Breaking the Ice

four

"I don't understand Alex's issue with Jen," my mom muttered, pulling the pan of asparagus from the stovetop. "She's such a sweet young woman, even your father likes her."

Jen was a short little thing, with long, blond hair that was always neatly pulled out of her face. Her eyes were always a little tired, but they lit up whenever she would talk about something she liked, whether it be music, her nursing residency, or Adrian. I quite liked Jen: she was nice, polite, and a good balance to Ian's rambunctious nature. Honestly, she was pretty difficult to hate.

Alex, for whatever reason, didn't share the same sentiment.

I shrugged. "Who knows? Sometimes, Lex just... decides not to like people."

"But your brother's girlfriend?" Mom sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I wish she'd picked someone less... inconvenient to hate."

As if on cue, the doorbell rang. A loud, exaggerated moan of frustration sounded from the dining room, and I could practically see Alex pouting from the table.

My mother sighed tiredly. "Could you get the door, Luke? I'll get Alex to finish with the groceries."

I nodded, crumpling up the empty plastic bags in my hands and tossing them in the cabinet under the sink before making my way to the front door. Even before I opened it, I could hear my brother's voice talking animatedly.

I peeled open the door, cutting him off with the huge grin that overtook his face.

"Luke!" Adrian greeted me, wrapping his arms around my chest in a bone-crushing hug. My feet came off the ground for a brief moment, and a sharp hiccup left my mouth as my lungs were squeezed of air. Over Ian's shoulder, Jen was stifling a laugh into her fist, waving politely with her other hand. I felt my cheeks flush as I tried to maneuver out of Ian's grip.

Adrian was tall, way taller than me, with darker skin and smile lines in the corners of his eyes even though he was only twenty-five. His tight, curly hair was freshly cut, fading in a gradient on the sides, and his dark eyes sparkled as he spoke. He was loud and clumsy and charming, traits that worked in getting him in and out of his fair share of trouble over the years.

"Hey, Adrian. Hey, Jen," I wheezed through the hug, wrapping my arms around my brother and giving him a firm pat on the back before pushing away from his chest with a smile. "How've you been?"

"I've been great!" he said, pulling away only to rest his hands on my shoulders. "God, it's been ages since I've seen you guys. How's Ma?"

I swatted at his hands, rolling my eyes in feigned annoyance. "Why don't you go ask her yourself? She should be in the kitchen."

With a nod, Adrian reached behind him, gently grabbing Jen's hand and leading her into the house. She waved at me as he tugged her along, flashing a smile and trying her best to tuck a stray strand of golden hair that had escaped her ponytail behind her ear. I chuckled.

Adrian had started at the local university a couple years back, but always made the effort to visit when he had a few days off. Admittedly, that wasn't very often, but it was better than my other siblings.

As I wandered into the kitchen, I was greeted with the sight of my sister sulking in the corner, arms crossed over the granite counter, face buried between her elbows. Jen was leaning against the wall, smiling shyly, as Adrian practically tackled Mom into a hug.

"Ma! How've you been?" he exclaimed, beaming. Mom laughed, reaching up to pinch Adrian's cheek before patting the smooth skin. Her expression was so happy and contagious that I felt a grin pulling at my own lips.

"I've been good, baby. Your dad's gonna be at a work dinner tonight, but he said he'd try to make it home for dessert." She turned to Jen. "Jennifer, sweetie! How are you?"