Page 17

Jake

T he familiar scent of garlic, basil, and roasted tomatoes hits my nose as I enter my parent’s house.

You would think that with both myself and my younger sister Sienna going to college in Boston, we would have more time to visit home.

But I honestly couldn’t remember the last time we all came together for a family dinner.

This one was particularly special as we were celebrating Charlotte’s dissertation defense, we’d attended this morning.

She’d spent the rest of the day celebrating with her lab mates which left the dinner plans to us.

From the entrance of the house, I can hear my mom’s cackling laughter, which is followed by a groan from my dad as Sienna whines, “Mom it’s not funny. ”

Among a fit of giggles, my mom manages to get out, “I don’t knooow SiSi. I think it’s pretty hilarious.”

I turn the corner into the kitchen to see my dad and Sienna dripping wet and my mom with a half-empty champagne bottle in her hands. “Damn, you guys started celebrating without me? ”

If looks could kill, I’m sure I’d be dead already with the glowering look on Sienna’s face. “Don’t you start, Jake.”

I have to clamp down my lips to avoid busting out into a howling laugh, which is really difficult given how ridiculous her and my dad look right now.

I’m sure I would be pissed if I was in their shoes, but they looked like two cartoon characters who just got stuck in a torrential downpour.

Add the fact that my mom had either accidentally, or maybe even intentionally, doused them in champagne really made this situation ten times funnier.

“Can I get you a towel or something?” I snicker.

“Maybe next time you’ll learn not to stand in the splash zone. ”

“Ha. Ha. You’re sooo funny.” Sienna takes the half-empty champagne bottle from my mom and stalks closer to me, like a hunter closing in on their prey.

“Whatever you’re thinking, I’d highly recommend you reconsider.” I hold my hands up above my head in mock defeat. “We don’t want a repeat of my 14th birthday now, do we?”

Sienna and Charlotte had both conspired to shove my face into my cake in front of all my teammates.

Probably as payback for all the times I had forgotten to put the toilet seat down that week.

Unfortunately for them, I had it spotted from the moment they stood on either side of me to sing me happy birthday.

And in the end, I spent the entirety of my party clean as a whistle while they spent the rest of the night washing icing out of their hair.

“Thanks for reminding me. I owe you 7 year-old payback!” A few seconds later she’s chasing me around the living room trying to douse me with the remaining contents in the bottle while my mom yells at her not to get any of her furniture wet.

There are a few close calls but I’m able to use my height to reach over and snag the bottle from her hands in sweet victory, taking a swig from the bottle in celebration .

“You’re so annoying,” she huffs, stomping off to her old room to clean up.

My dad follows her out a few seconds later after putting me in charge of watching over the stove.

While my mom was an absolute genius when it came to research, her skills in the kitchen were lacking at best and at worst, the direct result of our entire family getting food poisoning during Thanksgiving ten years ago.

When the coast is clear, I turn my attention back to my mom who is definitely a couple of glasses of wine in. “You did that on purpose, didn't you?”

“Me? I would never?” She winks, walking over to me and giving me a big hug. “I missed having all of my kids under this roof. Charlotte should be here any second now.”

“Well it’s a good thing there’s still some champagne left in the bottle.

Maybe you could let her drink it instead of wearing it since she just defended her dissertation.

” And maybe you can also avoid giving Charlotte feedback about her project because every time you do she thinks you’re judging her skills as a researcher.

“Fair enough. I also got her favorite tiramisu from Cafe Vittoria so we’re all in for a treat tonight.”

My stomach growls in response, and it takes everything in me not to sneak a bite of dessert. Charlotte would definitely rip off my head if I even tried it. It's almost as if just the thought of me touching her tiramisu summoned her because a few minutes later, she’s strutting into the kitchen.

We immediately tackle her in a group hug, and shouts of congratulations.

Charlotte tries to pretend like she didn’t like the attention on her, but I can tell she’s soaking it up.

As she should. It’s not every day you become a doctor, and Charlotte had busted her ass off to get to this stage.

My mom hands us all a glass of champagne and we cheers in celebration .

It’s not until Charlotte moves to top off her drink that she realizes the bottle is nearly empty. “Did you get started without me? And why is the floor so sticky?”

“Mom thought it would be funny to douse Sienna and Dad in champagne.” I nod my head to the nearly empty bottle on the counter.

“Jake Keeley!” Mom mock scolds. “It was an accident I swear. I was trying to have our drinks ready for when Charlotte arrived. Why would I waste a bottle of Dom Perigon?”

Charlotte and I exchange a knowing look as if my mom hasn’t done a few wild things to rile Sienna and my dad up. The two are definitely the most reserved and uptight of our family and mom was relentless in her attempts to help them “loosen up”.

My mom rolls her eyes at our silence, “I purchased an extra bottle just in case. It’s in the fridge right now, if you want to grab in Char.”

“Will do. After I finish whatever’s left in this bottle, seeing as this is my party.” Charlotte ruffles my hair and gives Mom a big hug before pouring herself a drink.

“So what’s for dinner?”

“Homemade cheese ravioli with your grandmother’s famous tomato sauce. Your father woke up extra early today to make the pasta dough.” Mom sighs dreamily as she watches Dad come back into the kitchen.

He doesn’t even seem mildly upset about the prank she pulled earlier.

Instead, he tucks a piece of her hair behind her ear and presses a soft kiss to her temple.

When we were younger, I’d always make jokes about how utterly whipped my dad was, but as I got older, I wondered what it must feel like to be able to find peace in someone else.

“What, no fake gagging or comments for them to get a room, Jake?” Charlotte shoves me, pouring herself a drink .

“Oh, our little Jake is all grown up Char. Haven’t you heard? There’s a new girl in his life.” Sienna sing-songs.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.

” I bite out, knowing that if Mom got a whiff of me potentially seeing someone, she’d spend the rest of the night trying to pry every detail out of me.

The worst part is I couldn’t even fess up about Eliana being my friend-and-sometimes- tutor.

That would open up an entirely different can of worms I didn’t want to get in to.

Charlotte snorts. “When isn’t there a girl in Jake’s life? No offense bro, but you’re a major slut. Just because you want him to settle down, Si, doesn’t mean he’s going to.”

I never had any issues in the past of being called out for sleeping around, but for some reason, the words sting a bit this time. “I thought we agreed to stop slut shaming people years ago.”

“Siblings always get a pass when it comes to insults,” Charlotte shrugs. “If anyone else called you a slut though, I’d bite their head off.”

“Thanks I guess?” I roll my eyes.

“This time is different, Charlotte. He’s really serious about this girl. He even wakes up early on non-practice days to get her breakfast.”

Charlotte snaps her head in my direction, eyes widening. “Holy shit. You are seeing someone, aren’t you?”

“Is the bar really so low for me that the thought of me grabbing coffee for someone is breaking news?”

“I’m afraid so. In our defense, you were the one who told us not to freak out if we don’t hear from you on Thursdays because you’re dead asleep to recoup for weekend games. We’re just following the rules you set.”

Well, they got me there.

“Dinner’s ready. Let’s set the table.” Hopefully food will be enough of a distraction for them to stop prying .

I grab extra glasses and cutlery while my dad transfers the hot pans filled with pasta to the table. As we sit at the dining table, my sisters sandwich me in between them and I have a feeling I’m in for a night of questioning. Fantastic.

“To celebrate defending your dissertation and officially getting your PhD, I made your favorite three-cheese ravioli. Before we get started, I want to say a few words.” Dad’s fingers are entwined with Mom’s as he looks at Charlotte.

“We are so, so proud of all you’ve accomplished over the years Char.

And we can’t wait to see all the amazing things you do next. ”

“Thanks Dad, Mom. Love you both. Now let’s dig in.”

In between stuffing our faces, we catch up on life lately.

“Jake, your win against UCONN was such a nail biter. I swear I felt my blood pressure rise every other minute.” My mom places a hand on her heart as she reminisces.

“They’re definitely our toughest competition this year. I thought we were done for when we ended the first period down three goals.” Thankfully we managed to get our shit together.

“The goal you scored in the second was such a thing of beauty. Really changed the tone of the game.” Sienna beams like a proud little sister.

“Seems like the new assistant coach is starting to get his bearings,” my dad notes.

“Yeah. Admittedly we had some tense moments when he decided to take me off the first line, but now I get it. He wants a leader on each line to help elevate our freshman, and it’s working. Dylan scored his first goal this season, which was really awesome to see.”

“Getting to show off your skills as a captain. No wonder the Bruins are dying to sign you.” Mom says gleefully.

The comfort I felt immediately vanishes as Sienna asks Charlotte and my mom about some feedback on her honors thesis. She mentions something about trying to decide which nonparametric test to run that will best fit her data, and I’m immediately lost. What happened to a good old t-test?

The three of them go back and forth for twenty minutes, and while I laugh along to the different jokes they tell, I understand none of them.

The joy I felt seeing my family excited about hockey is replaced by the feeling of being an outsider again.

A reminder as to why I decided to take PSYCH101 in the first place.

To be able to join in on the conversation.

“Speaking of stats— Char I noticed you didn’t show any of the new analyses I suggested during your defense,” Mom starts.

To my left I feel Charlotte tense slightly, chewing on her bottom lip.

My mom takes a sip of her wine. “That makes sense. I did give you that advice super close to your defense. It would’ve been way too much to redo everything on such short notice.

” She gives Charlotte a warm smile and for a moment, I think we’re in the clear until Mom continues.

“You’ll change them for your manuscript though, right? ”

“I don’t really see the need to. My advisor doesn’t have any concerns,” Charlotte counters.

“I really feel like reviewers are going to have issues with your approach. I would hate to see it rejected after all the hard work you put in.”

“Rejection is a part of being an academic. You’re the one who taught me that.”

Mom’s eyebrows pinch together. “I know honey. Doesn’t make it any easier when it happens though. Maybe you should talk to your advisor about it again?”

Charlotte opens her mouth to retort but Sienna cuts her off. “So Jake, why don’t you tell us more about this mystery girl you’re dating?”

A wave of silence crashes over the table before my mom lets out a loud squeal.

I turn my head to shoot daggers at Sienna and her face is covered with remorse.

She subtly nods in Charlotte’s direction, who is currently clenching and unclenching her hands on the table, and I get the memo.

Sienna threw me under the bus as a lifeline for Charlotte.

I can’t even be upset about it because I knew how the conversation with Charlotte and my mom would’ve ended— with Charlotte storming off while Mom would be left confused and hurt because all she wanted to do was help her daughter who she loves with all her heart.

Unfortunately, I don’t think Mom really understood how difficult and overwhelming it was for Charlotte to always live in the shadow of one of the most prominent researchers in her field.

I’m not saying Charlotte is necessarily justified for getting angry with Mom, but it’s not always easy to stay calm when your insecurities are constantly being pointed out.

That was definitely something Charlotte and I had in common.

“Jake. Have you been holding out on us?” Mom’s smile takes up her entire face.

“Sienna’s being dramatic. I’m not seeing anyone.”

“Is that why you wake up every morning at 6 a.m. to bring her coffee?” Sienna challenges.

“Not every day. Just twice a week. And we’re just friends.”

Mom’s not having any of that. “6 a.m. is quite early, Jake. She must be very special.”

“It’s really not that big of a deal.” I shrug. “She likes to start her days morbidly early and I decided to help her out by getting her coffee. Friends buy friends coffee all the time.”

“They do. Although we’ve never heard of you doing this for a girl before,” Dad teases.

Great. He’s an even bigger helpless romantic than my mom is.

The two of them being invested in my love life was a true nightmare scenario.

“There’s only one person I would’ve dragged myself out of bed for that early when I was in college.

” He brings my mom’s hand, still entwined with his, up to his lips and places a soft kiss on the back of it.

“We’re just friends and that’s all I have to say about it. You’re not getting anything else from me.”

“Oh I’ll get it out of you sooner or later Jake. But for now I can hang tight. Who wants dessert?” Mom exclaims, heading into the kitchen.

My dad gives me a wink followed by a knowing smirk, and I hold in a groan.

I guess in their defense they were half right.

Eliana was a pretty important part of my life now, just not in the way they imagined.

I was finally starting to understand the material in PSYCH101, which would help get my grade back up and keep me from getting benched.

Though I had to admit, regardless of the reason, I didn’t really care why she had found her way into my life. I just liked the fact that she did.