Next is the big reveal of an oversized teddy bear with a squishy saxophone in its hands and an oversized elephant playing a fuzzy guitar. Neither of the stuffed animals make noise, thank goodness, but unleashed from their boxes, they fluff out to half the size of a child’s room. They will not fit in the cupboard. It’s like she knows.
Liam rubs his cheek. “Mom, you are one of a kind. Wyatt, Callie, what do you say?”
“Thank you, Nana,” they chorus, jumping up to give her hugs.
She squeezes them back. “You’re so welcome. Now, you kids play here while the grown-ups talk. Rosalie, stay here with them, please. We’ll call you in when dinner’s ready.”
I hear the subtle annoyance that enters Liam’s breathing, but he follows her out without looking at me, as obedient as I am. It’s not as if I wouldn’t have stayed, but I feel peeved in a way I never have before. This is our normal, but I suddenly hate our normal. And I hate that I feel this way when this is my job, and I’m not part of the family. I’m not supposed to care how she talks to me.
Chapter 28 – My Work Wife
Liam
Mom leads me into the den where Dad and Jack have found a football game and are arguing about the last play like they’re opposing coaches for the two teams. It’s the one thing they can always bond over. They certainly aren’t going to talk about how Jack dropped out of the law school our parents paid for and decided to sell T-shirts out of a tourist shop in Florida. He now owns a chain of tourist shops, but his success came at the cost of disappointing Dad. Jack would pay him back, but then they’d have to talk about it.
Mom snaps her fingers at them. “Pay attention to something other than the game, you two. We need to have a family meeting.”
Dad pauses the TV before she can swipe the remote off the couch and do it herself. “Is this about the boys and how they’re romantically challenged?” he asks.
“Yes. Since neither of you can manage to hold onto agirlfriend for more than a month at a time, I’m sitting you both at the singles’ table for the party.”
This earns a groan from me and a fist pump from Jack. He doesn’t mind her meddling in the slightest because he’s a bachelor who can up and leave after a night of harmless flirting, no harm, no foul.
I live here and I’m a single dad. Disentangling myself from a socialite’s hopes is a little more complicated for me. They have different expectations.
“Why wouldn’t we be sitting with you?” I ask. “I’m assuming there’s a head table.” Maybe that’s just for weddings, but even so, it would make sense for us to sit together.
Mom’s mouth twitches. “We decided not to have a traditional head table for the family. The Donovans aren’t related to us, but they’d feel snubbed if we didn’t seat them with us. And if we include them but not the Fiallas, that will also cause hurt feelings because they’ve been friends with us longer. My sister is mad at me again and says she’s not coming. And then there’s Uncle Tim’s new wife. I’m happy to have her, just not seated next to me. Same goes for the son she’s bringing along. Dad’s side is full of introverts who would rather not have attention on them.”
She sighs. “So, your father and I are going to sit together at a table for two set up a little higher where we can see everyone, and everyone can easily walk up and chat with us. The party planner smoothed it all out, and I’m happy with it. We’ll be surrounded by flowers and pictures of us from when we were dating.”
I’d be happy to be included in that introvert group, but the singles’ table doesn’t sound like the worst thing either, at least until Mom starts describing all the women who will be sitting there, and all their many accomplishments. It’s not just the implied matchmaking that’s weighing on me. While she’s talking about setting me up with the future Mrs. Campbell, I can still faintly hear the demon instruments from the other room where Rosalie is patiently sitting. If I don’t stand up for myself, I won’t be able to face her.
“Mom,” I interrupt. I have to repeat her name a few more times before she stops mid-sentence and frowns at me. I’ve neverfelt more in tune with my interrupting kids.
“What, Liam?”
“No setups for me.”
“I’m not. I’m just giving you a list of people you need to introduce yourself to and some topics of conversation where you might have things in common with them so the conversation flows.”
“I’m thirty-one years old and I have two kids. I know how to talk to women.”
Jack grins. My frustration is coming out as snark, which means she’s not going to take me seriously.
“What I’m trying to say is that I’m not on the market right now. Put me by Uncle Tim and his new wife.” I’d hate for them to feel alienated just because her laugh is a little bit loud and she’s not Mom’s favorite.
“You’re not on the market?” Mom asks. “Why not?”
It’s such a simple question, one I have no answer for. “I…uh… Did you know Jack’s moving back here?” I blurt out.
“Oh, thanks a lot.” Jack looks murderous. Just as I suspected, he hasn’t told our parents.
“You are?” Mom’s face is filled with so much joy, which is only dampened slightly by his grumpy reaction. “Why didn’t you tell us?”
“It wasn’t time yet. I’m still working out the details. Why don’t you ask Liam why he doesn’t want to be set up with anyone, even casually? I bet he has a secret girlfriend. Someone you wouldn’t like. I bet she’s young and sweet and wouldn’t know what to say or not say in a room full of people who like to judge each other for fun. She’s probably still in college.”
“You have a runaway imagination, Jack. And you don’t know my type at all.”