He was off before she could stop him and I glanced at her, spotting the little flash of a worry she tried to keep off her face, the one that morphed into a grateful, grin when our gazes met.
Like that? I said silently, moving my eyebrows up.
Aly returned that unanswered question with the smallest shake of her head and an expression that seemed to say Mind your own damn business, bata.
I got it then—the behavior when he was around, the dynamic of their relationship that was a little one sided. Ethan liked to cater to her. That was good. I could respect that. God knows I should have tried more of that.
When the steaks were ready and plates were being filled, Ethan refused to let Aly fix hers, instead piling food on the small plate she held in her hand as though he expected her to finish it all. It was small things I noticed, things I knew no one else would. Things that I saw clearly bothered her. If she didn’t want something, she told him and he at least pretended to listen. But her complaints came when I was out of sight, seemingly when she thought I wasn’t around.
She didn’t want me to see their interaction. That was fine with me. I wasn’t too hyped to see the woman I love pretending to be happy with some other guy.
Mark and Johnny finally showed an hour later, loaded down with bags from the market, mostly liquor. Mom greeted her best friend and his partner with a tight hug that lingered, but didn’t get too worked up, though I did notice Mark whisper in Mom’s ear. They’d been friends so long I could tell when a discussion was inevitable.
“Hey, man,” Dad greeted Mark and then took the grocery bags inside, ignoring their loud laughter as Koa and Makana approached and our adopted uncles converged with hugs and kisses, going on and on about how much we’d all grown—which they’d like still do when my siblings and I were old—and fawned over Aly, casting skeptical looks at me when they noticed her ring.
“Girl! It’s gorgeous,” Johnny had told Aly, scooping her in a hug. Johnny was smaller than Mark, his waist narrower and he wore his blonde hair short on the sides, longer on the top and he was always impeccably dressed. Today he sported starched jeans and a blue polo that made his gray eyes look like crystal.
In contrast, Mark had the look of a man that had been very handsome when his was young and time had only enhanced those strong features. He was pale with dark hair, a full salt and pepper beard and didn’t give a shit what he wore. T-shirts and khakis were usual his self-mandated uniform.
Until I was fifteen, Mark and Johnny were the only father figures I’d had. Until Mom and Dad reconnected. Over the years, they still kept up, despite all the traveling they did with the medical charities they were involved in. But no matter where they were, we always got time with them. Like now, celebrating Dad’s birthday. They’d fly back with me to Miami for a two week visit.
Mark eyed me close, examining my expressions as his partner started in on questions about wedding planning. “What the hell?” he asked me, standing next to me with his back facing the others, but I waved him off.
“I’ll tell you about in on the plane.”
My godfather nodded, but I could tell the trip that he and Johnny took with me to spend the week at my place would be a long one. Both men were even more meddlesome than my mother.
After dinner, Koa and Tristian shot out of the house with a basketball bouncing between them followed by a few of Koa’s friends from school and one of the other interns Tristian was rooming with downtown. Koa was still a kid and Tristian was pushing twenty-six. My cousin hadn’t let med school or his internship at Tulane keep him from the game he loved, and he always tried like hell to keep up with Koa.
Ridiculous.
Aly sat on Ethan’s lap across from my mother and Makana sitting on the lounge chairs talking about the new competition season when Koa stopped next to them, throwing the basketball back to Tristian as he ran toward the small court on the other side of the pool.
“Hey man, you ball?” Koa asked Ethan. When I met his eyes, my little brother smirked, moving his head a little to the left before he focused on Ethan again. The kid was smooth, I’d give him that. “Mack said she’s seen you and some of your clerks playing on the courts behind your office. You up for a game?” He wanted to divide Ethan’s attention. Koa loved Aly. She’d help bring him up and still took up residence in his heart all these years later.
“Sure, man.” Ethan tapped Aly on the leg getting her to let him up and he looked at me as I sat on the bar next to the grill with a fresh Abita between my legs. “How about you, Ransom? Three on three?”
“He can’t,” Aly answered, seeming surprised that the words had left her mouth. She shrugged when Ethan straightened up to tug off the thin gray pull over he wore. “He can’t play pick-up games unless they’re on the Dolphins facility.”