Sabrina

The McMullen family began to descend a few days later, and by nightfall, Dan’s house was bustling with activity. First to arrive was his older sister, Patti, her husband, Joe, and their three children.

His younger sister, Megan, and her husband, Paul, were next. They didn’t have any children in tow, though Megan was carrying one in front.

Dan’s mother, Maureen, soon followed with her “friend” Frank. Everyone seemed to be shocked by the man’s presence, but attempted to welcome him just the same. The girls and their husbands did anyway. I saw Dan glaring and snapped him out of it before anyone else noticed.

Various aunts, uncles, and cousins arrived in dribs and drabs throughout the evening with the promise of more to follow the next morning. Dan’s father was absent and since there was no talk of him at all, I assumed he wouldn’t be coming.

Mrs. Evans had been in her glory all day, cooking enough food to feed an army, which I suppose, wasn’t far from the amount of people at the house. The adults helped themselves to her home cooking, while the children ran wild through the house. Dan assured me they’d settle down once the novelty of seeing each other wore off, but I seriously doubt it. Not that they were bothering me. In fact, I enjoyed watching them, and Lexi looked so happy I got choked up.

“So Sabrina,” Megan’s voice interrupted my thoughts. I looked at her and she patted the empty spot beside her on the sofa. “Come sit and fill me in on what you’ve been up to for the past ten years.”

Megan and I had bonded the first time we met many years ago, but after I broke it off with Dan, it was just too painful to keep the friendship. We kept in touch for a few months afterward, but I found it too difficult and stopped returning her calls and emails. She must have understood—either that or she got really pissed off—because eventually she stopped contacting me altogether.

I complied with her request and settled in next to her. “Not much,” I answered. “Working mostly.”

“Are you married? Any kids?”

“No and no.”

Megan looked poignantly at her mother, who had settled into the chair directly across from us.

“You know,” Maureen said, “Dan didn’t even tell us you were here. We had to hear the news from Lexi.”

“Maybe he doesn’t think my presence is newsworthy,” I said, hoping to sound cheeky, not bitchy.

“Of course he does, honey.” Maureen leaned forward and patted my hand. “Which is why he didn’t tell us.”

I had no idea what she meant by that, but decided to let the whole subject drop. My gaze dropped to Megan’s distended abdomen. “I guess I don’t have to ask what you’ve been up to. When are you due?”

“September twenty-fifth.” Megan sighed and patted her round belly. “But hopefully I’ll go early. If I get any bigger, I swear I’m gonna bust.”

Megan looked like she was going to bust, but I thought it would be rude to say so. While Dan is big, broad, and blond like his father, Megan and Patti are dark-haired and petite like their mother. At five foot seven, I tower over the three of them. I assume Megan’s belly looks so large because the rest of her is so small. And she is small. I don’t think she’s gained an ounce anywhere other than her stomach.

“So are you seeing anyone special?” Dan’s mother asked.

“No. No one special.” No one at all, but she doesn’t have to know that.

Again, Megan and Maureen shared a look, which left no doubt in my mind as to where they wanted this conversation to go. Before I could excuse myself, Megan added, “Neither is Dan.”

Okay, it’s definitely time to go.

I scooted forward on the couch, but before I could stand, Megan placed her hand on my arm. “I’m sorry, Sabrina. I won’t do that again.” I must have looked doubtful, because she added, “I promise.”

“You have my word, too,” Maureen said. “We’re just so happy to see you. We’ve all missed you.”

“I tried to keep in touch,” Megan said. “But you didn’t seem interested.” Her sullen expression filled me with guilt.

“I’m sorry about that, Meg. I know I promised we’d remain friends despite everything, but it was just too hard for me. You reminded me of him and I couldn’t handle that.” I paused for a moment while she digested my words. “Then a few years went by and I thought about looking you up, but felt too embarrassed.”

“Oh, I wish you had,” Megan said, around her tears. “From now on, we’ll be sure to keep in touch. And if you don’t return my calls, I’ll just show up on your doorstep.”

“Jeez Meg, every time I see you, you’re crying.” Dan’s deep timbre rolled over my senses, forcing goosebumps to rise on my skin.

“I know.” A fresh gush of tears burst out of Megan’s eyes. “I can’t help it.” She wiped at her cheeks. “It’s the hormones.”

Dan rested his hip on the arm of the sofa, next to Maureen. “So how is my nephew doing? Still cooking?”

“Yes, and kicking like crazy.”

“Yeah?” Dan’s eyes lit up. “Right now?” Megan nodded. He jumped off his perch and was hovering over her in a flash. “Where?” he asked, his hands poised over her belly.

“Right up here.” Megan took his big hands and placed them on her womb.

Dan stared at his hands expectantly for just a moment before a wide smile split his face. “Holy hell,” he said, his tone full of awe.

I couldn’t take my eyes of him. Dan turned and met my gaze. I felt poleaxed. The longing in his eyes nearly tore me apart. I had to fight back my own tears.

“Dan…” The tone of Megan’s voice told me it wasn’t the first time she’d said his name.

“Yeah?”

“I can see you’re really enjoying yourself here, but I really have to pee.”

“Sorry.” Dan moved back and held his hand out to help Megan out of her seat.

“Thanks,” she said, then waddled out of the room.

Dan took the seat his sister had vacated, right next to me. I glanced at him just in time to catch the tail end of his grimace of pain.

“Are you okay?”

He nodded and rubbed his leg. “I shouldn’t have jumped up like that.”

“Probably not,” I said, dryly.

He chuckled. “Then why didn’t you stop me? You’re supposed to be taking care of me, aren’t you?”

“I’m off duty,” I joked, holding up my bottle of Sam Adams to emphasize the point.

Truth be told, I’d been so wrapped up in Dan’s reaction to the baby kicking to think of anything else. He obviously got swept up in the moment and hadn’t been thinking either. That fact made me realize how genuine his feelings were.

“How is Dan doing?” Maureen asked, breaking into my thoughts.

“He’s uh,” I cleared my throat and sat up straight. “He’s making remarkable progress.”

“Do you think he’ll be ready for spring training?”

“Definitely,” I answered confidently.

Maureen shifted her eyes between Dan and me several times before she spoke again.

“Well, that’s good.” She stood. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to find Frank. Your uncle is probably talking the poor man’s ear off.” She directed the last comment to Dan, smiled at me, and walked away.

Once she left, I noticed that Dan and I were alone. Sure, there were people milling around, but the person closest to us stood a good six feet away. As I made the observation, Lexi and her cousins ran through the room and out the kitchen door.

“They should sleep well tonight,” I said.

Dan nodded. “Lexi loves her cousins. They don’t stop the entire time they’re together.” His eyes crinkled in amusement. “Of course, I remember doing the same thing when I was kid.” He took a long pull on his beer. “Now, I get tired just watching them.”

“It’s tough getting old,” I teased.

“As long as I also get wise, I don’t mind.”

I didn’t want to discuss the things he’s claimed to have gotten wiser about, so I said, “You really have a wonderful family.”

“So do you,” he said, as he nodded his agreement.

Our families are very similar, which is probably why we’d always fit in so well at each other’s family functions. In high school, I dated a boy who nearly ran out of my house in tears when my Uncle Mark teased him about his spiked hair.

My family is loud and boisterous, and likes to put people through their paces. Dan’s is much the same and he hadn’t batted an eye when Uncle Mark started on him, nor when the rest of the family joined in.

“It’s weird without my dad here.” Dan’s voice was so low, I barely heard him.

“Did you invite him?”

“If you remember, I didn’t invite anyone,” he pointed out. “But no, it’s too new to have him here with Mom. Maybe someday.”

“I’m really sorry. I know how close you and your dad are.”

“It’s just hard. I mean, on one hand, I want to kill the son of a bitch for what he did to my mom, but on the other…” he gestured vaguely. “My mom told me that everything he did, he did to her, not me or my sisters, but it’s still difficult to swallow.”

“How do Megan and Patti feel?”

“They don’t know the whole story.”

“Why not?”

“Mom didn’t think she should tell them. She figured it would ruin their relationship with Dad.”

“Then why did she tell you?”

“Because she wanted Dad’s theory of relationships to stop with me.” He cleared his throat. “Once she found out about Dad, she put two and two together and figured out why we broke up. When she confronted me, I couldn’t deny it. Then she spilled her guts.”

“So, she knows everything.”

He nodded, looking embarrassed. At that moment, my armor cracked and I saw Dan’s pain. For the first time since I’d arrived, I saw him as a man trying to atone for the sins of his youth. No longer was he the evil creature I’d created in my mind in an attempt to soothe my battered soul. I saw him as a man who made mistakes and is now looking for forgiveness.

The million-dollar question is…can I forgive him?