I knew what I’d been missing. As scared as I was of going through a loss like I did with your mother’s death, I didn’t want to turn away because I understood that my life would be better with Marla in it.”
“Yeah, but you and Marla liked each other in high school. You already had feelings for her.”
He sighs and glances at me as if I’m grasping at straws. “I did like Marla in high school, but when I met your mother, I fell head over heels in love with her. You loved Reese in high school. Do you feel the same for her now?”
“You know, I don’t think I really did love her, looking back now. If I did, it was teenage love. Not all-consuming adult love.”
“I was scared to love someone again, to open myself to the devastation I felt when your mom died. But I got through it once. If I had to do it again, I could. So could you.” Dad gestures toward all the gravestones. “All of these people lived life. Some had their lives cut too short, like your mother. Some lived until they were a hundred. The problem is, you get one life and you have no idea how long it will be. You might as well live it. Some things work out how you hope, and some don’t. Even if it doesn’t work out how you want, that doesn’t mean it’s not worth doing.”
He stops at a gravestone. It reads Benjamin Oliver and I calculate the birth to death dates, figuring out he was only eighteen when he died.
Dad says, “I went to high school with Benny.”
The name Benny rings a bell. A car crash, I think.
“I always think about what he missed out on, dying so young. He never got married, had the blessing of having kids, seeing them grow up, watching them make bad decisions.” He raises his eyebrows at me. “It puts things in perspective. You can be dead and not living, but you can also be alive and not living too.” He pats me on the shoulder. “I’m going to wish your mom a happy birthday. See you back at the house.”
He leaves me standing in front of Benny’s grave.
I drive over to Marla and my dad’s house, leaving my dad at Mom’s gravesite. He’s probably complaining about me to her too.
The driveway is filled with all my siblings’ and stepsiblings’ cars.
I hear laughter in the kitchen when I walk in the house, a noise I’m so accustomed to here—a noise that never would’ve been here had Marla not entered our lives. Sure, we were happy before her, but she brought something special, as did each of my stepsiblings. Had my dad not taken that chance, my life now would be very different. Marla’s even helped Chevelle work through some of her guilt. I could never repay her for that.
The room quiets with my entrance. All of my stepsiblings come over and hug me.
Jed slaps me on the back. “Come to your senses at all?”
I ignore the jab. “When did you become Team Presley?”
He shrugs. “I like her. And Books and Beers made the most money on duo night, so… bragging rights.”
Marla hugs me tightly, her hand running up and down my back. “You okay?”
I nod. “Yep, if everyone would stay out of my business.”
The whole room erupts into a conversation of how this big family is in everyone’s business, not just mine.
“Would you mind setting the table?” Marla asks.
“Sure.”
She picks up a stack of plates and hands them to me. I go to the dining room and see that all the leaves are already in the table, making it stretch the entire length of the large room. I place all the plates down, but run out before I reach the final chair. Huh.
“Marla, we have one extra chair,” I call.
She’s mixing the salad and her smile dims. “Oh, yeah, sorry.”
“Is someone else coming?”
She shakes her head. “No, you can take it away. I thought someone might be joining us.” She sighs and goes back to mixing her salad.
“Who?”
All my siblings and stepsiblings groan.
“How on Earth are you the oldest?” Nikki asks.
“What am I missing?”
Chevelle steps over to me with an exasperated expression. “The speech and the letter were supposed to put some sense into your brain to make up with Presley. The chair is for Presley!” She throws her arms in the air. “It’s a lost cause. He’s going to die alone.”
Tears spring from Chevelle’s eyes and