“This is my older brother, Taylor,” Zac said, introducing me to the tall blonde who just barely had time to take off her coat before he was escorting her through to hall towards me. “Well his name is really Jordan but we call him Taylor and-”
“Nice to finally meet you,” I projected over Zac’s nervous babbling. I shook hands with the young woman.
“You too!” She answered, her voice steady as well as her handshake. “I’ve heard so much about you.”
“All good I hope!” I joked. She laughed lightly and nodded. “Good, I was beginning to get worried there.” Her laugh was cheerful, and reminded me much of a teenager. She didn’t look above the age of 18 although Zac had told me earlier that she was 22.
“Nicole!” A voice exclaimed from the kitchen. Andy ran out and threw her arms around the newcomer.
“How’ve you been, doll?” Nicole asked once she broke away.
“Great, and yourself?”
“Very good.”
“How’s work?”
Nicole shrugged. “It pays the bills.”
“I know the feeling... listen, I have to introduce you to Taylor’s wife, Clare. The three of us are going shopping tomorrow for the wedding, if that’s all right of course.”
“Of course!” Nicole told my sister in law. “I can’t wait to meet her.”
“She’s in the kitchen, come on I’ll introduce you!”
Nicole nodded and let herself be taken into the kitchen by my enthusiastic sister-in-law. Once she was gone Zac nudged me, “so what do you think?”
I nodded and looked at him. “She’s very nice.”
Zac smiled, his mouth growing wider than I have ever seen before. “Good. Once you start talking to her at dinner you’ll fall in love with her. Well not in that way, I just mean-”
“I know what you meant,” I interrupted. I grinned. “You have to calm down, kid. It will be all right, I promise. I like her, I really do. And Clare will, and Anya will, and Zoë will; we all will. Just take a deep breath, and try to relax.” I had to smile at Zac’s nervousness, all he wanted was for me to like her, to accept her. He had this odd notion in his head that he had to make sure that I approved, I didn’t understand it quite frankly but I went along with it anyway. My brother was getting married in ten days, we had a lot of planning to do with the wedding and my accepting Nicole seemed to top all of that in his mind.
“You all right now?” I asked when Zac opened his eyes again.
My brother nodded. “I think so.”
“Good.”
“What do you guys want to drink?” Mom asked sticking her head into the hallway.
“Coke,” I told her.
“Ditto,” Zac replied.
“Boys, you should come to the table now. Isaac’s slicing the turkey, he’ll just be about three minutes.”
“Thanks, Ma.” I patted Zac’s shoulder firmly. “Come on, kid, let’s eat.”