CODY
Hayes was going on and on in the backseat about the syllabus that he just received from his first fire science class, but all of my focus was on the woman sitting next to me in the front seat. This shouldn’t seem like such a big deal, we were just going to my family's home to have dinner there, but she was nervous. Not to say that I wasn’t a bit nervous either, but that was nothing compared to the tension I could feel coming off of Blair.
She had no reason to be nervous or worried, but this wasn’t something I could make better for her. We weren’t living through normal circumstances by any stretch of the imagination and this dinner was a pretty large step. After Angela’s bridal shower, my mom was pretty much harassing me to bring Hayes and Blair over for dinner. She always liked Blair a lot and I’m pretty sure she was over the moon happy that we were giving our relationship another shot. Dad probably didn’t care one way or another. Not in a rude way, but he was my dad and he wasn’t the most emotional person out there. If I was happy, he was going to be happy.
I pulled into the spot in front of the house that I had informally claimed as mine since moving back home. I knew that Blair needed a moment and thought it would be best if Hayes wasn’t around for it so I turned around to him in the backseat, “Hayes, why don’t you take the platter of rolls inside for your grandma while I talk to your mom.”
“Yeah, sure.” He reached in front to take the rolls from Blair and inched his way out of the car. He was still recovering from his injuries so movement was slower than usual. I needed to look into getting a larger vehicle anyway, he was nearing eighteen and was way too big to be in the backseat of my sedan as is.
Once Hayes exited the car, I heard Blair let out a long, drawn-out breath, “Thanks, Cody. I just need a minute.”
“Take your time, sweetheart,” I replied while gently rubbing her shoulder closest to me. “Do you want to talk about what is going on in that mind of yours?”
“I feel so stupid.” I think she intended for me to say something to her, but I wanted her to have the floor and share her feelings, so I stayed silent and let her continue. “There has never been any bad blood between your parents. I’ve seen them more times than I can count since we have been divorced, but this dinner just seems so monumental.”
“The same thing has been going through my mind.”
“It has?” She says, seemingly surprised. “Why do you seem so calm then?”
“I think I’m used to being in high-stress situations and not letting my outside match my inside. Plus, this isn’t introducing you to my parents for the first time. I know they love you already. We’re just back together and now we’re doing things like we used to.”
“It isn’t entirely the same as it used to be. The last time we consistently had dinner with your parents we were still in high school.”
“I guess you’re right. It is just a formality, Blair. I’m here and I’m not going anywhere. They aren’t going to badger you with questions or anything. It is just dinner with people who you’ve known your entire life.”
I squeeze her hand and even though she smiles back at me I can tell those nerves are still there. Knowing my mom, she’s probably getting anxious herself since we haven’t come in yet. I get out of the car and then open the door for Blair. I sneak a kiss on her cheek and then take her hand once again so she can feel me as we walk through the door. Thankfully my mom isn’t standing in the foyer when we enter, but I can hear all the voices coming from the kitchen. Hayes seems to have started his story about his fire science class again, who knew he’d be the perfect buffer?
“There you are!” My dad comes up from behind and claps me on the shoulder. “We were getting worried that you two just ditched Hayes here for the night.”
“Not that we would mind,” Mom said with a smile, “He has some of the best stories. I still can’t believe our little grandbaby is just a few weeks away from being an adult.”
“Grandma,” Hayes whines.
“What? You’re my only grandbaby!”
“Do you have to call me your grandbaby though?”
Mom huffs and puts down the knife she was cutting produce with. “What am I supposed to call you then? It isn’t like I have any other grandbabies to talk about or spoil.”
There it was, the mom guilt. Eighteen years later and she still likes to bring up the fact that Hayes was her only grandchild. Blair and I certainly had plans for more babies, but I always pushed it off. I wanted to be more settled in my career to provide a better life for them. I guess we all know how that ended up.
“Don’t look at me, I did my job. Go get on Emory about when she’s holding up her end of the deal.”
“I heard my name,” my sister said, right on cue. She sauntered in and took a seat on the island next to Hayes.
“I was just telling mom that if she wants more grandkids she needs to ask you because I already did my part.”
Emory nearly choked on the carrot that she stole from the cutting board, “Excuse me? If you haven’t noticed, I’m not even in a relationship right now. Sorry, Mom.”
“Really, Grandma, why are you worried about more grandkids anyway when you were met with perfection the first time around?” Hayes pointed up and down and even went as far as to flex his arms. Everybody laughed in response, even Blair who had been otherwise quiet up to this point.
“That ego is certainly enough Bishop ego for multiple generations to come,” she commented. Hayes made an exaggerated wince towards his mom and Emory and Mom just laughed. This was good, if she was making jokes that means she was feeling better.
Mom sent us all to the formal dining room to get seated for dinner. While she was finishing all of the plates, Dad busted out some wine to will all of our glasses with. Since we were here as a family, we even agreed to let Hayes has a small amount. Blair and I weren’t naive, we are well aware that he’s been out with his friends partying and drinking before. Wine is such a huge part of my family’s livelihood that I think giving him the chance to respect the craft is important. He’s a large kid, so a small glass won’t do much of anything. He knows the reason he’s getting this is that he is mature and it is certainly a privilege.
Mom brings out the salad and we all fill our plates while we wait for the main course. Soon after she walks in with a huge platter full of stuffed lobster tales and pasta. I cringe when she sets it down in the middle of the table and my mom must notice because she says something right away, “What’s wrong?”
“I should have asked what you were making, Mom. Blair doesn’t like lobster.”
“Oh shoot, Blair I am so sorry. I can whip something else up!”
“Oh no, Diana,” Blair quickly tries to remedy the situation. “Cody is right that I don’t typically eat shellfish, but lately I’ve kind of been on a kick.”
“You have?” We’ve had dinner together most nights for the last month or so and I haven’t witnessed this new kick of hers. I’m worried that she’s just trying to appease my mom, that’s totally something Blair would do.
“Yeah, just maybe the last week or so I’ve been trying some new things. Angela and I went to the diner for lunch and they had crab cakes. They smelled so good I just had to try one. I liked it so much that I had a lobster roll the next day.” She looks over to my mom, “This will be my first experience with lobster that is warm, but it smells really good.”
“If you’re just saying that Blair, I won’t be offended.”
She shakes her head, “I wouldn’t just say that. Honestly, it smells amazing.”
Appeased enough with her response, my mom took a seat and after a small blessing from Dad, we dug into the meal. Something still seemed off about her trying the lobster. The one time I tried to get her to try shrimp she gagged just at the smell. I hesitated for just a moment when picking up one of the tails and placing it on her plate, but sure enough, she took a large big and moaned after tasting it.
“Diana, oh my gosh, this hits the spot. I might need you to teach me how to make this so I can indulge in it on my own time.”
“I would be so excited to share the recipe with you. Maybe even host a bit of a ladies’ night sometime and we can cook, drink wine, and have a blast.”
“That actually sounds like a lot of fun, Mom.”
“Well thank you, Emory,” Mom replies with a smirk, “I’m still young at heart, you know!”
“I’m sure Angela and Beth would be down for a ladies’ night. My mom too!” Blair was being sincere, all the tension she carried on the way over here was pretty much gone. “Oh! I can invite my mom too. She’s probably got a few recipes she’d like to share also.”
My dad reaches over and takes my mom’s hand, placing a small kiss on the back of it, “Look at that, Diana, you’re practically starting a cooking club.”
“I, for one, would not complain if you had more recipes you could turn to, Mom.” Blair quickly glares at Hayes and he puts up his hands, “Not that what you make isn’t amazing now and all, but just think we could have even more variety. Variety is great, right Dad?”
I just picked up my wine glass and shook my head, “You dug this hole, Son, I’m going to let you get yourself out of it.”
Blair and Emory helped my mom clear the table once dinner was over. I knew mom probably had something planned for dessert, but they were taking their sweet time coming back into the dining room. No doubt my mom was filling a plastic container with some of the lobster for Blair to take home. She downed two stuffed lobster tails with ease. I don’t know where she put it or how she had room for anything else. I was full and stuffed after just one. They seemed happy and that made me happy.
Finally, they returned with small plates of bread pudding, Blair handed me mine before sitting back down in her original seat.
“So, Cody,” Dad began, “Is everything coming along with the house?”
“I know you aren’t just asking so I get out of here, but yet we’re going to have the inspection this week and if all goes as planned I should get the keys in about three weeks.”
“If you need any help moving, just let me know. I can get some of the guys to help.”
“I don’t think that’ll be needed, but I’ll keep it in mind. We probably will have more from Hayes and Blair’s place than what is in my moving pod.”
“Why would you have things from their place?” My mom asked. I felt Blair tense up next to me and I realized I kind of fucked up. Very few people knew that they were going to be moving in with me.
“I guess that makes a great segue…” I started.
“Cody, Hayes, and I decided that it didn’t make sense for us to have the two separate homes so we’re going to be moving in with him.”
“Oh…” I couldn’t gauge my dad’s reaction, but my mom at least had words.
“You’ve only been dating again a bit over a month, doesn’t that seem kind of soon?”
“Mom,” Emory interjected, “They’ve practically been dating their entire lives, I don’t think it is too soon.”
“I know this, Em, but they…I mean…the two of you,” she stuttered, looking back in our direction.
“You can say it, Mom. We split up and go a divorce. I know we pretty much didn’t see each other for the better part of a decade and at one point I was in a long-term relationship, but now that we’re back together it just feels so right.”
I slipped my arm around Blair, showing that we were a united front. “What may seem like too soon to some people is just right for us. I appreciate your concern, but this is our love story and this is what we both want.”
Mom slowly nodded her head, still seemed a bit resistant to the idea, but I could tell she knew that we weren’t going to change our minds. “As long as you’re both happy.”
“We are happy, Diana,” Blair looks at me with a huge smile on her face. “I haven’t felt this happy in a really long time and even that was when I was with Cody. We’re going to get it right this time around.”
“I think it sounds like a great idea!” Emory said gleefully. “Now tell me what you’re doing with the condo, because I might be looking for a place…”