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“See, your boyfriend obviously likes me,” Mom tells me joyfully. “You need to bring him along more often.”

“Maybe I should ask you to visit us and cook for us once in a while,” I say, not ready to promise her to visit more often.

“That would be fun,” Noel says. “Though I like your cooking too.”

“You cook, Aden?” Linda, Kayden’s fiancée, asks.

“I am trying to, at least,” I tell her.

“Don’t be so modest,” Noel intervenes. “His cooking kicks ass. Must run in the family.”

Linda and Francis’ wife exchange a look and burst into laughter. “It doesn’t,” Linda grins. “Emily and I know fromexperience. Though from what I’ve heard, it seems Oliver is doing okay-ish in the kitchen.”

“Francis can’t cook to save his life,” Emily grins.

“But I help,” he says.

Emily smiles, kissing his cheek. “You do,” she says softly.

“Martin is trying, too,” Mom muses.

“Then it’s just you who picked up cooking skills?” Noel asks me. It’s so obvious he’s using this chance to have a subtle dig at my brothers. It’s hilarious. “Must be great to be a genius.”

“I am not a genius,” I chuckle.

“You totally are. The whole package, really.” His cheeks flush slightly, as if he only just realizes what he said. “Well, it’s true,” he mutters more to himself than to anyone else.

Obviously, Mom is head over heels for him. She has always been worried about me never introducing anyone to her, and for barely sharing anything about my life. Now she looks like she is bursting with joy. I guess from her perspective, I can understand how she feels. She must be relieved to see how much Noel seems to like me.

“Wait till you see Mom’s dessert,” Kayden says. “She went completely overboard this time.”

“Of course I did. It’s rare that we are all together.”

I turn to Noel. “Her desserts are fantastic.”

“We used to fight over the last pieces of her cakes all the time,” Martin adds. The others discuss this a bit further, while I can’t help but fall silent. There is not much I can say about it. He is right, we always fought about dessert, though it was rather them fighting and me not even daring to make a go for it. I never had any chance.

I wonder how life is for siblings who receive love from their older siblings. I get why Martin saw me as a rival, as we were closer in age, but Kayden is ten years older and didn’t feel the urge to protect me much either.

Under the table, I can feel Noel’s warm hand reaching out and resting on my knee.

Yes, bringing him along was the best idea I’ve had in a long time. That and deciding to date him.

“Noel is a sweetheart,” Mom says to me when Kayden and I help her with the dishes. She sent the others off to do some other tasks. Only refusing help from Noel, Linda and Emily.

“He is,” I say.

“It’s obvious how much he loves you,” Kayden adds.

I stay silent at his words, but when Mom turns to me and smiles, I can’t help but return the smile. “You are happy, aren’t you?”

“Noel makes me happy,” I say honestly. “He brings so much warmth into my life.”

“How did you get to know each other?”

I don’t mind telling my mother, but I don’t want to have all my brothers know so many details about my private life. “Come and visit us,” I tell her. “And you will get the whole story.”

“Then I will come for sure,” she beams. “Do you know when you have the next free weekend?”