Piece of My Heart (Fostering Love 4)

“Aw, shit,” Alex whispered, pushing me even faster down the hallway.

I laughed.

* * *

Later, after introductions had been made and congratulations had been handed out, we sat down to a table brimming with food. Turkey, stuffing, potatoes and gravy, multiple different types of fruit salads and cranberry sauces, some orange thing with marshmallows that looked like vomit but Alex seemed to love—there was so much food that I wasn’t sure how we would even put a dent in it.

“Nothing is made with pork,” Alex said quietly into my ear. “I’m not sure about all the rules, but I told my mom no pork.”

I met his eyes and leaned in for a kiss. “Thank you.”

“If there’s anything else that you can’t eat, just pass it along,” he said, giving me a small smile.

“I wish Katie was here,” Liz said as we passed dishes around and filled our plates.

“She said that they were going to do a big dinner with the neighbors this year,” Ani replied. “So thankfully, she’s not homesick.”

“She’s still homesick,” Trevor said. “But I’m glad that she’s occupied today.”

“My sister hates missing family holidays,” Alex explained. “But Shane’s stationed in Southern California, and they have a million kids, so they can’t make it to all of them.”

“Too expensive,” Liz said.

“Too much hassle,” Bram said.

“Too many kids,” Ani joked.

“No such thing,” Alex’s aunt Ellie scolded, smiling at her granddaughter, who’d been seated next to her in a high chair.

When I’d met Trevor’s girlfriend, Morgan, before we’d sat down, I’d instantly liked her. She was quiet, and she seemed like a deer in the headlights when surrounded by this noisy family, but she was holding her own.

“Do you have a big family?” Liz asked, smiling at me.

I swallowed the food I’d been chewing and shook my head.

“Just my aunt and uncle in our immediate family,” I replied. “But tons of extended family.”

“Alex told me you lost your parents,” she said sympathetically. “I’m so sorry.”

“Thanks,” I replied softly. “I’m lucky to have my aunt and uncle still.”

“They’re lucky to have you, too,” Liz said sweetly. She must have noticed how emotional her words had made me, because she smoothly steered the conversation back around. “We don’t have much extended family anymore, but our immediate family is growing practically by the hour.”

“Literally, if Alex’s muddy jeans are anything to go by,” Bram said, quietly but not quietly enough.

I couldn’t read his tone, and my throat tightened in embarrassment as I stared down at my plate. It was hard to know if Bram was teasing or not.

“Ani, you need to put out more,” Alex replied conversationally as his hand found my knee beneath the table. “My brother’s clearly frustrated.”

“I will literally claw your face off,” Ani ground out. “Don’t bring me into this.”

“Enough,” Dan said, his voice calm. “I know good goddamn well that you didn’t mean to embarrass anyone at this table, Abraham, but maybe you’d like to apologize anyway?” It was posed as a question, but it was absolutely an order.

“That came out wrong,” Bram said instantly. “Just giving you shit, Alexander.”

“Not the time or the place,” Alex murmured back.

“Noted. Sorry.”

The table went silent for only a second before Morgan spoke up.

“You’re from New York, right?”

I raised my head and locked eyes with the only other person at the table who felt what I did. She was the only other outsider. These people were kind and welcoming, but the two of us were still finding our places in a very tight-knit family. It was like being the new kid at school, wondering where you’d fit in when everyone else already had their groups of friends.

“I was actually born in Missouri,” I said, giving her a grateful look. “My parents moved there from New York before I was born.”

“That must have been a culture shock,” Alex’s uncle Mike commented.

“Yeah, I think it was,” I replied. “Moving from Missouri to New York when I was a teenager was a big adjustment.”

“I bet,” he said, nodding.

“It must be hard living so far from your family,” Trevor said. His voice was so kind that I almost cried then and there. Alex had described Trevor as the best of their group, the kindest, the most selfless, the sounding board, and I suddenly knew exactly what he’d meant. Trevor was just…good. I couldn’t explain it any better than that.

“It is hard,” I said, clearing my throat. “But I like it in Missouri, and we visit each other when we can.”

The subject turned to other topics, and I listened quietly, commenting here and there but never really joining any of the conversations happening around the table. Trevor was right; it was hard being away from my family. But I had to admit that it also made my life easier in some ways. I glanced over at Alex, who was laughing at something his uncle had said. I was thankful that we’d been able to get to know each other and fall in love without any family interference. While I loved his family and they’d been great, I was grateful that when we’d met and started dating, we’d sort of been in our own little bubble.