Oral Care

Chapter 2: Never Enough

They themselves were high school sweethearts, marrying young and pumping out kids for the next 20 years. They are awesome role models when it comes to relationships. Real gold standards. Some of us heeded their example, others of us were still finding our way, and still others of us never expected to settle down into marriage.

I watch as my dad gives a toast and Marlee gazes lovingly at her fiancé, Dane, who brushes the happy tears from her cheeks. It is one of those perfectly sentimental moments. My youngest sister Wilma leans into me. "Is that going to be you and Terror one of these days?"

I give her an unimpressed look. Some of my siblings have started referring to Tara as Terror because of her tantrums. She pats my shoulder. "Rumor has it she showed. Are you stupid enough to let her back in again?"

Everyone is raising their glasses so I use the opportunity to down my glass of champagne and stand. "Not likely, but I'm not letting the suite I booked go to waste."

She rolls her eyes and calls after me. "She better not show her overly contoured face tomorrow, Raf. Marlee deserves better."

"Noted." I call back. I glance at my watch. It was a gift from siblings when I graduated dental school. I joked that I might need to pawn it to pay my loans. It is ten until nine. I need to say good night and scoot. That is the problem having a family as large as mine though. It is like bumper to bumper traffic during rush hour. Add alcohol and every interaction is an inconvenient fender-bender.

"Thank you so much for being here, Turtle!" Marlee gushes, using my childhood nickname. She's eight years younger than me and started calling me turtle after the comic book character.

I shake hands with Dane and hug Marlee tightly. "Just in case you hear a rumor, Tara isn't here."

"So who are you meeting?" She narrows her eyes at me.

"I still get a plus one, right?" I tease, winking at her.

She scoffs at me as I move on. Christian, Kevin, and Jan are clustered together. I give a wave. "I'm headed out."

"Who is she?" Christian asks.

"I thought it was Tara." Kevin comments.

"Wait, what? Terror...er...Tara is here?" Jan asks in confusion. He always try to be respectful, but no one is immune to Tara's steep mood shifts.

"He wants us to think so." Christian, always observant, is on to me.

"You all assumed." I evade. "Have a good night, boys."

"Taking a page out of Liam and Joel's playbook?" Kevin guesses.

I shrug and keep walking. Lyra and her husband, Brian, look like they're headed out, their five-year old daughter zonked out in her dad's arms. They are taking to Mom and Dad. I walk up and wrap my arm around Mom's waist, kissing her cheek.

"What was that for?" She smiles at me.

"Giving birth to all of us. Raising us into semi-functional adults." I rattle off the things that she should take pride in.

"What do you want, Rafael?" My dad jokes.

Lyra pats Dad's arm. "Good night. Be good, Rafael."

"Never." I retort, sweeping my hand over my niece's hair and leaving a kiss. She stirs momentarily and then starts snoring again.

"Are you headed out, honey?" My mom asks, running her hand through my hair.

"Mom." I grumble, trying to fix my hair.

My dad sighs and gives me a tight smile. "Is Tara here?"

"No. I'm just meeting up for a drink with someone I met earlier." I confide.