Page 86 of Kiwi Sin

When we’d eaten all the chicken and most of everything else, and Oriana had jumped up and brought over a rich golden cake that turned out to be full of apples, pears, and blackberries, not to mention the custard that went with it, Daisy said, “You’re being especially quiet tonight, Gabriel. Either you’re being mysterious, or you’re worried about Gray’s house. Since I’ve never seen you be mysterious in my life, it’s probably the house. First, is there something wrong, and second, when do I get to see it?”

“When it’s done,” Gray said. “I told you. I have a plan.”

“You always have a plan,” she said.

“Mm,” he said. “That’s probably because I love to make you happy.”

I had my mouth open to speak when Oriana jumped in to say, “Speaking of plans, Gabriel and I have one, too.”

Daisy set her fork down, and the amusement was gone. “What kind of plan?”

My turn. I realized, at this least opportune of moments, that it would’ve been better to wait until the house was done and I’d hopefully had a chance to impress both Daisy and Gray, and to prepare. Not to mention bringing Oriana my gift. After what had happened at my parents’ today, though, how could I wait?

Gray’s phone rang. He picked it up and said, “Aaron and Constance are at the gate. Why?” and looked at Daisy.

She said, “No idea.” Her eyes were wary, though. Watchful. I was guessing shedidhave an idea.

Gray said, “One way to find out,” and hit the button to buzz them in.

I said, “Before they get here, I need to say this. Oriana and I have been talking, and wehavemade a plan. We’re going to be married.” Apparently, this was what happened when you didn’t prepare, or maybe it was what happened when you’d had the kind of weekend I’d had. The kind where you thought,There’s no good way to say it, and nobody’s going to be happy, so just go ahead and get it out there, whatever happens next.

Gray said, “Ah. Not too surprising.”

Daisy said,“What?And not now, you’re not. Not anywherecloseto now. Absolutely not.”

Priya said, “Iknewit.”

Oriana said, “Yes. We are. Very soon.”

The dog, Xena, lifted her head and cocked it, as if she sensed drama.

And my dad knocked on the door.

I said, “One thing’s sure, Oriana. My mum and dad are going to learn all over again what a good cook you are, because this cake is choice. I’ll get two more plates.” And smiled at her.

She looked as determined as a soft woman could be, and as nervous, too. I stood to get those plates and told her, “We’ve got this.”

Did we? I didn’t know. But I knew I’d be fighting for it all the way.

36

PLANS AND DREAMS

Oriana

The first thing that happened when Aunt Constance and Uncle Aaron got in the door was that I cut them some cake. We’d had a seminar in school last month about “Exploring Your Dependable Strengths for Career Fit,” and making cake was one of my dependable strengths. You were supposed to “lean into” those, whatever that meant. At this moment, as far as I could tell, it was slicing cake.

Aunt Constance said, when she’d taken a bite, “Very good. Is there orange in it?” in a tight-lipped sort of way.

“Yes,” I said, trying for the sort of composure that came easily to Daisy and not at all easily to me. “The zest and the juice both. Also vanilla bean. And brandy, to give a deeper level of flavor, but the alcohol cooks out.”

Priya said, “You always say the alcohol cooks out. Are you sure?”

“Yes,” I said. “It evaporates.”

“Not a good idea to use it, all the same,” Aunt Constance said. “It’s a slippery slope that paves the road to Hell, and besides, you can’t know.”

“I can, though,” I somehow said. “As long as you simmer it, it cooks out. The alcohol molecules don’t stick together as strongly as the water molecules do, so when you heat it up, more alcohol molecules fly off. It’s chemistry. And so far, I haven’t been tempted to drink any, so I don’t see how it can be a slippery slope to Hell any more than using vanilla is. I don’t like alcohol, unless it’s in food.”