• • •
I have never slept anywhere but my own house – I don't count the handful of nights that I didn't sleep a wink by Mom's side in hospital – so it's disorienting to wake up next to Liam, in Liam's bed, in Liam's huge room in his massive house. He's a silent sleeper, his face pressed into the pillow and his leg slung over mine, and he's a heavy sleeper too. He doesn't stir when my bladder awakens and forces me out of bed.
It strikes me that I never went to the bathroom last night. We grabbed a McDonald's around midnight but after we got here, we made out for all of a few minutes before we fell asleep and now it's six o'clock in a strange house and I really have to pee.
Tugging my baggy work shirt over the underwear I slept in, my bra discarded at some point when I realized how uncomfortable it was, I creep into the hallway and try to remember which doors belong to bedrooms. The last thing I want to do is spook one of Liam's million siblings.
There's an open door at the end of the landing. I spy the white porcelain of a sink and hurry up before the urge to pee renders me immobile. Relief swamps me when I duck into the bright room, but I skid to a stop when I hear a slosh of water and a quiet, "Oh!"
Time slows. I turn, horrified to see that the bathtub isn't empty. My bladder is still crying out but now I have a bigger crisis on my hands, when I make eye contact with Liam's mom. She's wearing a look of surprise and nothing else. When I gasp, she covers her chest with the book in her hand and pushes wet hair off her face, disrupting the bubbles that cover some of her body.
I should run. I desperately want to run but I know that if I move right now, I will pee myself. My thighs are clamped together so tightly it hurts. I clap a hand over my eyes, on the edge of tears. This is pure mortification. My cheeks are actually burning. "I'm so sorry! Oh my God, I'm so sorry. Oh my God. I'll pee if I move. I'm so sorry."
She laughs. I wasn't expecting that. "Oh, honey," she says, "just you wait until you've had six kids and you pee every time you sneeze!"
I can't believe this is how I'm meeting Liam's mom. I can't believe she's acting like she's not naked and I'm not her son's new girlfriend, whom she has never met before. I can't say anything else. I'm dying as it is so as soon as desperation subsides for just a moment, I flee without another word.
Downstairs, the third door I try is a closet of a bathroom and I lock myself in, on the edge of an accident by the time I sink onto the cool ceramic and hang my head in my hands.
Oh. My. God.
This was a terrible idea. I shouldn't have come here. I can't face her now. I'll just hide from her for the rest of the weekend. That can't be so hard, right? This place is a freaking castle. I bet I can evade her notice.
I don't even know how long I've sat here formulating a plan but after what feels like years, I hear footsteps and then voices and my cheeks color a deeper shade of embarrassment. My t-shirt is big but it still barely covers my butt and I wish I'd pulled on my damn pants before I left Liam's room. I wish he'd warned me that his mom bathes with the door open.
Now or never. As much as I wish the opposite, I can't stay in here forever. I wash my hands and cool my cheeks, and I step out of the tiny bathroom into the sprawling kitchen. Liam's mom is a couple of meters away in a bathrobe, wet hair to her shoulders and a mug in her hands, and she gives me a wide smile.
She has Liam's smile. Well, he has hers. Wide and reassuring and genuine. Actually, he totally takes after her, except for size. He's tall and toned, lean and fit. His mom isn't much taller than me, and nearly as big. It's weirdly comforting. I had it in my head that she'd be tall and skinny and she'd judge me for my size.
Gray would tell me off. He knows I have this stupid paranoia that everyone smaller than me is judging me for my size and he's called me out on it before, but I can't help it.
But Liam's mom isn't judging me. She's beaming as though I haven't seen her naked, and she laughs when she says, "We meet again!" When she steps to the side, I see that Daria is hiding behind her like a shy kitten, and she dashes behind her mom again.
"I'm so sorry," I blurt out, tugging my top to cover more of me. "I didn't know you were in there and the door was open and ... oh my God, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to just stand there, but I honestly would've wet myself if I moved.
She laughs and puts her hand on Daria's shoulder and she just smiles, shaking her head. "Totally my fault, honey. I forgot you were coming, else I'd have shut the door. My boys are always telling me to shut the door." Daria scampers off upstairs and her mother rolls her eyes at the kid.
Her southern accent is like a hug, thick and smooth and warm, and totally un-Liam. I love the way she says my name. I love the way he says it too, in his all-American accent, but I think I might love his mom's Alabama twang more.
"Still, I'm sorry. It's not the best way to meet. I, uh, I'm Storie, I guess," I say, kicking myself for my awkwardness. I put out my hand, but she pulls me into a hug. She's a really good hugger.
"It's so nice to meet you at last, Storie," she says, letting me go after a few seconds.
"It's really nice to meet you too, Mrs ... Alexandrov?"
"Sanders, actually," she says. "I'm Allie. Well, Alexandria, so you can see why I was a little reticent when it came to taking my husband's name." Everything about her is so homey that I can feel my awkwardness slipping off like I'm shedding a skin. "I'm so glad Liam brought you over. I've been dying to meet you, though I guess it's kinda overwhelming when there are so many of us."
I tuck my hair behind my ears and nod. "Yeah, it's a lot, but I like it," I say. "I wish I had siblings."
"Well, that little munchkin was Daria, my little scaredy-cat," she says, nodding in the direction that Daria ran, "and this little munchkin-" she pats her stomach "- is Katia. Or Talia. We haven't decided yet. Maybe just yet another wine-induced surprise."
"Oh my God!" My eyes pop. Liam never mentioned that. "Congratulations! Wow. I had no idea."
"Liam didn't tell you?"
"No! He never said a thing!" My eyebrows won't come down and it's hard to reign in my shock. "Wow. No, Liam didn't tell me."
There are footsteps behind me, then an arm around my waist and lips on my cheek, and Liam's heady scent fills me. He smells of sleep and boy and the faintest hint of his aftershave, and I want to curl up in him.
"What didn't I tell you?" he asks, holding me close. I tip my head back against his chest, staring up at him.
"You never mentioned that you're gonna have another sister!"
He frowns down at me then up at his mom. "Wait, what? I'm having another sister? You're pregnant, Mom?"
"I told you, sweetie," Allie says. "I'm sure I did!"
He laughs and lets go of me. I might've put my foot in it. "I think I'd remember if you told me you were pregnant," he says. I can't tell if he's annoyed but then he pulls his mom into a tight hug, his height dwarfing her, and I hear him murmur his congratulations.
He quizzes her for a moment before returning to my side, and he looks genuinely excited. I love to see that brightness in his eyes, and I love how natural it feels when he slips his arm around me, and when I sink against his warm, bare chest, he kisses the top of my head.
"That's crazy," he murmurs. "So, I guess you guys already met?" He squeezes me and says, "Sorry, Stor, I didn't realize you were up. You're an early riser, huh?" He stifles a yawn.
"Nature called." I'm still exhausted. I just want to tuck up with him, to fall asleep with my head on his chest. It's impossible to stop myself from yawning after less than five hours of sleep. It's not even seven yet. "Is it possible to get jetlagged between South Lakes and Cincinnati? Because I feel totally jetlagged."
Liam laughs and his mom does too, and she says, "Listen, you two go rest. You were so late getting here. Your brothers won't be up for hours anyway, and I've got to take Daria to her swim class soon, and I need to pick up your aunt from the airport."
"We'll take Daria," Liam says. "Is that ok?" He steps away to meet my eye.
I nod. "Yeah, of course. Though she seems terrified of me."
Allie laughs. "That's just Daria. She'll be braiding your hair by the end of the day. And thank you, honey, but you needn't. I can handle it. You two go catch up on your sleep."
"No." Liam's voice is firm. It's kind of sexy. "You're the one who should be resting. When's it due?"
"She isn't due until January," she says, tutting at him. "And I worked until the day your sister was born. Half the office didn't even know I was pregnant until my water broke, so I think I can handle a few chores. You know, when you were bo-"
Liam wrinkles his nose. "Too early for birth stories. And way too early to scar my girlfriend."
I feel all warm when he calls me that. I don't mention that I'm already scarred from meeting his mom in the bathroom. I just lean into him and relish in the comfort of his arm around me.
"We're taking Daria," he says, "and Johnny can go collect Taisia."
His mom chuckles. "Ok, boss. If you say so. I'll just pick up something for lunch then, I guess. Thank you, hon."
"We'll go to the store on the way back from the pool." He squeezes my hand and nods at his mom. "You just relax. Sam and George can bust their asses for once. And I hope that's not coffee."
"Decaf, don't worry," she says, looking amused. "Only the best for my baby." She comes over and drapes her arm around Liam with a chuckle, and she looks at me. "He's a good one, my little Willy."
"Mom. Jesus."
"Fine. Liam. You do look after me. Such a good boy." She ruffles his hair and grins at me. "You've got yourself a good egg, honey, if I may say so myself. And he clearly has wonderful taste in girls."
As Liam and I head upstairs to wash and change, he kisses my cheek and says, "See? I told you Mom would love you. She loved you before you even got here."
"I walked in on her in the bath," I whisper as we make it to his room without encountering any more of his growing family.
"What?"
I sit on the edge of his bed as he changes, and I tell him the story of how his Mom and I met this morning, highlighting just how full my bladder was and how powerless I was to move.
He's wheezing. Actually bent double, red-faced, and wheezing, he's laughing so hard. His hair is in his face and I swear he's about to choke on it.
"Stop!" I cry, throwing a pillow at him. "It was so mortifying! I was about to pee myself and your mom was in the bath! Totally naked! And, like, totally unbothered that I saw her!"
"Oh my God," he splutters, before peeling into laughter again. "Oh my God. I'm so sorry, Storie. Mom never shuts the door. I didn't think to warn you. I figured you'd just use my bathroom."
"What?" I jump up. "You have a bathroom?"
He jerks his thumb at the door behind him then pushes it open. He has his own bathroom.
"Liam! You could've told me that before I got the early morning Allie show!"
He can't seem to stop laughing, too amused to pull on his pants. He comes over to me in his boxers and kisses me with morning breath, but then he laughs against my mouth and drops onto the bed.
"Sorry. Ok. Sorry. It's not funny at all that you nearly peed yourself in front of my mom the first time you met," he says in such a serious voice that I have to laugh. That only sets him off again. "I bet she loves you even more now. You're not an Alexander until you've walked in on Mom in the bath."
"Well, call me Alexander then," I say. He pokes my cheek.
"Alexander." He kisses me again. "My bathroom is free for the taking if you want."
"I do want. I smell."
"You don't." He nuzzles my neck.
"I do. I'm showering. How long have I got before we take Daria?"
"Thirty minutes?"
Perfect. I grab a change of clothes for my bag and for nearly a third of that time, I let the water pummel my skin and wash away my embarrassment. I guess it's not that bad in the grand scheme of things. I could have actually peed myself.
• • •
I feel sorry for Daria's swim coach, one woman in charge of a bunch of three-year-olds of varying aquatic skill. Daria's actually not bad for a toddler, coming to life in the pool after being mild as a mouse on the drive over. Now she's splashing and kicking with a float, and Liam and I are watching from the seats.
"I hope you don't mind this," he says, lacing his fingers with mine. We look like a pair of young parents.
"I don't mind at all. I think it's really sweet," I say. "I love how close you and your mom are."
"As far as moms go, she's pretty awesome," he says, "even if I am suspicious that she's running some kind of parenting experiment, the number of kids she has." There's a crinkle in his eyes, a smile on his lips.
"She said that it was another wine-induced mistake," I say, and a laugh bursts out of him.
"Sounds like Mom. I'm not saying she gets drunk, but when Dad's home, she does like to get a little wine tipsy, and I definitely heard her call condoms the devil once, so I guess that explains the six of us."
"Nearly seven."
"Yeah. Wow. Crazy," he says, letting out a long sigh, running his thumb in circles over the back of my hand. "I'm not gonna lie, though, I love having a big family."
"I'm kinda jealous," I say, resting my head on his shoulder and pretending Daria's my sister, that his family is mine, just for a minute. It'd never be quiet. Maybe it'd be overwhelming. But it'd never be lonely.
"D'you want a big family?" he asks, turning over my hand to trace patterns over my palm. I don't know how something so simple feels so good.
"Mmm. Maybe not as big as yours, but yeah, I'd like a few kids."
"Me too," he says. "Not seven, but maybe, like, half a soccer team." He shrugs. "Guess we'll see."
I'm struck by a pang of love for him, and I turn my cheek to kiss him, my eyes closed. He leans into me, his arm around my shoulders, and I lose myself in his kiss until one of the parents behind us clears their throat. I don't care. We don't stop. But then they do it again and I feel like we're being watched, so I pull apart.
Liam dramatically rolls his eyes and shoots them a look before his eyes fall on me again and he whispers, "To be continued."
• • •
Daria is way more talkative on the way back, bouncing in the back seat as she chatters away about her friends from swim class and her coach and the strokes she's learning. I'm not sure I could even stay afloat when I was three, let alone know any different strokes, but she's a total waterbaby.
I don't say much on the drive. I love just watching Liam, listening to him talk to her. He's so engaged with his little sister. I honestly don't know if he really cares about different floaties or he's just a really good actor: he is so convincing, and it warms my heart to see how enthusiastic Daria is.
She warms up to me when he explains that I'm his girlfriend – like Mommy and Daddy? she asks, and it's easier for Liam to just say yes – and she takes my hand when we get back to the house. Her hand is wet from playing with her damp hair, and so small against mine.
"I gotta secret," she whispers as we follow Liam to the front door.
"You do?" I'm not sure how to act around kids. I've never really known any.
Daria pulls me down to her level. I crouch and she cups her hands around my ear. "You're pretty," she says in a stage whisper. Then she bares her little baby teeth. "I wanna eat you."
Liam turns around and sighs loudly. "What've I told you, Dar? People are friends. Not food."
Daria pouts and grabs my hand. "But Storie's yummy."
He gets a glint in his eye and looks at me and sidles over. "I can't disagree with you there," he says, slipping his hand into mine and kissing me, just a quick little peck. Daria looks jealous.
She grumbles as we head inside, making our way to the kitchen where Allie is in a flour-speckled apron, whisking up a storm.
"No fair," Daria says, pouting.
"What's not fair?" her mom asks, looking up at Liam and me.
"Storie gets to eat Willy!"
Oh my God. My whole body goes red, I'm sure, and even though I know what Daria means, there's no hiding my blush, which makes it painfully clear exactly what Liam and I have done. This family is out to humiliate me, I swear.
But Allie just laughs an uproarious laugh. Liam coughs, nervously shifting next to me, and he says, "Storie's not eating me. That was a kiss, Dar. Because she's my girlfriend and I love her."
"I wanna girlfriend."
"Not until you're at least sixteen," Liam says, wagging his finger at her. He then pours a few drinks and updates his mom on Daria's lesson, and he plays footsie with me when he sits down and passes the juice across.
I was so nervous about coming here but despite being the most embarrassed I've been in a long time, Liam's family is actually making me love him more. Maybe it's just seeing him with his family, how good he is with his sister and how much he loves his mom.
After lunch, when I meet his three younger brothers, who are totally unfazed by my existence, each grunting a hello before being distracted by food, Liam and I have some time alone together. His mom and Daria are napping; one of his brothers has gone to collect their aunt and drop her off at her house; the other two are on their computers.
It's just the two of us, walking around the national park that his garden might as well be.
"So, what d'you think?" he asks, swinging our hands between us.
"I think I'm more in love with you now than I was before," I say. He grins, tilting his head. His hair falls forward.
"Really?"
"Really. I love your family. I love your mom."
He cocks an eyebrow. "Should I be concerned that you're saying that after seeing her more naked than you've seen me?"
"Liam! Oh my God. Don't be gross."
He laughs and tugs me close, his hands laced behind my back. "I'm kidding, Stor," he says, kissing me. We're standing in a patch of sun, beating down warmly on our cheeks. The dappled light caresses us. "I love you more too. And I love that you love my family, and I love that you love my mom." He kisses me again, one hand moving to my cheek. "And I really love that you nearly peed yourself in front of her."
"Shut up."
"Make me."
I kiss him back, hard. He groans.
"So not fair. Now we have to stay out here until this goes away," he says, though he doesn't move away. He pulls me closer and I feel him swell against my stomach.
"Liam?"
"Mmm?"
"Why'd you have to come back this weekend?"
"Huh?"
"You said you had to come back and you asked if I'd come too," I say. "Why'd you have to come back?"
"Mom said she wanted to see me," he says. "I guess to tell me about the baby? And then she forgot, which is totally Mom. And I mentioned you, and she wanted me to bring you over, and I wanted to bring you over, but I didn't want to scare you by saying how much Mom wanted to meet you." His hands fall to my waist. "But Mom really wanted to meet you."
"Why?"
"Because I talk about you," he says. "I told her about you a few weeks ago and I told her I love you, and I guess she wanted to meet whoever captivated me enough for me to fall in love."
"You're so smooth," I say, my hand on his cheek. He kisses my knuckles.
"I just shaved this morning."
"It actually hurts."
He pulls a wounded expression. "But I shaved."
"No, you idiot," I say, laughing. "It hurts how much I love you. I am painfully in love."
"Oh." He grins. "Tell me where it hurts. I'll kiss it better."
• • •