“Why did I let my family bully me into this?” I asked as I turned down the street towards my parents’ place. This wasn’t the home we had grown up in. In fact, because part of my extended family built new homes and restored older homes, we moved—within the same school district—a few times growing up. Every time we expanded as a family, we increased in the size of the home. It had been needed, because my parents also needed two bedrooms, so they had space for each other and themselves. And my father, Jake, needed space for his art and workshop. At one point, my dad, Border, had actually worked from home as well, since it was easier raising four of us. Everybody had done their best to make sure that we never felt left out or alone. The fact that my mom could also make her own schedule had helped.
But now we were going to a place that I had never lived. My parents wanted to downgrade, because they hadn’t needed the huge house after we started moving out, and though they joked about grandkids, my parents were never the kind to beg for them or annoy their kids about it.
So now only my youngest two siblings still lived with my parents, while both Skylar and I lived on our own.
And yet, it didn’t matter, because this was home.
“Why are you nervous? I’m the one meeting your entire family all at once.”
“It’s just his parents and siblings. You’re not meeting the aunts and uncles and cousins and grandparents,” Ford said with a laugh. “That would get awkward.”
I looked in the rearview mirror at Ford, who just winked at me, and shook my head.
Ford was still a little tired from the epinephrine, but that was fine. I wasn’t going to let him work too hard or move around much. And neither was my family. He thought his brothers were bossy? He should have known better.
“And we’re not allowed to bring anything? Are you sure? I hate showing up empty handed.”
I reached out and gripped Greer’s hand. “Mom said not to. And this way when we invite them over, and we say don’t bring anything, they won’t. We only bring things over if we want to make sure that we get to eat a certain item.”
“So if I say I’m gluten-free, I make sure that I bring something I can eat.”
“True, but we also try to make sure that we actually have something for people who are gluten-free.” I paused. “You know, there are some members of the family who are dairy-free, allergic to cheese. Those people, well, they have to bring their own food.”
I said it so seriously, that Greer just blinked at me while Ford burst out laughing.
“Oh, I’ve heard about your family and cheese. I thought it was just a joke.”
“It is. But they really do like all kinds of cheeses. There will be at least one cheese plate at this dinner by the way. Even if it doesn’t go with the rest of the meal, there will be cheese.”
“Cheese goes with every meal. Maybe not an Irish cheddar with every meal, but we can always find something. I know you like cheese because you nibble off the same block I do.”
Greer blushed. “I can’t help it. I like cheese.”
“You’re going to fit right in with the Montgomerys,” Ford said dryly as I pulled in front of the house.
I sat a moment, steeling myself, but then the door opened and my mom came out, waving.
“You know, I’ve seen your mom before, she’s come into the shop. But I haven’t met her since I moved in. Can I just say she’s gorgeous?”
I laughed and nodded. “Go ahead and tell her that. She always likes to hear it.”
“Also, I feel like I need to get more ink.”
“Don’t say that around them,” I said before I opened my car door. “Because as it is, she’s already going to bug you to make sure that she gets into the rotation.”
Ford kept laughing as he got out of the car, opening up his arms to hug my mom tight. But Greer frowned at me.
“What do you mean?”
“Sebastian got to you first. Well, now my mom will want a turn. Her siblings all take turns between her and her brother, Austin. They own the original Montgomery Ink,” I explained. “And with each generation comes a new responsibility,” I said seriously, as she rolled her eyes and got out of the car.
I grinned and got out after her, locking the door behind me.
“Are you sure you’re okay? We’ve got the armchair all ready for you, with a lap blanket.”
Ford rolled his eyes. “Seriously? I’m fine. I could do a cartwheel.”
“No you won’t,” both Greer and my mom said at the same time. Then they looked at each other and burst out laughing.
I pinched the bridge of my nose, wondering if introducing my girlfriend to my mother was a good idea.
Girlfriend. Holy hell, had I just thought the phrase girlfriend? Maybe I had. I looked at Ford. That meant my best friend was now my boyfriend. Well hell. What was I supposed to do with that?
“Stop monopolizing the kids and come inside,” my dad, Jake, said as he waved us in.
I could hear my siblings behind him, wanting to get out and meet Greer and Ford, as if they hadn’t known Ford for years, and they had all met Greer at her shop.
But this was different, way different.
My mom had her arm around Greer’s shoulder, her free hand holding Ford’s, as she led them into the house, leaving me behind.
“Seriously? Not even a hello to your favorite son?”
“Not so favorite anymore,” my brother Cooper called out.
I flipped him off, as my father, Border, shook his head. “Be nice. At least when you’re on the front lawn. We don’t want our neighbors to think we are insane.”
“I think that ship sailed long ago,” my little sister Naomi said.
Skylar moved forward, pushing my dads out of the way, everybody introducing themselves all at once, speaking over each other, laughing, and feeling as if they had been friends for eons.
I stood back, watching as everyone tucked Ford into the armchair, including a lap blanket. He let them, but sighed happily when my dad handed over a beer.
“Excuse me, should you be drinking?” Naomi asked, tapping her foot.
“Yes, I’m allowed to. Plus your dad gave it to me. It seems only right. I don’t want to offend my boyfriend’s dad.”
Everybody froze for a minute, Ford’s words on the same lines as my thoughts.
“It’s about damn time,” Jake muttered as Border laughed softly.
My mom and Skylar had pulled Greer around the house, giving her a tour. Cooper sidled over to me.
“So. Meeting the parents?”
I narrowed my gaze at my brother. “You’re a menace.”
“Not as much as you. Following in the family footsteps. I’m so proud.” Cooper wiped a fake tear, and I pushed at his shoulder.
“Don’t test me.”
“Don’t push your brother,” my mom said from the hallway, even though her back was to me.
“Seriously, how does she see things like that?” I asked, but my father, Border, just grinned.
“That’s your mom. She’s damn good at that. Now, we have cheese in the fridge, and I didn’t ask if Greer ate cheese.”
“She does. Don’t worry, I would’ve sent out the alarm if she was dairy-free.”
“Hey, I married into this family, I know how scary it is.” Border said with a laugh, as he and I walked to the kitchen to start pulling the food out.
“This is a lot of food,” I said, then narrowed my gaze at him. “It is just us right? You didn’t invite the rest of the family?”
“Don’t worry. We’re enough to scare anyone. But you know what? I like this look on you. The three of you.”
“I didn’t actually mean for this to happen.”
“I think you and Ford have always been on this collision course.” At my stunned gaze, he smiled and continued. “We’ve all seen it. We all let you be. We may pretend to meddle and to be in everyone’s business, but we’re not annoying about it.”
I nodded. “You’re right. You guys let us be, let us grow.”
“We try our best,” he said with a laugh, unwrapping the platter and setting it on the island. Cooper walked by and plucked a piece of cheese before we even finished.
I shook my head, wondering why I didn’t visit more often. Yes I was here at least twice a month, but we needed to do it more. Or maybe I was just hiding. Not that I wanted to think too hard about that.
“I think Greer is what pushed you over the edge, at least from an outsider’s perspective.”
“I don’t know. It all just happened. I’m really afraid that it’s just going to stop happening without me consciously knowing.”
My dad gripped my shoulder and squeezed. “I don’t think that’s going to be a problem. I think you guys just need to remember to communicate. You know, it’s funny, your dad and I dated before we even met your mom.”
I grinned, remembering the story. “Well, Ford and I never really dated. We’ve just been friends.”
“I don’t really want to hear the details of what the two of you were doing before the three of you became a three. But here’s some unsolicited advice,” he continued after I finished laughing. “Talk. Don’t bottle it up. If you don’t communicate what you’re feeling, and what needs to happen, it’s not going to happen. Communication is key when it comes to two people in a relationship, but add a third person? You’re not just adding one more connection, you’re adding countless others. It’s the dynamics of how you work as a unit, how you work separately, and how you work as pairs within the three. It’s complicated, it’s not always easy, and you’re going to fight. But making up is fun too.” He winked as he said it, and I quickly pushed images out of my mind.
“Really?”
“Really.” He gripped my shoulder again. “I want you to be happy. And from what I can tell, they make you happy. I know you’re all going through a lot, and you’re still at the beginning of the relationship, but think about what you want, and make sure you tell them. Don’t hide from it because you’re afraid of what might happen. Don’t become a self-fulfilling prophecy.”
I swallowed hard as my mom and Greer came back into the living room, stopping by the cheese platter. I let the subject drop, as we shifted to talk about the businesses and an upcoming holiday. Greer and Ford fit right in, as if they’d always been there, as if this was meant to be.
I saw the way they looked at each other, how Ford pulled Greer onto his lap, as she laughed and hopped right off him. Everyone joked, and this felt right.
But I knew I was holding back, and my dad did too.
It felt like sometimes I was waiting for my two friends to fall for each other and leave me behind. And I hated that. Because I wanted them. I wanted this.
But not everybody was as lucky as my parents. Not everybody was as lucky as my friends who seemed to find their forevers.
But I needed to live in the moment, to just breathe.
Because if I kept worrying, I would lose it all.
And I wasn’t sure if I wanted to voice exactly what I craved.
But as Greer smiled at me, and Ford laughed with my family, I pushed those thoughts from my mind, and let myself be.
At least for now.