My music remains off as we set off at a slow jog. After a few laps, our pace increases. Surprisingly, measuring my strides against his longer ones is invigorating and a welcomed challenge.
We run until we’re winded, then slow to a jog and make our way up to my neighborhood.
Stopping in front of my house brings the return of awkwardness as he stands beside me, his destination next door. “I’ll see you around,” I huff.
Jameson smiles gently, like he knows I’m uncomfortable. “Yeah. I’ll see you soon, Ace.”
Upstairs, the sun seeps through my shades, revealing Kendall sprawled across my bed, fast asleep. Even at twenty-one she has a strong aversion to being alone for any length of time. A side effect of growing up in a large family.
After showering and pulling on clean clothes, I climb in beside Kendall and quickly find sleep.
The familiar murmur of voices floating up the stairs wakes me. Kendall’s disappeared and the sun casts long shadows across my room, mocking me for sleeping most of the day away.
It’s Sunday, which means it’s family night at my parents’ house—a weekly tradition we rarely miss.
“Oh, you guys brought macarons home,” my sister, Savannah, sighs.
“Those are the chocolate hazelnut ones.” I point to the back corner of the box, indicating her favorites.
“Oh, Ace!” Savannah’s bright blue eyes shine with tears as she stands and wraps me in a tight hug. Pregnancy hormones have increased my second to oldest sister’s constant need for affection. “I’m so bummed I didn’t get to go with you guys! I want to hear all about it!” She pulls back and eyes that match our mother’s and sisters’ slowly scrutinize my face before lifting to my brown ones, concluding her brief assessment.
Smiling with assurance, I run a hand across her belly.
“Do you think much has changed since last summer?” Her husband, Caulder, asks, walking in step with my other brother-in-law Kyle from the den.
Kyle’s eyes widen as he nearly stumbles to break his stride and separate himself from Caulder, knowing his question won’t be well received.
Savannah focusses on Caulder with in an icy glare. “I still want to hear about it.”
Caulder’s brown eyes turn somber. “I’m sorry, babe. You’re right…” he places a hand on Savannah’s six-month bump, “and in a couple years when baby Alex is big enough, we’ll all go.”
“More like Alexandra,” I tease, selecting a pink macaron from the box.
Caulder shakes his head. “It’s a boy,” he insists. “He likes good music, riding in my truck, and he goes crazy when he hears motorcycles.”
“Uh oh. Alexandra’s already into bad boys. You better be prepared,” I sing, winning a smile from Savannah and a scowl from Caulder.
“Y’all really should just find out, I’m tired of buying yellow,” Mom adds from where she and my dad are preparing dinner.
“I think Ace is right. Baby is definitely a girl,” Savannah says, looking down at her growing stomach in adoration.
I grin, gazing up at Caulder with a gloating expression which he returns with an eye roll.
Caulder’s the newest member of our family. He and Savannah celebrated their second wedding anniversary just last month. He grew up with a sister, however, there are days it’s apparent that having a single sibling in no way prepared him for our large family.
Kendall initially had a difficult time understanding our older sister’s draw to Caulder. Savannah’s always been sweet and soft spoken, with a strong draw to children that led her to teaching kindergarten. Caulder’s very serious—to the point of being almost stiff and awkward at times. However, I’d known from the moment I met Caulder that he and Savannah would be perfect for one another. They’re like yin and yang: Where she sees possibility, he sees risk; where she leans toward new ventures, he gravitates toward familiarity. But neither stifles the other; they balance each other.
“Is Abby coming tonight?” Mom asks.
At the mention of my best friend I turn toward my mom. “Yeah, she leaves Tuesday. So she’s staying the night.”
“We’ve got to get her to call you Ace. I still look around to see who in the hell she’s talking to when I hear her call you Harper,” Kyle says, prodding through the macarons.
“It is my name.”
He looks up from the box with a hint of sadness rounding his eyes. “But you’re Ace.” Prior to college everyone called me by the nickname, but this past year at college when others heard my name listed off attendance sheets, I became