Rachael beams up at me, and I hold on to the fact that I have at least two allies in her and Micah.
“It’s nice of you to finally show up,” Luka drawls.
His wife, Olive, slaps his chest playfully. “Don’t listen to him, Ash. We literally got here five minutes before you. Good morning, guys.”
“Morning.” I smile as we take our seat at the end of the row beside Micah.
“I saved you a seat.” Micah winks, causing me to grin.
“So are we calling her your girlfriend now, or are you still telling us you’re just friends?” Rachael asks cheerfully.
“Jesus, Rach. Is motherhood making you even more ruthless?” Micah asks.
“I realize you already know her, but yes, this is Clara, my girlfriend. If she’ll have me that is,” Ash whispers. Our gazes lock, and I give a slow nod. The label shouldn’t be a big deal, and yet it is. After weeks of dating, we’re progressing. He entwines our fingers, and we join the conversation around us and place our orders. His family is inquisitive. It’s clear they’re close, and protective, which I appreciate. If I had a sibling, I’m sure I’d feel the same. My mouth waters as our server, Becky, sets down the Waffles and Wings dish in front of me. Golden chicken rests on a thin, perfectly cooked waffle drizzled with thick, dark syrup. The conversation falls away as we all dig into our dishes.
“Asher?”
An older woman pauses a few feet away. He sets down his drink and turns. His face loses its color, and he stands. “Mrs. Bisset.”
What am I missing?
“I thought that was you. How are you?” She pats his cheek.
I tense. The familiarity and adoration are that of a relative. I turn to Micah. Who is that? He glances from me to his siblings nervously. My stomach sours.
“How’ve you been?” Asher asks gently.
“I’ve been good. Howard is going to be sorry he missed you. I’m here with my sister, Mariam. You remember her, don’t you?”
Asher peers over her shoulder and waves at a short, gray-haired woman seated in a booth across the room.
“It’s good to see your family is still so close. Seeing you grow and flourish just fills my heart with joy. It’s good to see you again Olive. Is this your sister?” Mrs. Bisset inquires.
“No. This is my friend, Clara.”
“Oh.” The happiness bleeds from her face. “I see. Well, I won’t keep you. It was lovely seeing all of you again.” She gives a shaky smile before she pivots and returns to her sister, clearly shaken. The heartbroken expression on Ash’s face makes my heart ache.
“Hey. What’s going on?”
“We should go,” he says roughly.
“I’ll cover breakfast, brother. You should get some air,” Luka says smoothly.
Ash nods his thanks and holds out his hand. I open my mouth and close it as he ushers me out of the restaurant quickly.
“What was that?”
“That was Holly’s mother.”
“Oh, God.” I cover my mouth. My stomach clenches. “Were you embarrassed by me?”
“What? No. I just … I wasn’t prepared for that, Clara. They’ve never seen me with anyone else.”
“Ever?”
“No. My dating was casual at best, so it never came up.” His words are short.
I’m torn between understanding, and being upset at what feels like a snub. Feelings and logic often run in two completely different directions. For this reason, I chose silence. Placing my hands on my lap, I press my head against the cool pane of glass.