The Wright One

HANNAH

Justin is being weird. It keeps feeling like he thinks that I am going to run the other way. Caden is almost bouncing in the back seat. All week all he has talked about is meeting his family. I think this is the most excited I have ever seen him in his life. “Dad, are you sure they are going to like me?”

Justin laughs. “Oh, you are going to be a popular boy tonight. I guarantee everyone is going to want to talk to you.”

“I can’t wait. I get to be the oldest cousin too. So when they all start having kids, I get to be the ringleader. Like the leader of a gang or something.”

Justin just laughs harder. I give out a little laugh myself. Leave it to my son to talk about massing a little army of cousins. “That you will. It might be a little bit before they start having kids but I am sure Uncle David will be having some soon. The others, not so much.”

It doesn’t take long to get to Justin’s parent’s house. It looks like Luke and David are on the porch. Not sure if they were waiting for us, but they are there. When Caden and I get out of the truck Luke comes right over to me. “There is the beautiful lady. I was starting to think that Justin was keeping you locked in a basement somewhere.”

Justin growls. “Back off Luke.”

“What? Are you going to deny she is beautiful?” Luke counters.

“I didn’t say that. Are you looking to get punched? I’m not drunk this time.”

I laugh. That is not how he described it to me. David laughs too. He puts his hand out to me. “I’m David. I was away at college when all this happened which is probably why I never met you.”

I shake his hand back firmly. “It is nice to meet you. I hear that you are getting married.”

His grin widens. “Oh, yeah. The best woman in the world. She is inside with my mother. She hijacked her as soon as we got here.”

David then turns his attention over to Caden. Caden looks a little nervous. “Well, this is definitely Justin’s son. You look just like your dad when he was your age. Hopefully you don’t cause as much trouble as your brother did.” Caden smiles a little.

“I behave.”

Justin grins. “That’s because he’s smart like his mom.”

Luke gets down to Caden’s level. “Well, We are going to have dinner in just a minute, but after dinner, do you want to play football with your dad and uncles? It is like the best game ever. Especially if your Aunt Jasmine wants to play.”

Caden smiles the biggest smile yet. “Yeah.” He sounds ready to hit the field now. Luke high-fives him and they are running into the house together.

I take a deep breath, nervous as hell. Then Justin takes my hand and squeezes. I know he is just doing it to reassure me, and it does. I have no idea how Justin can do this to me after all these years, but he does it with ease.

He leads us inside and through to the sitting room. William is on the couch sitting next to James, Justin’s dad. They are arguing about some game on the TV.

“No, there is no way they are going to make it. I am telling you Dad, the Broncos have it in the bag.”

James scoffs. “Yeah, if it was the old days, you have to watch the games, son, before you can make any judgments. You don’t sit down long enough to watch any of them.”

“You know I have to work, Dad. I watch them though. Just not live like you do.”

Justin clears his throat. “Hey, guys.”

They both look over at us. William quickly stands up. “Hannah, it’s good to see you again.” He rushes over and hugs me.

James smiles. “Yeah, we missed you kid.”

I can’t help the tears that are springing to my eyes. Suddenly I am glad that Luke took Caden to go play. “Honestly I thought you all would hate me.”

James stands and pulls me into a hug too. “We understand why you did what you did. Just don’t do it again kid. We really wish you would have talked to us. You wouldn’t have had it so rough if you did.”

I am sniffling and I am sure that my make up looks like shit. Then I hear the women come in. Isabelle pushes her dad to the side. Only slightly. “Oh, my God, you are finally here. I can’t believe Justin was such an ass. He told us everything. You had every right to kick him to the curb.” She glares at her brother while she hugs me close.

Jasmine laughs. “I did kick his ass when he told us.”

Justin just shrugs. “Yeah, she did.”

Lauren pulls me into her arms again. “Remember you are always family. You will never go without again, do you understand?” It’s like she is scolding me and comforting me at the same time.

Apparently Luke has great timing because he brings Caden back from wherever they were and Caden comes running into the sitting room, super excited. “Mom, the back yard is huge. It’s as big as the park.”

I chuckle a little.

When he looks around he suddenly gets a little shy. I want them to like him. “Everyone this is Caden. Caden, this is your grandma Lauren and your grandpa James. This is your Uncle William, your Aunts Isabelle and Jasmine.”

Lauren can’t hold back. She pulls a shocked Caden in her arms. “My first grandbaby.” She squeezes him like she can just absorb him. But Caden is loving it.

I notice another woman standing off to the side, so while Caden meets all of them, I step over to her. “I’m Hannah.”

She smiles. “Megan. I’m David’s fiance. Also Jasmine’s best friend.”

I smile back. “At least you are marrying in. I’m just a babymama.”

She shakes her head while she laughs. “I don’t think that will be the case much longer. I have seen the way that Justin talks about you. Or the way that he hardly takes his eyes off you.”

I can’t help but shrug it off. “That isn’t happening. Justin just feels bad about everything that happened. He doesn’t have feelings for me.”

She just returns my shrug. “Whatever gets you through the day.”

She nods over my shoulder and I see Justin coming towards me. “After dinner before the game, I want to show Caden my old room. All my trophies and stuff are still there. I want him to see it before he decides on soccer.”

I can’t help but laugh at the whole family’s grunts. This is a football family. Ok, maybe not totally, but they certainly like the game. None of them are fans of soccer. Not sure why. I am actually pretty sure that none of them played soccer, not sure what they have against the game.

Lauren laughs. “Hey, there is nothing against soccer, just because none of you played it. I did and I had a lot of fun.”

James rolls his eyes. “Yeah, but that’s because you are a girl and can’t play football.”

Lauren puts her hand on her hip. “I will have you know, there is a women’s football league.”

James counters. “No one watches it.”

“That’s because they are males and idiots.” Lauren counters back. “If you don’t stop while you are ahead you will be sleeping in the den.”

James zips his lips and the rest of us laugh. I guess this isn’t going nearly as bad as I thought it would.