“No. I’m here now.” I grit my teeth as she unlocks the door and steps inside. Following her, I’m greeted by the scent of Christmas. I take my time unbundling and removing my boots. I admire the organization of the hooks with names and boot trays. We walk into the main living space. Three people look up from their positions on the couch. A short, Asian woman with long, black hair, a round face with almond-shaped brown eyes, and a rounded bump encased in a black sweater. Rose. Her husband, the lean, red-haired man to her left, studies me with his greenish-blue eyes. Duncan. Duncan stands and helps his wife, Rose, rise.
“Duncan, Rose. This is my Sam.”
My Sam. She claimed me, and I like it. The action soothes my raw, still frayed nerves. She grips my biceps tightly with both her hands. I like the feel of her smaller hands holding me.
“It’s so nice to finally meet you,” Rose says brightly. She grins, looking from me to Delta.
“Same.?
?? I nod.
“Sam, this is Rose’s husband, Duncan.”
“I’m reduced to being Mr. Rose now? Wow, this pregnancy is changing a lot.”
Delta snickers. “I wasn’t finished with the introductions. I was going to add my brother, but then you got impatient.”
Duncan smiles. “It’s nice to meet you, Sam.”
He sticks out his hand. I force back my hesitation and shake his hand quickly.
“Likewise.” I’m too uncomfortable to meet either of their gazes directly and hold it, so I revert to partial eye contact.
“Last but not least, this is the final member of my family, Flynn.”
He looks at me with a blank expression I don’t even attempt to read. “Sam.”
“Flynn.” The exchange is far less painful than the previous two. He’s the person I was most worried about meeting. The history he has with Delta goes beyond friendship. They dated for a long time when they were younger.
“Can we start the game now?” Flynn asks.
Delta glances at me, and I nod. “Sounds good to us.”
“Sorry,” Rose says softly.
“For what?” I ask, confused.
“He didn’t mean to be rude,” Rose explains.
I blink, surprised. “I didn’t notice.” Rose glances at Duncan, who shrugs. I’ve missed something. We move into the dining area. A long, dark wood table with benches has been set up with the game, paper plates, and bowls of assorted snacks. There are carrot sticks and celery with ranch dip, a fruit spread, and chips and pretzels.
Rose and Duncan sit at the end of the table. Flynn sits with his back against the wall, and we take the bench opposite him.
“Why are you sitting over there, Delta? You always sit next to me.”
Delta glances up. “Because I’m sitting with my date.”
Flynn huffs.
I tense. Mine.
As she presses her body into my side, I clench and unclench my fists.
“Remember, we talked about how things will be different now?”
“Yeah.” He narrows his gaze at me, and I stare back.
He let her go. It’s too late for him to change his mind. I grab her hand and grip it tight.