Page 14 of All of You

It sounds like a true family. Laughter and joking and dishes clanging.

“Dad?” Mom calls out.

“In here, Jennifer.”

I still can’t get over her name. And it reminds me that I still have a thousand more questions for her that I haven’t asked yet. The kitchen goes quiet suddenly as we enter. Is this more family? There are two adults and a kid—the kid getting yelled at when we drove through town—in the kitchen with Heath.

“Oh my goodness,” the woman breathes out in shock. “Jennifer?”

“You have a sister too?” I screech, breaking the moment.

Everyone in the kitchen laughs. Mom rushes to the woman who envelopes her in a hug as I stand there. “Delia, come here, this is Anna. She graduated a couple years ahead of me in high school. Anna, this is my daughter Delia.”

Anna releases her hold on my mother and cups my cheeks. “You are so beautiful.” Tears pool in her eyes and I feel suddenly very out of place and uncomfortable. She releases me and I push myself into my mom’s side. “This is my husband James and my sons, Anderson and…”

“Heath! I think I found it!” The voice sounds familiar but I can’t think of where I’ve heard it before. He steps into the room, tall and muscular, and seemingly sucking up all the oxygen, holding a large knife. Hazel eyes bore into mine as he enters the kitchen. The guy who waved.

The guy who waved at me.

I want to shrivel up and die.

“This is Langdon, my other son.” Anna chuckles.

“Oh, hi,” Langdon says, staring at me.

“Hi,” I whisper back. His bicep brushes against my armsending an earthquake of shivers jolting down my spine as he passes by.

“You’ve been busy,” Mom says with a wink. Anna swats at her.

James reaches out to shake our hands in greeting. And the kitchen devolves into a cacophony of chatter. Langdon says something to Heath when he hands him the knife and the playful laugh that booms out of him makes it seem like an inside joke between them. The thought sends a howl clawing up my spine.That’s my grandfather.I ignore the burning jealousy gnawing in the pit of my belly and bite my bottom lip.

Langdon glances at me over Heath’s shoulder and my jealous frown slips into a shy smile. His hazel eyes knock the wind right out of my lungs. I retreat to the dining room immediately.

Mom and Anna are already lost in conversation, apparently catching up on the years missed while James entertains Anderson with a puzzle in the living room. Heath and Langdon chat in the kitchen, hips pressed against the counter near the stove, and I… I try to sink so far into the couch that I might as well be a cushion.

Mom pokes her head into the living room. “Delia, will you grab plates?”

“Langdon, help Delia set the table,” Anna commands.

“That’s ok. I can do it,” I say.

Langdon doesn’t hesitate with his response. “See, Mom,she said she’s got it.”

“Langdon!” his father booms.

In the kitchen, Heath points to the cabinet with the plates and I grab seven and carry them into the dining room silently. I’m the only one here who doesn’t know anyone besides my mother and it’s weird.

Weird as fuck.

Langdon leans against the door frame. “So, you’re Delilah right?”

Of course he can’t even be bothered to retain my name.I set a plate down and move to the next spot. “Delia,” I correct.

He moves and braces his hands on the back of one of the chairs. “I think I saw you a couple days ago.”

“Oh?”Yes, literally the best response I could muster was oh.

“Yeah, on Main Street. Your mom waved,” he says, a hint of mischief in his tone.