up. “She can’t, porkchop. I told you.”

“Porkchop?” I bust out laughing and ruffle my brother’s hair. He and Leilani are disgustingly in love. Dad repeats the word porkchop in his Boston accent, and Leilani giggles.

“Ohh, that’s right. Nat has a date.” Remy grins and stuffs what looks like roast chicken in his mouth. “Wait. Didn’t you have a date on Wednesday? Dex said something about how the dude left in a huff. Y’all kiss and make up?”

“Ma,” I holler, wanting to change the subject from that dismal night at the Grouper with Jordan. I turn to Remy. “Hush. I did meet a guy from Tinder, and it sucked.”

“Sorry, sis,” Remy offers, his mouth full. Just like dad. Leilani pinches his arm.

“Here’s your lasagna.” Ma shuts the oven with her hip. “I’ve been keeping it warm. It’ll be perfect for serving in a half-hour to an hour.”

“Damn that smells good, Ma,” Remy says, peering at the tray. “I’d have eaten that, too.”

“He acts like he just got out of jail when he gets around food,” Leilani says.

“That kid always did,” Dad says.

Ma hands the tray to me, and I take the potholder-covered handles gingerly. My heart’s jacked up because I’m so freaking late. “Can someone hold the door open and help me to the car with this?”

“Oh, and here’s some homemade bread and the tiramisu,” Ma says, reaching for an oversized paper bag with twine handles on the counter.

“Aww, you made her tiramisu, no fair,” Remy cries.

“Do you have wine at home?” Ma asks, ignoring Remy.

“That, I do have,” I say, pausing in the doorway.

“Pfft, of course she has wine,” Remy says. “What, d’you think they’re going to drink sweet tea? This is Nat we’re talking about here. She can probably drink this guy under the table.”

“Shut up,” I shoot at him.

“Kids.” Dad rolls his eyes. It’s like a familiar ritual with us. Even though we’re grown, sometimes we still act like children when we’re at Ma and Dad’s.

“I’ll help.” Leilani daintily pats her mouth with a napkin and jumps up, then takes the bag from Ma. Bless her kind mermaid heart.

“Byeeee,” I call out.

Ma, Dad, and Remy all wave.

“God, this day,” I say to Leilani as we rush out. “I thought I’d be home way earlier.”

“I’m sorry. You’re going to have so much fun tonight. Just go home, take a quick shower, and slip on something casual and sexy.”

“I guess. Maybe just shorts and a T.”

She holds the front door open for me.

“Lei, I’m nervous.”

We power walk to my car, past Ma’s carefully tended tropical foliage. “Why?” she asks, pausing at the car. “Is this unlocked?”

“Yeah.”

She opens the passenger door and I set the lasagna on the seat. As I take the bag from her and set it on the floor, I shake my head. “I dunno. We’ve been texting all week. He’s funny. Hilarious. And nice. Like really nice. Genuine, employed, has all his teeth, no criminal record…”

Leilani cracks up. “He’s also extremely handsome. So, what’s the issue?”

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