We pulled up the long, winding driveway to the Black family home in Hoboken, New Jersey. I bit my bottom lip as Connor put the Range Rover in park. He put his hand on top of mine.
“Don’t be nervous. My family will love you.”
I smiled and took Connor’s arm as we walked up the steps to the grand house. He opened the front door and we stepped inside. The smell of turkey and stuffing filled the elegantly decorated home. There was laughter coming from the other room as a brown-haired boy peeked around the corner of the wall. He took one look at Connor and ran to him, jumping into his arms.
“Hey, buddy, how are you?” Connor smiled. The boy hugged him tight. “Camden, this is my special friend, Ellery.” Camden looked at me with his blue eyes and just stared.
“Hello, Camden.” I smiled and held out my hand. He continued to stare, unsure of me, and then looked back at Connor. He put both hands on Connor’s cheeks and smiled. My heart melted at that moment; it was obvious this boy loved him.
“It’s okay, Camden. You can touch Ellery.” He looked back at me and slowly put his hand in mine as I gently shook it.
“Connor, darling.” A woman emerged from the other room.
“Mother, this is Ellery.”
She looked at me and took my hands. “You’re just as beautiful as Connor said you were.”
I blushed. “Thank you. It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Black.”
“Call me Jenny, dear.” She smiled.
Jenny was a beautiful woman who Connor resembled a great deal. She was tall and thin, and with her light brown bob-style hair and green eyes, she didn’t look her age. She looked much younger.
Camden was struggling to be put down as Connor and I walked towards the living room. Everyone in the room stopped talking and turned to stare at us as we walked in. Connor put down Camden as he ran over to a young woman. I felt like I was on display the way everyone was staring at me. The young woman jumped up and gave Connor a big hug. “Happy Thanksgiving, brother.”
He smiled and kissed her on the cheek. “Cassidy, this is Ellery.”
She turned and hugged me. “I’m so happy to finally meet you.”
I smiled and hugged her back. Her smile was big and her green eyes were full of light. She was exactly my height, and she wore her black hair short and stylish. Connor took me around the room and introduced me to the rest of his family and friends.
Cassidy took my hand. “Come on, let’s see if Mom needs help in the kitchen.”
I looked at Connor, and he nodded for me to go with a big smile on his face that made me miss him already. It surprised me to find Mrs. Black in the kitchen cooking Thanksgiving dinner. Usually the rich have their own personal chefs to do that for them.
“So, Ellery, Connor says you’re an artist,” Jenny said as she basted the turkey.
“Yes, I paint pictures for a small art gallery in New York.”
Cassidy smiled. “I bought one, but I didn’t know my brother was dating the artist. You paint beautiful pictures, Ellery. You’re very talented.”
I was starting to feel more relaxed as she handed me a glass of red wine. As Jenny pushed the turkey back in the oven, she turned to me.
“Connor hasn’t really told us anything about you, so why don’t you fill us in.”
Panic started to set in. How could I tell these people, who I just met less than thirty minutes ago, about my past and present life?
“You have to excuse my mother,” Cassidy said. “It’s just that you’re the first girl Connor has ever brought home, and we just want to get to know the woman who finally managed to steal his heart.”
I smiled as I took a sip of wine. Just as I was about to say something, an older woman walked into the kitchen. She was in her late sixties with black hair and gray streaks running through it. Cassidy ran to her and hugged her tight. “Aunt Sadie, you made it!”
“Of course I did. I couldn’t wait to see my favorite niece.”
“I’m your only niece, Aunt Sadie.” Cassidy frowned.
“And that’s why you’re my favorite.” Sadie smiled. She turned to me. “Now, who might this young pretty woman be?”
“Her name is Ellery, and she’s Connor’s girlfriend,” Jenny spoke.
Sadie smiled and gently hugged me. “It’s nice to meet you, dear.” She pulled away and looked at me with serious eyes—like she was looking into my soul. “You’re sick,” she said. My eyes widened, and fear started running through my body. What did she mean by that?
Jenny looked at her sister. “Sadie, that’s rude.” Sadie looked at me and grabbed my hands, turning my wrists over and staring at my tattoos.
“Forgive my sister, Ellery. She has a bit of a gift and, sometimes, she can be very bold with it.”
“Are you sick, Ellery? Do you have a cold or something?” Cassidy asked.
“It’s more than a cold,” Sadie answered.
Oh God, here we go, and thank you, Connor, for not telling your family ahead of time and for not telling me that Aunt Sadie has a gift. I took another sip of my wine and looked at them.
“I have cancer,” I blurted out. Just like that, without hesitation, I just let the words fall out. They stood there and stared at me. I couldn’t have been placed in a more awkward position even if I tried. Sadie finally spoke up to break the tension.
“This isn’t your first bout with it, is it?” Holy mother of pearl, I bet she’s going to bring up my suicide attempt next. Great first impression.
I heavily sighed. “No, it isn’t. I was first diagnosed with cancer when I was sixteen.”
At that point, Connor decided to make an appearance. He heard what I said as he came from behind and wrapped his arms around my waist.
“Her cancer came back recently, but she’s in a clinical trial in California, so everything is good at the moment. She’s doing fine, and she’s going to be fine, so there’s nothing more to discuss.”
His tone was commanding and everyone knew it. I smiled as I pulled him out of the kitchen and into the hallway.
“How could you not tell me about Aunt Sadie?” I asked furiously as I hit him in the chest.
“Ouch, Elle, that hurt.”
“That’s not the only thing that’s going to hurt, Connor Black.”
A smug smirk blew across his face as he looked at me “Promise, baby?”
“Ugh, you make me so mad!” I whispered as I turned the opposite way.
He wrapped his arms around me and whispered, “I’m sorry. I never took much stock in what Aunt Sadie had to say. I always thought she was kind of crazy.”
“Your family must think I’m a walking disaster of a human being, and they are probably wondering what the hell you’re doing with me.”
He squeezed me tight. “They love you. I can tell, and it doesn’t matter what they think about our relationship. I love you for all that you are, nothing less, and, for the record, I think you’re a beautiful disaster.”
I laid my head back on his chest and looked up as he leaned down to kiss me. I bit his lip for that “beautiful disaster” comment.
“Ouch, you really need to save this shit for the bedroom, Ellery. You have no idea how much you’re turning me on with all your hitting and biting.”
I couldn’t help but laugh and turned around to gently lick his bitten lip. Dinner was exceptional and the rest of the day went smoothly. Cassidy and I talked about our jobs while Connor sat on the floor and played with Camden. We both stared at them as Camden was teaching Connor how to stack the blocks.
“I’ve never seen my brother as happy as he is right now,” she said to me.
I smiled and looked over at him. “He’s a very special man.”
Just then, Jenny interrupted. “Ellery, how did you and my son meet?”
A smile spread across my face as Connor looked at me with fear in his eyes. I decided to spare him the embarrassment and replied, “We met at a club.”
She smiled. “Well, lucky for him you were there.” I smiled back and looked at the relief that washed over his face.