Chapter 9

~The best thing about being a woman…~ Andy and I climbed up on the chairs and sang along, making complete fools of ourselves.

So what? It was fun! Don’t judge!

Everyone was laughing at us, spoons serving as our makeshift microphones. We sang at the top of our lungs, and even Sam got up to join us. Tyson couldn’t take his eyes off his fiancé. It was adorable.

We serenaded the boys, who were completely captivated by our performance. Eric and Ace joined in, dancing with their wives and having a blast.

The song ended, and we received a round of applause from the guys, accompanied by plenty of laughter. Kyle, Knox, and Tyson helped us down from the chairs—after all, we were all in heels, and it could’ve gotten messy!

“Alright ladies, get the food on the tables and boys, take your seats!” my mom directed. Just then, the doorbell rang, and Kyle rushed to answer it. It was probably my grandma.

She sauntered into the kitchen, arm in arm with Kyle, and spotted me first. Her arms spread wide open, beckoning me to her.

“Lovey!” I exclaimed.

“Alex!” She beamed back at me, wrapping her arms tightly around me. I had missed this. I had missed her scent, her love, her.

I felt her trembling, a sure sign that she was starting to cry on my shoulder. I didn’t want to let her go, ever.

“Lovey, don’t cry, please! You’ll get us all going,” I pleaded, not pulling away from her embrace.

“I just missed you so much, Alex! I miss seeing you, honey!” she sobbed. I prayed she wasn’t crying because I wouldn’t be able to look at her without crying myself.

I pulled back, still in her arms, to see her eyes were a little red and a small tear was escaping from the corner of her eye.

“Please don’t cry, I’m here now, aren’t I?” I reassured her.

“Yes, took you long enough, child!” she playfully poked my chest, and we both burst into laughter.

“Alright everyone, take a seat!” my mom commanded. We all did as we were told, each of us having assigned places except for Andy, who sat between me and Kyle.

Lovey sat across from me in her usual spot, with Knox next to her. The chair at the head of the table was empty, and I stared at it, hoping he would take his seat.

It was where my Pop used to sit. I remembered how he used to sit next to me and hold my hand at the start of every meal.

“He’s here in spirit, darlin’,” my grandma said, breaking my gaze from the empty chair. I nodded and looked back at the chair.

The emotions were building up inside me. I tried to push them back down and regain control of myself. He’s not here, Alex, move on. It was an internal battle.

Suddenly, I stood up, and everyone turned to look at me. “I need a minute,” I announced, walking away from the table and down the hallway. My legs seemed to have a mind of their own.

I opened the front door and stepped outside, letting the cold air kiss my cheeks and hands. I pressed my hands against the stone-cold brick wall of the house and began to breathe heavily.

Having an anxiety attack over something so small to everyone else but so significant to me, I closed my eyes and tried to focus on calming my rapid breathing. Then I heard the click of the door and the sound of footsteps approaching.

“I’ll be fine, I just need a minute,” I said, not caring who had come out to check on me. All I was focused on was controlling the rollercoaster of my emotions.

I bent my arms and slowly leaned against the wall, my forehead touching it. The cold prickling sensation of the wall helped me focus on its texture rather than my heart rate, which was pounding out of my chest.

“Our moms sent me out to check on you,” a familiar voice said.

I turned to see Knox. What? I widened my eyes at him, causing him to chuckle while maintaining eye contact with me.

“You are the last person I expected to follow me out,” I said, laughing.

“Like I said earlier, I’m nice,” he smirked, causing me to smile a little and shake my head.

“You’re nice to everyone but me.”

He shook his head. “Not true.”

I gave him a skeptical look.

He laughed again and retorted, “I just like getting a reaction from you. It’s the only time you pay attention to me,” he winked.

I laughed at his ridiculous comment and looked back at the wall. After a few deep breaths, I finally felt calm. We stood in silence for a moment, listening to the distant sound of cars passing by.

“So, are you good, or do I have to get Andy out here to give you a pep talk and drag you back in? I don’t think she’d appreciate me cockblocking her time with Kyle. And I know he wouldn’t appreciate it either,” he teased.

I nodded and smiled up at him. I liked this nicer side of him. This was a different person right now.

“This will be the final time I express my gratitude, so savor it,” I said, pointing at him with a look that clearly said, ~You’d better appreciate this~.

His smile was immediate and warm. “Anytime, baby doll. Although, there are other ways you could thank me,” he replied, his eyebrows wiggling suggestively.

~And there he goes again,~ I thought, ~ruining the moment.~ It was nice while it lasted. I rolled my eyes, gave him a playful smack on the shoulder, and walked around him to push open the door.

We returned to our seats. My mom shot me a look, silently asking if I was okay. I responded with a reassuring smile, letting her know I was better.

My grandma’s smile was warm and welcoming, as if she was genuinely happy I had returned. I was happy too. We went through the usual Thanksgiving rituals—expressing our gratitude, reminiscing, eating, and so on.

Afterward, we all migrated to the living room to watch a movie. The kids were tucked into bed, and the older adults were outside, engaged in conversation and enjoying their drinks.

As our guest, Andy had the honor of choosing the movie. She picked The Proposal—a fantastic choice. Ladies, you know what I’m talking about.

We were all engrossed in the film. I was sandwiched between Andy and Sam, with the boys occupying the other end of the couch.

“Fuck, he’s hot!” Sam blurted out, earning a head shake from Tyson.

“So, so hot!” Andy agreed, which made me laugh. “I couldn’t agree more!”

“Some people say I resemble him,” Kyle chimed in, glancing at Andy as he flexed his biceps.

I rolled my eyes at him. “Just because Mom told you that once doesn’t make it true, Kyle,” I retorted, causing everyone to laugh.

“I don’t know, Al. I can kind of see it... from a distance... in the dark... behind a wall,” Sam teased, which made us laugh even harder.

Kyle huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. Knox patted him on the shoulder, assuring him it was all in good fun.

When the scene of him stripping on the balcony came on, the three of us simultaneously exclaimed, “Dayum!” Knox chimed in, “He’s got nothing on me! Right, baby doll?”

He winked at me, and I turned my gaze back to the screen, catching his smirk from the corner of my eye.

I’m not sure when I drifted off to sleep, but I woke up leaning on someone’s shoulder—probably Andy’s. I felt someone lift me up, and I snuggled into them.

It was probably Kyle. He used to carry me upstairs when I fell asleep downstairs as a kid. I heard the thud of his footsteps on the carpet, the kick of the door as he opened it, and the slight bang of the door as it bounced off the wall.

I was set down on my bed. I had changed into my sweats before we started the movie, so I was comfortable. Plus, the relief of taking off my bra was heavenly.

“Night,” I whispered. I felt the covers being pulled over me, making me even cozier.

“Night, ba...” His voice trailed off as I slipped into a deep sleep.