“Nope!” Ava said as she began to pet the puppy too.
“Name the damn thing Demon, that’s what he is anyway.” Joe said from the entryway of the living room, causing Cara to lift her head. Joe winked at her when their eyes met. She heard Deb’s breath hitch as she took a good long look at her. Cara placed a small kiss to the puppy’s head and handed him back to Ava before standing to her full height. “We’re going to have to work on a name for this little guy.” She said to the little girl and then turned back to Joe. “Demon just won’t work.” She said softly with a small smile.
“Wait, you just wait until he eats your finest pair of shoes.” He said and then smiled. Deb came up beside him and went to take a step towards Cara, wanting desperately to pull her into an embrace, but she stopped herself. She took a retreating step back and smiled at Cara.
“It’s so good to see you sweetheart.” Deb said, hoping she sounded nonchalant.
Luke accessed his mother’s mannerisms and leaned into Cara’s ear and whispered. “She’s afraid to hug you.”
Cara looked over at him and saw the smile on his mouth as he looked at his mother, daring her to tell him he was wrong.
“Don’t be silly, Luke. I just don’t want to bombard her.”
Cara looked at Deb and cocked her head to the side for a moment. Deb was clearly trying to struggle to keep her cool, but her glistening eyes told her that Luke was right. She walked towards her and wrapped her arms around the woman who was the closest thing she had to a mother.
“I was waiting for you to hug me.” She whispered softly and closed her eyes as Deb held back a sob and hugged her with vigor.
“Oh, sweetheart, we missed you.” Deb whispered hoarsely into her ear. Cara knew the hidden meaning behind the words Deb spoke. They had missed the real Cara, not the damaged one they had last seen.
They broke their embrace and Cara turned around and her eyes met Sam’s. She smiled at her friend as she walked over to her placing her palm against her belly. “I heard all about the great debate as to whether or not you’re showing.” She glanced up at Sam, seeking permission to see for herself. Sam smoothed her loose shirt over her slightly rounding tummy and Cara’s eyes lit up, noticing the tiniest bump. She grinned and found Sam’s eyes. “Oh my God, Sam!”
Sam smiled and then looked away from Cara, not wanting to cry, but it was no use. She turned around and wiped away at her tears. “I’m so glad you’re okay.” Sam admitted.
“Me too.” Cara said softly and wiped the rest of Sam’s tears as they rolled down her cheeks. “I’m so happy for you.” She looked over at Nick, who was standing behind Sam. “You too, Nick. You guys are going to be great parents.”
“Thanks Cara.” Nick said and leaned over to kiss her cheek. “Glad you’re home.”
She winked at Nick knowing very well that this house has been just as much Nick and Cara’s home as it was the rest of theirs.
“Touching, truly it melts my heart to see this, but can we eat now?” Joe said, clasping his hands together and rubbing them anticipating the meal he had been smelling cook for the last few hours.
Deb rolled her eyes. “You always know how to ruin the moment!”
“What moment? I waited for everyone to profess their love.” He said innocently and began to make his was into the dining room.
“Wait! You can’t go in there!” Deb exclaimed in a hurry.
“Don’t you think it’s better if we eat in the kitchen?” Sam said, eyeing her father with a warning glance.
“Yeah, it’s so much more comfortable in the kitchen.” Nick said when Sam nudged him to play along.
“We don’t all fit in the kitchen.” Luke said, trying desperately to figure out what his family was up to. Joe rolled his eyes and stepped into the dining room, flicking the chandelier on as he did so.
“Joe Lanza I am warning you…”Deb shouted desperately as they all hurried after him, stopping short when he glanced at the empty dining room table. The table the family had avoided for the last three and a half months.
“Why isn’t the table set?” Joe asked, turning around and facing his family. They all remained still, no one able to admit the sad truth. “Oh for the love of God, I can’t go on like this anymore.”
“Dad…” Luke started.
“No, it’s enough Luke. I am not eating dinner in the kitchen on a stool or outside again for that matter. Five minutes before the two of you walked in this house we all had to pretend to be doing something because no one knows how to act normally anymore.” He walked around the table and pulled out the seat Jake would sit in at family dinners. “Now all of you pick a goddamn seat and sit the hell down.” He sat down in his son’s chair and looked up at their wide-eyed faces. “Yeah, I did it. Who’s with me?”
Cara stared at Joe for a moment and then across at the chair she used to sit in. She walked over and took the seat beside Joe and sat in it instead.