The Difference Between Getting and Needing

f i f t y

"Tried to. It's my own version of it," Koa said with a shrug of his shoulders. He slid the door shut with his elbow and trekked across the kitchen, plopping the tray down on the stovetop. Moving aside to let my mom switch the pig from a pan to a serving platter, he looked at me and grinned. "It's not perfect, but I know it's one of Bayla's favorites."

I placed a hand over my heart and cooed, "Sutton, your husband is so thoughtful."

She picked up the tray holding her dip she concocted and turned to Koa standing beside her. They shared a quick, adoring glance that practically lit up the whole room, despite the August sunshine spilling in through every window in the house.

Then she whipped her head around to meet my gaze and said, "So is yours."

Now it was my turn to share that same look with Gus. The kind of look that only meant something to us, that only we understood. A passing moment in time, so precious and untouchable. A look for just the two of us that no one else had to know about.

That is until my mother's booming summons to lunch shattered all of our eardrums.

"Alright, people! Come on and grab a seat," she barked before trotting into the dining room with the pig platter in her hands as if she didn't just break the sound barrier.

That was our cue. One after another, we trailed behind her like a lazy game of follow-the-leader, assigning ourselves in our designated spots. My dad at the head of the table and my mom in his corner, having a chair but never really sitting in it. My sister next to her, then Koa, then Duncan at the other head with Madelyn at his side. It followed Asher, myself, then Gus, and back to my dad.

As much as I complained about the clan of lunatics I had for a family, I wouldn't have them any other way. We could go months without seeing one another, but the moment we all gathered around my parent's dining room table, it was like no time passed at all. Like we were still here for Asher's first birthday and just overstayed our welcome up until now.

No other group of people could humiliate me out of love with spot-on insults. I couldn't get my fix of small-town drama from anyone else. There was no way to relive a lifetime of memories, both good and bad, like the way I could with them.

During a rare moment where the conversation came to a lull once we'd all finished eating, Sutton stood from her chair. The way she silently commanded all eyes on her without saying a single word was a talent I couldn't ever come close to. Still, she raised her glass of bubbling champagne and gently tapped her fork against it for the full effect.

"I have an announcement to make." Her voice was strong and steady, like the smile on her face. "It's been a long time since we all got together and since everyone is here, I think this is a perfect time."

"Oh boy," I muttered, reaching for my own champagne flute and taking a swig. Sutton's scowl towards me was quick enough for our parents to miss, but I still caught it. I sent her a bogus grin in return.

While everyone else sat on the edge of their seats for my sister's so-called announcement, Duncan shifted uncomfortably in his. He teetered the bottle of beer between his fingers like an uncoordinated tightrope walker. It was all too noticeable to me, and Sutton no longer had my attention.

"Uh, actually..." He trailed off in thought and cleared his throat. Straightening up now in his seat, he ran a hand over his fresh blonde buzzcut. "I have something important to say, too."

If Sutton's eyes were daggers, they were aimed straight at Duncan's head. A venomous look that I had been on the receiving end of too many times to count. A sign that a storm was coming.