And two; they've somehow roped me into actually doing stuff for the wedding...like helping with the guest list. Ugh. But to be fair, most of the people attending will come from my side of the family, considering Charlie can count on one hand how many family members she actually wants to be there (yeah...basically only her birth father.)
Unless there are other hidden family members we don't know about.
I feel my good mood start to disappear thinking of everything that has to be done not even for the wedding, but the holiday.
Is it socially acceptable to cater Thanksgiving? I mean, even though my family doesn't really celebrate, I feel like it's all about the home-cooked food. And turkey- I hear that's big.
Shit.
We're like, actual adults. Having holidays at our house and shit.
I glance down at my phone, the screen lighting up with a message from [speaking of] Charlie. She's been talking my head off all morning about different recipes she found in the Food Network magazine. I'm in the midst of replying to something that looks equal parts complicated and disgusting, involving sweet potatoes and oatmeal, when a text from none other than my sister comes through.
From: Wali
Surprise! Jawaad's coming too, so can you send a car instead of coming to pick us up?
Cos I don't think we'll fit with the twelve car seats you and Charlie have
:D
From: Zayn
....
No, but I can send u a new pair of Nikes to make that walk a little easier.
Now while I'm annoyed that the list just grew, I may be a smidge more excited to see my family. Maybe.
*
"Mummy, da lady cutted me and daddy and my friend's hairs all da sames!" Marley tells Charlie over the phone as I pull him out of his booster seat and plant him on the ground. "I know. I thinked you gonna liked it. Daddy what you said dis is? Da hair?"
I chuckle. "It's fresh, man. A fresh cut." And a little color, but you know, we'll let Charlie see that one in person.
"Yeah, mummy. It's fesh." He giggles, holding my phone in his hand and taking it upon himself to walk up the steps to the front door. This kid.
I quickly take out Adrian and Liyana, telling them to go up on the landing by Marley. I let us all in (nearly dropping the bags of groceries in the process.) I should have planned better, really, cause I have like fifty fucking bags plus three toddlers. And having three kids in the market was as much of an event as you'd think it would be. Mistake number one.
...The second mistake I made was having Charlie on the phone with me while shopping. I swear she came up with something else we would need every second.
Look, I may say otherwise, but we all know I'm more excited that we're gonna cook together when she comes home from work, than I let on.
Anyway, we stumble our way into the foyer with the bags; I immediately hear sounds coming from the living room. I frown, telling the kids to stay close to the door while I check it out. Rounding the corner (much less conspicuously than I should have), I stop in surprise because there sits Jawaad, Wali, Rai, Harry (with his feet propped up on my end table), Safaa and an unknown.
"Harry let us in," Waliyha says immediately.
I ignore her, my eyes honing in on the odd man out. "Who the fuck are you?"
Chapter 58
Start from the beginning
