***
Bailey navigated the roads carefully as she drove herself and Reece to her parents’ house. She explained that they were no Norman Rockwell picture-perfect unit, but they were family nonetheless, and she was offering to share. He grew hopeful that this phase in their relationship would lead to something bigger. Something like the two of them living together. They practically did now, but he still had his own place. And he didn’t like it. He liked Bailey’s, with her galvanized tin milk jugs and perennial gardens. Hers was the home he never had.
“Just ignore my sister,” Bailey said as she pulled into the driveway.
“Now why would I do that?” Reece asked.
“Because she’s annoying,” Bailey replied. “Oh, and speaking of my sister, you wanna be my date to her wedding next June?”
“Sure, but who am I gonna hang out with? Won’t you be busy all day doing wedding stuff?”
Bailey pushed through the front door, and Reece followed.
“No,” she lied.
“No?”
She watched her sister round the corner.
“Yes,” she whispered reluctantly. “And it’ll be awful. Just never mind.”
Reece opened his mouth to speak, but Nicki cut him off.
“Soooo, this is the famous Reece Powell,” she said, extending her hand.
Reece shook it. “I’m famous, huh?”
“I don’t know what that means,” Bailey muttered.
“It means my sister talks about you whenever she possibly can,” Nicki replied brightly.
It was a flat-out lie. Bailey never offered any details about her relationship with Reece.
Reece blushed from the compliment. “She does?”
Bailey shrugged. What the hell was going on? And in an instant, her guard flew up.
Nicki led them into the kitchen where Bailey introduced Reece to her mother first, followed by her father.
“We’re so happy to finally meet you,” Mrs. Mitchell said pleasantly. “It’s about time we know this gentleman Bailey talks about.”
There it was again! Another straight-up lie. Bailey glanced at her father who gave her a wink. Oh, okay. Just play along. Evidently they were the Norman Rockwell picture-perfect family. And this was all for Reece’s benefit why?
She found out later that night.
“Reece, come here,” Bailey’s mom ordered. She sported a huge smile and outstretched arms.
Reece walked over to Mrs. Mitchell and let her wrap him in a hug.
“We’re so happy to meet you!” she said. “And no ‘Mrs. Mitchell,’ mister. It’s ‘Georgie,’ okay?”
Reece grinned. “Okay.” He had no idea why Bailey said all that stuff about her “messed up” family. These people were amazing—the kind of family you see highlighted in Hallmark Channel movies around Christmastime.
“I’m really happy to meet you, Georgie,” Reece said.
Her dad extended his hand, and Reece shook it.
“Nice to meet you, sir,” Reece said.
“Not sir. Call me Sam,” Dad replied pleasantly.
Reece nodded, and with that, introductions were over. They sat down to dinner where most of the conversation revolved around storm damage. Nicki kept glancing at Reece, then grinning at Bailey, until finally Bailey asked her to help bring in dessert.
“What the hell is going on?” Bailey hissed as she collected the dessert plates from the kitchen.
“What are you talking about?” Nicki replied.
“You and Mom. Why are you fawning all over Reece and acting like you like me?”
Nicki snorted. “Bailey. Please.”
“No, not ‘please.’ Tell me what the hell is going on,” Bailey demanded.
Nicki leaned in until her face was inches from her sister’s. “We’re trying to help you.”
“Help me how?”
“Help you keep this one,” Nicki replied.
Oh, the bitch. Bailey took a deep breath.
“What do you mean?”
“Mom and I really want this one to work out for you, Bailey. God knows you’ve been through enough boyfriends already. So we’re trying to show him how awesome you are. How you’re a keeper.”
“By lying to him about how much I talk to you about him?” Bailey asked. “You know how stupid that is?”
“It’s not stupid. It’s strategic. And anyway, we already planned out dessert time. Cute stories about Bailey when she was younger.”
“Oh my God. No,” Bailey replied.
“Yes,” Nicki insisted.
“I don’t need your help!”
“I beg to differ.”
Do not strangle your sister right now, Bailey thought.
“Leave it to us,” Nicki said. She grabbed the cake and slicer and walked off.
“Nicki!” But it was too late. She disappeared into the dining room before Bailey could stop her.
“That was quite the show in there,” I said to Dad.
He positioned his light on a small stack of thin wood pieces. They were the sides of his model boat.
“Your mother doesn’t want you to be alone,” he replied.
“I gathered as much. But why the big to-do? I mean, why pretend we’re this really awesome, close family?”
Dad looked up. “We’re not?”
I chuckled and rubbed my forehead. “And what was up with those Bailey stories? The whole thing made me wanna puke. I don’t even wanna know what Mom is telling Reece right now.”
“She’s probably listing all the awards you received in school,” Dad replied.
I plopped down in a chair across from his work table.
“I didn’t receive awards in school,” I said.
“She’s probably listing out all the ‘awards’ you received in school,” Dad repeated, putting air quotes around the word this time. He looked up at me and grinned. “And Honor Roll counts, by the way.”
I shrugged. “Why go to all the trouble? I mean, she doesn’t even like me.”
Dad paused mid-glue. “Bailey, never say that about your mother.”
I winced. I wasn’t expecting that. I was expecting Dad to crack some joke. That’s what he normally did.
“Dad . . .”
“She loves you very much. She worries about you constantly. She just wants you to be happy, honey.”
I hung my head. “I would have never guessed. She fawns all over Nicki all the time.”