to say when you really don't know what will make someone not feel terrible. "Yeah… it's been a shock, but I'm happy you called."
"I'm so happy you're back in town. It's been too long. We… well, I wanted to reach out before, but it was hard to know if it would upset people. Family politics are so shitty."
"Yeah," I say. "It's been too long."
"Uncle Walter told my dad he dropped you at the house. Did you meet all the boys yet?"
Boys isn't the right word for them. Not in the slightest. My foster brothers are all men through and through. But Danna is older than me, and maybe her men are too.
"Yeah. They've been really nice."
"I'm sure they have been. A beautiful young girl under their roof. Why the hell wouldn't they be?"
"Because I'm a stranger. Because Dad left it to me to clear out his possessions like I'm the prodigal daughter. Because I could disrupt their home."
Danna snorts. "That's how women think, not men. They'll just be thinking about your ass in bed shorts."
I snort. The image she's spun is probably a lot more accurate than mine. "True."
"So, can we meet? I'd love you to come up here so that I can introduce you to everyone."
"By everyone, do you mean your ten men?"
Danna chuckles. "I had a pretty good idea that Walter would tell you all about that. I've been the talk of the family since I moved to Broadsville." I love that Danna sounds amused at the gossiping about her rather than upset. I guess she's had a chance to get used to that.
"I think news like that is hard to keep to yourself. I'm still reeling," I admit.
"Why? Didn't you think I had it in me?"
"I haven't seen you in years. We were kids when we were last in contact. If I'd imagined your sex life at that point, I think it would have been weird."
"That is true. So will you come? I can message you the address. It's not hard to find. It won't take you too long to get here."
For a moment, I consider whether it will be rude to leave this house before I've had a chance to spend any time with my foster brothers. I'm supposed to be fulfilling my dad's last wishes, but Danna is family, and I haven't seen her for years. Plus, there are so many questions that I want to ask her about her setup. Questions that will help me get to grips with how to approach this situation and these men.
"I can come," I say.
"Tonight. Come tonight, and you can stay over."
"Okay," I say. "That sounds amazing." And fast. Very fast, but after what just happened with John, I'm relieved to have the opportunity for some headspace.
We say our goodbyes, and almost immediately, Danna messages me her address and some directions. I pack up my small suitcase and make my way down the stairs hoping to find John or one of the others so that I can let them know that I'm going to be away for the night, but there is no one in the house.
Seriously. They've left me here without telling me how to lock up? It takes me ten minutes to walk around the house, checking windows and doors. In the den, I finally have the privacy to look over the photos. There are so many with Dad and my foster brothers — Christmas pictures, birthday, football, and graduation. I try to recognize who is who, but I'm still totally overwhelmed at the number of men living in this house, and remembering their names is a struggle. There's a small section of older pictures - one of dad as a kid with his parents. They both died a long time ago of a heart attack and cancer, but I remember Grammy's house and the pound cake she used to make. There are some of Dad with Uncle Walter and his other siblings, and then there are some of me. Not many. Three, to be exact. They seem faded and a little out of focus, as though they've been hanging long enough to be washed out by the sun. It makes me both happy and sad to imagine them hanging here for as long as I've been away. I really have been a constant presence in this house, even when I was absent.
I leave a simple note in the kitchen, complete with my cell number. I don't think they'll worry about me, but it's polite.
At the