Chapter 34: 31 | family reunion

The doorbell goes off a third time just as Avery reaches the door, the wooden floor cold beneath the bare soles of her feet as she peers through the peephole. One look has her stumbling back with a breath of surprise. Brows etching together, she wonders if maybe she's still asleep. Wonders if her mind is playing tricks on her. Her mind must be playing tricks on her because there is no reality where her father is stood on their front step this Wednesday morning. But as she pulls a hand through her bedhead hair and unlocks the door, letting it open with a familiar click to the handle, there he is.

Robert Waters looks the same yet different. The few years it's been since she last saw him in person have left their traces. There's a grayish tone to the edges of his dark blond hair. A new set of wrinkles decorate his skin, giving a more hollow look to his cheeks and dimples. But his everlasting tall, proud stance is the same, never flailing.

"Dad," She manages, clumsily wrapping her arms around him as he greets her with a hug before taking a hurried step back into the front hall. "Hi."

The morning chill travels inside the house – leaving a trail of goosebumps up her bare legs to the hem of her pajama shorts and though she doesn't want to rush him, she wishes she could yank the door close to keep the warmth in.

"Hi sweetheart," He greets her, stepping inside and – finally – letting the door fall close behind him. Pulling at the dark scarf he's got wrapped around his neck as to loosen it, there's a flicker of amusement crossing his features as he gives her a look-over. "Did your mother finally come to her senses?"

Momentarily confused, Avery's brows knit together further as she glances down at her attire only to be reminded her shorts are paired with Ethan's East Ace sweater. Holding back the urge to squeeze her eyes shut, she manages to let her lips slip into a strained smile while mentally reprimanding herself for letting her boyfriend talk her into wearing it – not that it had taken much convincing. She pulls at its sleeves, letting them cover her palms.

"No, it's a friend's."

Robert raises his brows but doesn't offer up anything more, simply striding past her into the house as if it's his own. Rather dumbfounded – still confused as to how and why he's here, Avery twists her hands together and trails behind him on soft footsteps.

"Where's your mother?"

"On a morning hike with Tammy."

"Some things never change."

Reaching the kitchen, she watches her father shrug out of his coat. He hangs it on the back of one of the kitchen stools as his eyes gaze over the room, taking in every change – from the yellow wallpaper on one of the walls to the wooden shelves lining the ceiling with books and bowls – made to it in the past decade.

Avery lingers right inside the doorway, too busy making sense of the conflicting feelings battling to take up space inside her mind to hear the light sound of feet running down the stairs until it's too late. Frozen, she watches as her father's attention is instantly drawn away from the photographs decorating the fridge as Ethan's voice travels through the house.

"You have to see what Jake just sent me," He calls, amusement lingered in his words. A louder thud echoes through the house, signaling he took the last three steps of the stairs in a jump and as he speaks again there's a note of confusion to his tone. "Hey, where did you go?"

Her mouth falls open only to close it again and she doesn't have time to respond before Ethan shows up in the doorway, brows etching together as he notices the man now stood leant against the kitchen counter. He tenses ever so slightly as his eyes flicker to Avery, slipping his phone into his back pocket.

There's no need to confirm the man in question is her father. While on first glance most would think of Avery as a replica of her mother – blonde hair, similar figures, the same bounce in their step –, stood next to her father it's clear as day where most of her features stem from. It's in the purse of her lips, the faint bump on the slope of her nose, in the color of her eyes seeming to shift between green and blue depending on the hour. Not to speak of the one dimple passed along from his pair.

She presses her lips together as Robert raises his brows, his voice dry as he looks between the two teenagers. "The friend, I presume?"

Still awaiting some sort of explanation to why her father's here. Still attempting to make sense of the conflicted feelings jumbling her thoughts, Avery's eyes narrow at the condescending tone of his voice.

"Boyfriend, actually," Surprised at the flare of annoyance in her chest, she finds herself crossing her arms over the dark green sweater and looks between the two. "Dad meet Ethan. Ethan – my dad."

Her teeth press together as she watches them greet one another. Ethan's "Nice to meet you sir." Carries the tone of a question rather than a genuine statement and Robert only grumbles through his frown as the two shakes hands. Happily retreating their hands, Robert shoots Avery a look of disapproval as he's back to leaning against the counter.

"You've never mentioned a boyfriend."

Her lips part ever so slightly and for one flickering second she's overcome by the want to ask him exactly when and how she would have been able to do that. The times they do speak on the phone he's the one carrying the conversation, barely leaving room for her to tell him anything about her at all. Instead of voicing those thoughts, both out of desperately wanting the curl of disapproval on his lips to disappear and because it's how she's always handled her father, she lets her lips fall into a pleasant smile instead. Her mind's still busy trying to untangle her thoughts – afraid to let the sense of slight happiness over her father's arrival loose while simultaneously attempting to tamper down her frustration regarding still not knowing what he's doing here in the first place.

She wills herself to keep the note of hope out of her tone as she asks, "So, you're in town?"

Robert nods, searching through the cupboards – also having been rearranged in the past years. "I've got some work to supervise here," He says, helping himself to a glass of water. "Thought I'd take the opportunity to come see how my oldest daughter is doing while Im at it,"

Nodding as the words sink in, Avery doesn't miss the way Ethan's gaze continues to flicker her way. He's pointed his finger to her skull with the words "What's going on in there?" Enough times to tell her mind's spinning. She casts her eyes to her hands as she rips off a flake of nail polish, her tongue pressing to the roof of her mouth. Her heart both drops heavier into her chest while beating faster in annoyance simultaneously as Robert's eyes turn on Ethan again, though his question is clearly directed at Avery.

"Does your mother know you have boys running around the house while she's not here?"

She knows how to keep a conversation with her father over the phone. She's good at keeping a conversation with her father over the phone. She knows how to tackle the occasional accusatory tone of his voice, knows how to offer up lightheartedness even though her lips may be in a frown. It's harder in person. Harder to read his features along with his voice, harder to control her own.

Attempting to drop her tongue from the roof of her mouth, she gathers herself to respond but as she's about to speak she's cut off by the sound of a key twisting in the lock of the front door. Automatically, a small breath of relief escapes her as her mother's voice echoes through the house.

"Hey I'm back! Have you two had breakfast? I got us Beans & Bagels!"

Ethan shoots Avery another quick glance before mumbling something about helping Sarah out under his breath before slipping out of the kitchen, leaving Avery to fidget with her hands as she watches Robert sip the glass of water. As her mother walks through the kitchen doorway a minute later it's clear Ethan's told her about Robert's random appearance – lips in a pleasant curl but her eyes gleaming of distrust.

"Well Robert, I certainly didn't expect to see you here," Sarah says, giving Avery's shoulder a gentle squeeze as she shuffles past her to set the paper bag in her hand down on the table. Ethan trails behind her, cupholder in hand. He pauses by Avery's side, handing her the iced chai to which she whisper-speaks her thanks.

Sarah adjusts the collar of her fleece sweater, her expression softening as she turns her attention on Avery. "Honey, why don't you go change before we eat? Take Ethan with you."

"It's hardly necessary for the boy to go with her."

Avery knows better than to assume her mother's words are anything less than a command and apparently Ethan does too because he lightly nudges her in the shoulder, nudges her out of her frozen stance and lets her lead the way out of the kitchen.

They've barely made their way upstairs as she hears Robert inquire Sarah's reasoning behind letting Avery have boys running around the house. Her mother's tone is far from friendly in her retort.

"Are you telling me how to parent my daughter?"

"Last time I checked she was our daughter."

"You know what? The moment you start showing up she can be our daughter. Until then–"

Avery sets the iced chai down on her desk as she walks into her bedroom, glancing over her shoulder at Ethan as she beelines for the closet. "Could you close the door?"

He does as she asks, the conversation carrying up from the kitchen becoming barely drowned out sound as it reaches her ears. Getting her closet open, she stares at the racks and drawers of clothes. Somehow picking out something to wear seems too big a task.

"Hey."

She doesn't realize Ethan's no longer by the door until his fingers catch around her wrists, forcing her away from the towering options of clothes as he pulls her into hug. A shaky breath leaves her lips as she melts into his warm embrace, throat clogging as she buries her nose against his skin.

Lifting her arms to wrap around his torso, she mumbles, "I'm sorry."

His hold tightens in return, jaw setting as he peers down at her with a frown. "What are you apologizing for?"

She motions vaguely with one of her hands. "I don't know... this," She holds back a sigh, taking a step back. "I should get dressed."

"Wait." Holding her at arm-length, Ethan smiles and she rolls her eyes as he takes in the sight of her in his sweater.

"This is blasphemy, you know that right?"

A strangled laugh escapes her still tightened throat as he shrugs, pulling her into another hug. Instead of lightly shoving him away so that she can get dressed she simply melts into his embrace, lips widening in a smile as he brushes a kiss to her hair.

♡♡♡

Avery sets the last folded napkin down on the table, glancing over at Luke as she runs a smoothing palm down the fabric of her black skirt. "So, guess what?"

"Your dad's in town."

"How did you know?"

"Mom," He says and she nods. She should've been able to figure that one out for herself. Luke props his arms up on the high back of one of the dining chairs, watching her pull at a loose thread in her Burgundy knit sweater. "What's up with that anyways?"

"He's here for work."

"Over Thanksgiving?"

"For the next two weeks," She weighs back on her feet, holding onto the chair in front of her as she recalls her father's words from their breakfast yesterday morning. "Starting Monday but he needed a few days to settle in. He's staying in an old friend's house – since they're only using it for the summers."

"So what? He just packed up and left right before Thanksgiving?"

Avery bites down at her lip. Her mother had stayed uncharacteristically quiet during yesterday's breakfast but the one time she did speak up it was to inquire about 'his wife's thoughts about him leaving her and their three young children alone over the holiday'.

"Eva and the kids are visiting her sister," Avery's response rolls of her tongue as easily as it had her father's. Again, she's back to pulling at the loose thread in her sweater. "It was a bit weird, at first– he didn't tell us he was coming. But... it got better. And it'll be nice to catch up while he's here. Spend some time together, you know?"

Even though he tries to conceal it, she doesn't miss the slight purse of disapproval to Luke's lips as he runs a hand through his hair. "Yeah,"

She's about to let it go as Luke slants his head to the side, lips rolling together thoughtfully. "What'd he think of Ethan?"

"What?"

"Mom blabbers a lot."

Avery holds back the urge to roll her eyes – apparently so does hers. "Honestly? I think he tried acting like he wasn't there."

"Ouch."

"Yeah."

There had been one instance her father's attention actually seemed to genuinely drift towards Ethan yesterday morning, but her jaw clenches the same way now that it did then. She's not exactly sure how they had fallen into the topic of football but as soon as Robert found out Ethan plays he'd looked at him in a different light, realization having dawned on his face. 'You're Bradley Taylor's boy,'. Though she'd sensed him tense ever so slightly, Ethan did a better job at hiding his frustration than Avery who froze entirely – not to speak of Sarah who positively glared Robert's way upon his words; 'Damn shame, what happened to your father. I've heard about you – superstar in the making they say, the one to watch out for,'.

Luke catches her gaze across the table again, brows etching together as he notices her clenched jaw. "What's up?"

"It's nothing."

She waves her hand dismissively just as Nic walks into the dining room, a platter of food in his hands. Lea and Callie trails behind him, the latter beelining for the puzzle Lea's mom has laid out on the side table across the room. Lea sets the two jugs of juice down on the table before picking Mira, one of her cats, up – shoving the brown speckled creature in Luke's face as she coos over how cute she is.

Avery moves over to Callie but they only manage to find one fitting piece before Lea claps her hands together.

"Let's do this thing then." She says, pointing to their spread of Thanksgiving brunch. She pulls a chair out and sinks into a seat, motioning for the rest to do the same.

They've just taken their seats as Gabriel slips into the room, a glass of juice in his hand as he sweeps a waffle off the stack. Unbothered by his sister swatting his hand away he pulls the chair next to Nic out, pushing Whiskers – their other cat –away from where he lies upon its cushion and sits down.

Lea's eyes narrow. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Having brunch?"

Avery's lips quirk up as Lea lets out a lighthearted sigh before reaching for one of the juice pitchers. And then they dig in.

♡♡♡

Almost toppling over, Avery stumbles in through the backdoor of the Vaz Cabral house. She laughs as she looses balance under Callie's weight, setting her down as Lea locks the door behind them. Their cheeks still flushed from having run around the field down the street, they follow their friends into the house – coming face to face with Helena, Lea's mom. Carrying a stack of the fancy china she lets her gaze fall over the six teenagers, scrutinizing their ruffled appearances. Gabriel's quick to bow out of view – his voice soon heard from the other side of the wall as he joins his father in the kitchen.

Helena holds onto the plates in her hands. "Calliope? You're staying, right?"

"I'd love to," Callie twists her hands together, lips in a smile. "If it's not too much trouble."

"Not at all, you're always welcome here."

At the mention of Thanksgiving dinner, Nic slips his phone out of his pocket. "I should probably get going."

Avery catches a glimpse of the time. "Yeah, me too."

The five of them squeeze into the front hall after bidding Helena goodbye. Lea and Callie sink into a seat on the pouf stood next to the shoe rack as they watch their friends slip into their coats. Nic spins his car key around his finger, glancing over at Avery who's already in the process of typing a text message onto her phone.

"You ready?"

"Oh, actually," She flits her eyes to him, thumb hovering over the screen. "I'm going to Ethan's. So you guys go, I have to wait for him to come get me anyways."

"Or I could just take you."

Avery's brows etch together in surprise as she lets her gaze fall to Luke who's crouched down next to Mira on the floor. "To Ethan's?"

He scratches the cat behind her ears, meeting Avery's gaze. "It's basically on the way."

While Luke does live in the same direction as Ethan, 'on the way' is not exactly true. She glances back at the screen, thumb now hovering over the backspace key as she smooths down the dark fabric of her coat with her other hand.

"Are you sure?"

A genuine chortled breath leaves him as he abandons the cat and gets to his feet. "Yes. Let's go."

♡♡♡

Having texted Ethan as they drove into the neighborhood to let him know she was close by, Avery slips her phone into the pocket of her coat. She bites down at her lip, glancing out the window through the shades of her sunglasses.

"You have to actually get out of the car you know," Luke says, bringing a faint smile to her lips. She glances over at him where he's sat in the driver's seat – engine still going where the car idles at the end of Ethan's driveway. He nods towards the house and she turns around in time to see Ethan slip out onto the front porch, visibly shoving a few people looking around their age – his cousins, she guesses – back through the door. Her fingers lace around the handle but stay there and Luke sighs. "You have five seconds before I kick you out."

"Geez, I'm going."

"Are you?"

"What if they don't like me?"

"Then they're idiots," Luke unbuckles his seatbelt to reach across her and opens her car door. "Now go. I'll see you at movie-day tomorrow."

She smiles at the mention of their two families joint tradition and nods – forcing herself to actually step out of the vehicle as he shoots her another look. "See you tomorrow," Once outside, the ocean wind immediately having her hair whip in her face, she peers back at her friend. "Thank you for this."

His lips twitch as his brows dip together ever so slightly. "Of course. I love you and all that yada yada."

"Likewise," She smiles. "Tell your family I said hi."

"Will do. Bye Ave."

"Yeah yeah I'm going. I promise."

She watches him drive away before turning around, the heels of her booties clicking against the pavement as she begins the trek up the driveway. The strung together knot in her chest disperses ever so slightly as Ethan leaves the porch, running down to meet her halfway. She finds her shoulders relaxing, tongue falling from the roof of her mouth as he smiles at her and as they reach each other she's smiling too.

"Hi," The word's soft spoken as she lifts her hand to brush her fingers through his wind tossed hair. She lets her palm fall to his arm, resting atop the fabric of his dark cable knit sweater. Amusement etch into his features, rolling his eyes as he realizes she's wearing his sunglasses and her smile pulls wider. Rather sheepishly she takes them off, squinting at the sudden light and lets them fall into the pocket of her coat. "Sharing is caring, right?"

Brows knitting together he slips one of his hands out of the pockets of his jeans, tangling his fingers through her hair only to pull out a twig. A chortled breath leaves him, leaving a faint cloud of mist in the cold air. "Why? What's this?"

"Oh," She laughs. "Football."

"You played football?"

She raises her brows. "Is that so hard to believe?"

"The one time I tried to throw you a ball you ducked."

"Well I didn't say I'm good at it."

He laughs softly, sweeping his thumb over her jaw. "Got some mud here too."

A faint sigh escapes her. "I thought I got it all."

"Come on."

Letting her hand melt into his, she glances around the packed driveway as he intertwines their fingers. "You have quite a big family, huh?"

He shoots her a sideways glance as they climb up the porch steps. "I think it's only fair I let you know they can be a bit intense," He pulls her closer as a short laugh escapes her. "Are you contemplating running for the hills?"

"Maybe."

"Ella made you a painting."

The beat of Avery's heart calms a little at the thought of the girl being in there with everyone else, her nervous smile turning more genuine as she slowly shakes her head at her boyfriend. "You've got to stop using your sister to get to me."

He loops his free arm around her waist, tugging her even closer. "I take full offense in the fact that you love her more than me, by the way."

"Did she tell you I said that?" Avery laughs, dragging her bottom lip between her teeth. "It was supposed to be a secret. Can't trust anyone these days."

"As I said – full offense."

"Oh come on, what was I supposed to do?" She feigns a pout. "She looked at me with those eyes of hers and said 'What about me? Do you love me? More than Ethan?'"

"Should have told her no."

"You're cruel."

"Maybe."

"Fortunately for you, I do lo–"

She's cut off as the front door swings open, revealing three teenagers – definitely younger than the two of them from the looks of it – on the doorstep. One of the two boys leans against the doorframe, giving Avery a look over as he absentmindedly crosses his arms over his chest with a smug smile.

"So you're Ethan's girlfriend huh? Honestly didn't think I'd see the day."

Ethan shoves the three of them back into the house, the warmth of it immediately enveloping Avery as they step inside too, letting the door fall close behind them. The same boy who spoke before takes a step closer, extending his hand to Avery's as she's shrugged out of her coat.

"I'm Jared."

Avery's left fingers tap against the cold metal of her phone, her lips slipping in and out of a smile as she continues to roll them together. "Hi, I'm Avery."

"Oh we know," The girl speaks up, only grinning as Ethan glares her way. Avery likes her already. "Hi I'm Madeleine. And this is– oh, was Mike. My brother,"

Mike in question is on his way up the stairs, interest apparently already lost. Jared glances the same way. "Don't take it personally, he's just more into his phone than actual conversation."

"It's nice to finally meet you!" Madeleine jumps in her place before lowering her voice as in on a secret. "I heard you go to West. That's so scand–"

"Didn't I tell you not to breathe down her neck?"

"It's called conversation, E."

"Well, I hate to cut this short but we have to go find Ella or she'll positively kill us."

A small breath of relief escapes Avery's lips as Ethan intertwines their fingers again, slightly overwhelmed already. He easily slips her phone into the pocket of his jeans as she holds it out for him, his smile mirroring hers. Running a smoothing palm down her skirt, she bites down at her lip and glances through the wide doorway to the living room. She doesn't miss the few glances discreetly shot their way from the people scattered around it.

"Shouldn't I go say hi?" She asks. Hiding out with Ella and Ethan for a bit doesn't sound too bad, but she doesn't want Ethan's family to think she's rude.

"We'll have time for that."

"Yeah, you'll want to avoid them as long as possible," Jared agrees, spinning around on his heel. "Ella's out back, by the way."

Madeleine leaves for the upstairs too, beaming back at Avery. "We'll talk more later!"

She's already out of view as Avery shoots her a, "Nice to meet you!"

Ethan tugs at her hand. "So, Ella?"

"Yeah, let's find Ella."

♡♡♡

"Are you sure there's nothing else I can do?" Avery asks, throwing a glance over her shoulder at the already set tables – the original dining table twice as long and another one temporarily placed next to it.

Anna lets the refrigerator door fall close, turning around to look at Avery where she's sat at the built-in-bar with her elbows propped up on the counter. "I don't think so, love."

Avery reaches for one of the oranges in the fruit bowl, passing it between her hands by letting it roll over the black marble countertop as she watches Anna move around the kitchen. Ella's sat on the stool next to her, snacking away at some apple slices even though they're supposed to eat soon, her eyes glued to the screen of the old Nintendo DS console in her hands. It's just the three of them in here. A while ago Anna ordered everyone else to stay out – even Paul – under the pretense of needing to put all her focus on dinner.

Avery's pretty sure it has less to do with the food and more to do with having whisked Avery away from the midst of all the action. Ethan was right – his family can be intense. And loud. And extroverted. Very nice. But very extroverted. She guesses Anna, who's married into both of them knows this better than anyone. And though she can still hear the sounds from around the house – the distant chatter from the living room, the football game playing on the TV, the occasional thud of feet from the upstairs – there's a nice quiet to the kitchen. Anna hasn't exactly said that's why she brought her in here, but Avery's thankful for the chance at a breather.

Pausing, Avery rolls her lips together and lets one of her palms cover the orange. "Can I ask you something?"

Anna sets the bowl of cranberry sauce down on the counter alongside other platters of food, adjusting their placement. "Of course."

"Oregon," Avery casts her gaze to the orange in her hand. "Did you like it?"

As she glances up she finds Anna regarding her, lips falling into a softer smile. She dusts her palms against one another with a hint of understanding to her eye. "UNC isn't your top-pick anymore?"

"I mean... well yes it is. Maybe, – I think," Warmth spreads through Avery's chest upon realizing Anna remembers where she's planning to go to school. They spoke about it during her internship interview all that time ago. And though she has applied for early action, she's beginning to wonder if maybe she should look at other options. "But life's a bit different now. I guess. Took an unexpected turn."

"I know a thing or two about unexpected turns."

"Do you think I'm crazy?" Even though she more or less blurts it out, it's a genuine question. Avery drags her bottom lip between her teeth. "For considering a school simply based on well – you know. I mean, I can study English anywhere right? I know Ethan and I haven't even been together that long and you probably think I shouldn't even be thinking about this or that I'm rushing into it but I just... being that far apart–"

Anna puts a stop to Avery's ramblings by taking a step forward, gently covering her hand with her own as her expression softens further. "I don't think I'm in any position to lecture you about rushing into things–"

A faint smile slips onto Avery's lips. "Because you got married while in college?"

"Because I got married after having known the guy for about five months," Anna laughs. "And then I had a kid two years later, also while in college. You're not allowed to do that, by the way,"

Avery's smile widens, rolling the orange beneath her palm.

"To answer your questions – yes I enjoyed time in Oregon. And no, I don't think you're crazy. I do have some advice, if you want it?"

"Yes, please."

"I don't think you should worry too much about what others think either. Or what's deemed 'normal'. If I had listened to my friends when they told me I was crazy, I probably would have never even set foot in this town. I didn't expect my life to turn out the way it did, but it's my life and I love it. Sometimes you just know. And if you know – then you know. What's Sarah saying about all this?"

"I haven't really talked to her about it. Yet."

"One more thing?" Anna reaches back to untie the knot in her hair, letting it out over her shoulders. "When it all comes down to it, it's about what feels right in your heart. And if that's still UNC – then the rest will work itself out. Okay?"

Avery's about to respond as Paul walks into the room – Ethan trailing behind him – which leaves her to simply smile and nod instead.

Anna smiles too, turning back to the oven as Paul asks, "Anything I can do?"

"No, I think we're all ready," Anna gets the oven open. "Guess it's time to let the people at it."

Ethan reaches out to ruffle Ella's hair, earning him a scowl as she focuses on the game in her hand. Avery's smile widens, leaning back against his chest as he wraps his arms around her shoulders.

"So this is where you've been hiding out, huh?"

She places the orange back into the bowl, lifting her shoulder in half-a-shrug as he rests his chin atop her head. "I was needed in here."

She doesn't have to turn around to know he's smiling too.

♡♡♡

Avery's brows knit together as Ethan pulls away when she's about to kiss him again, her fingers slipping away from his jaw. "What's wrong?"

"There are two heads in your kitchen window."

A chortled breath escapes her. "What?" Turning around, she realizes he's right. Her grandparents are stood in her kitchen, peering out the window. She lifts her hand in a small wave before turning back to Ethan, offering him a faint smile as she bites down on her lip. "Sorry."

He feigns a pout as she leans over to lightly peck the corner of his mouth. "I don't want you to go yet."

"I don't want to go yet," She exhales the words in a sigh before slanting her head to the side, raising a brow. "Do you want to come inside for a while? They're not as scary as they look. I promise."

He glances at the time on the dashboard before nodding – already slipping his phone out of his pocket and she smiles, knowing he's about to text Anna with the change of plans. "Yeah, okay."

♡♡♡

Unlocking the front door, she flashes him a smile over her shoulder. "By the way? Grandma's obsessed with Luke. Apologies in advance."

"You're obsessed with Luke, trust me I'm used to it."

With a small shake of her head, Avery opens the door and pulls Ethan with her into the front hall as she calls out, "Anybody here?"

Her grandparents – as if they weren't just stood watching them walk up the driveway through the kitchen window appear in the hallway, ushering their long lost granddaughter into a joint hug while chattering loudly. Her grandmother is first to break away, beaming as she pulls Ethan into a hug too. "And you must be Ethan!"

Avery presses her lips together to suppress the spruced laugh bubbling up her throat. She exchanges a look with her grandfather, who thankfully steps in to greet her boyfriend like a normal person would someone they've never met before and saves him from hurricane Grandma. Again, she extends her hand to Ethan – having lost it in the chaos.

"Come on."

"Sarah?" Barbara calls into the house as all four of them walk down the hall. "Avery's home! Let's bring out the dessert."

"I know she's home," Comes her mother's voice from the living room and the woman soon appears in the hall too. "If I were to phone Tammy right now she'd tell me they got the news as well, with the way you two stormed the door I wouldn't be surprised if everyone in Raleigh knows too."

"Always such a dramatic flair," Barbara tsks, leading the way into the kitchen. "Avery?"

Avery flickers her eyes towards her mother before voicing an uncertain, "Yes?"

"Yahtzee or Scrabble?"

She's far too tired for Scrabble. "Yahtzee."

Sarah looks between Ethan and Avery, a long sigh-sounding exhale leaving her nose as she offers up a smile. "Tea?"

Avery waits a moment longer out in the hall, rolling her eyes at the three voices speaking over one another in the kitchen before turning to Ethan. "You still standing?"

"Still standing," His lips pull into a smile mirroring her own as he tucks a few stray strands of her hair behind her ear. "So, about the Luke thing...?"

"Forget I said anything," She shakes her head, reaching up on her toes to kiss him. "I'm serious though, I'm giving you an out for tonight. If you want it. My family may be small, but we can be intense too."

"I'm not going anywhere."

"Okay good," She intertwines their hands, leading the way to the kitchen. "I have to warn you though, I'm really good at Yahtzee."

"Isn't the entire premise of that game that it's up to chance?"

"Aw babe," She reaches up to gently pat his cheek. "You've got so much to learn."

"Babe?"

Her cheeks warm as his grin widens. "Oh shut up. Way to ruin the moment Taylor."

She finds herself loosing hold of his hand again as her grandfather intercepts them, hooking his arm through her boyfriend's – leading him away and around the corner towards the living room. "So Ethan," He begins. "Tell me, what's your favorite subject in school?"

Barbara abandons the pecan pie and whirls around on her heel, tracing their steps. "Tom! Don't you interrogate that boy, you'll scare him away."

"Because that tone won't," Sarah mutters and and Avery's smile twitch in amusement. She shoots a worried glance over her shoulder before joining her mother at the counter, reaching up to grab a few cups out of the cupboard. Sarah shoots her a sideways glance. "You aren't going to go save him?"

"Today I met the family on his mom's side, his dad's side and his step-dad's side. I think he'll manage on his own for a bit."

"Did you have fun?"

"Yeah, it's been great."

♡♡♡

"I know you're cheating. I just don't know how."

"It's not cheating. I'm simply communicating with the dices."

Ethan swallows back a chortle. "You're communicating with the dices?"

"Yes," Avery's cheeks tighten with her smile as she jots down her score in the protocol before passing the cup along to her mother. She leans into Ethan's side where the two of them are sat on the floor on one side of the coffee table, lips pulling back further as his hand absentmindedly drapes over her knee. "And don't you mock me – I happen to know about that ridiculous handshake you and Jake do before every game."

"Not the same thing."

"Sure it is."

"It's in her genes," Tom says with a small shake of his head. "My mother always knew how to spell the dices to work in her favor too."

Avery tilts her head back to smile up at her boyfriend. "See?"

"Mhm. If that's what you want to believe."

"Such a sore loser," Her lips twitch as he rolls his eyes and she averts her attention to look at her mother. "Speaking of, are you planning on going to the game on Sunday?"

Her mother's brows knit together at the mention of the traditional football game tying together the end of the holiday. "I don't know, why?"

"Well," Avery pulls at a loose thread in her stockings, knowing they're a lost cause either way now that they've begun to fall apart. "Dad's thinking about going with some old friends. And I thought maybe I'd watch it with him. If that's okay?"

Sarah's lips slip into a somewhat strained smile as she nods. "Yeah, of course."

Barbara passes the cup of dices along to Ethan, speaking through a mouthful of pie. "Assuming he hasn't skipped town by then."

"Mom."

Barbara simply jabs her fork into her piece of pie for another bite, a note of innocence to her airy tone. "What?"

♡♡♡

Avery glances up from her phone as there's a gentle knock on her slightly ajar door. Her lips pull into a sheepish smile as she meets her mother's eyes. "I'm going to sleep soon. I promise."

"Well actually," Sarah pushes the door open further, revealing the tray she holds in her other hand – cups of tea and a bowl of fresh berries upon it. "I was thinking we could cheat and kick off movie-day tonight. Just you and I. Technically, it is already tomorrow. What do you say?"

"I say yes."

She shoots Ethan another text goodnight before dropping her phone to the mattress, wrapping her comforter around her as she gets to her feet and follows her mother across the hall to her bedroom.

She settles into bed carefully to not nudge the tray, pulling her knees to her chest as she reaches for her cup of tea and leans back against the headboard. Her mother holds up two DVD cases.

"Which one?"

"Caia loves 'You've Got Mail' so let's save that one for tomorrow."

"'Elizabethtown' then?" As Avery nods, Sarah pops the movie into the DVD player. "I thought Caia said 'You've Got Mail' was boring?"

"She did but she also has a thing for Meg Ryan. Well, young Meg Ryan."

"Who doesn't?" Sarah muses as the opening sequence plays on the screen. She climbs into a seat on the bed as she reaches for the pair of glasses upon her nightstand. "Having both you and Ethan here tonight was nice."

"Yeah it was," Avery pauses with the rim of her cup against her smile. "You think Grandma will let go of the whole 'you'll marry Luke one day' thing now?"

"One can dream. She did really like Ethan though. I do too."

"Well," Avery lets a chortled breath out her lips. "That's a relief."

Sarah scoots down a bit to rest her head on Avery's shoulder. "I figured it could be nice to actually hear me say it, even if you already knew."

"You're right, it is." Avery suppresses a small yawn, immediately reaching for a blueberry from the bowl – she's not about to fall asleep before they're even halfway through the opening scene. She lets her head fall to the side, resting it atop her mother's.

"Honey? You know I'm all for you spending time with Robert while he's here, right?" Her mother's words are soft-spoken. "As much as you want to. As much as you're both available to."

"Yeah," Avery smiles. Through the years her mother's been nothing but supportive about the bond she has with her father – even if it's close to non-existent. "I do."

"Okay, good," A small sigh-sounding exhale escapes Sarah. "I would be lying if I said I'm not a little bit worried. I just don't want you to end up disappointed– if things don't work out as you imagine them to. Robert can be... complicated. But when it comes to your relationship with him, I'll always support what you want. One hundred percent."

"I know."

She finds herself a bit choked up, it tends to happen when the topic of her father comes up. Especially on the occasions it's brought up by her mother. There's a lot of history there. A lot of bottled up emotions threatening to surface even in the simplest exchanges of conversations. Clearing her throat she leans back against the headrest again and Sarah straightens up, lifting her cup to her lips. The steam of the tea fogs her glasses, bringing a faint laugh out of them both. They continue to speak in low voices as the movie plays out on the screen, both having seen it so many times they already know how it goes.

. . .

hi hello my friends!

I hope you're all doing good <3

I don't really have much to say. I guess I could always mention you should make sure to follow me on here to keep up with everything regarding this story (and regarding me and my crazy)!

maybe tell me what you thought about this chapter? if you want?

much love, as always

yours, linn.