Chapter 1
Hello everyone, this will be a short story of maybe 5-6 chapters.
Eleanor Ellie Andrews
I am standing on the threshold of true adulthood. Tonight I was proposed to by the love of my life and tomorrow we will both be graduating from law school. All that is left for us to do is ride off into the sunset and have beautiful babies. I am drunk on love and happiness and anticipation.
“Are you nervous about tomorrow?” I ask my now-fiancé, Peter.
“About graduation or our family dinner?” he jokingly responds.
“The dinner, of course. I hope our parents will get along.”
“I’m sure they will. And if they don’t, we’ll just split the holidays evenly between Chicago and Phoenix,” Peter replies, pragmatic as ever.
“Oh shush, I want big family Christmases with our kids running around the house while getting spoiled by all of their grandparents; you know I’m still not over being an only child.”
“Well, I only have the one brother, but I can tell you with certainty that they’re overrated,” he winks at me.
“Speaking of your brother, will he be able to make it tomorrow?”
“Unfortunately no, his residency schedule is brutal. You’ll meet him during your summer in Arizona though.”
“I am super excited already, because after we move to Chicago it’s going to be all work and no play for a while. I’m going to miss you while I’m at work,” I bat my eyes at him and he bursts out laughing, well aware of what I was trying to do.
“Come on babe, if our hypothetical future daughter got engaged to a guy who couldn’t even get his own job and expected one from us instead, I’d be the first one to judge him. I understand why you want to work for your parents and I’m sure you can understand why I don’t.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know,” I wave him away. “Doesn’t mean I have to like it.”
The graduation ceremony was beautiful and solemn. It suddenly all felt so real, like we were officially being welcomed into adulthood after we had paid our dues by pulling all-nighters, writing endless papers, and gaining stress weight before every exam season. I kept stealing glances at Peter, who was at the end of the line, and I grinned at the idea of taking his last name soon – no alphabetically ordered line would ever separate us again. Sometimes I was scared of admitting to him how much I loved him, though he got glimpses of my crazy here and there. I didn’t want to be like my mother, whose life revolved around my father, the Sun of her little galaxy whereas I was more of a distant satellite, but standing in this line now, missing Peter who had literally been inside me two hours ago and was now standing where I could see him, I had to admit that maybe I did have some hereditary condition she’d passed onto me.
Afterwards, I was scanning the crowd, looking for Peter. His parents had already arrived this morning from Phoenix, whereas mine would land in Durham later this afternoon. Typical. Normally I loved how devoted to their work they were, especially considering that I would be the one to inherit the prestigious law firm they had founded as partners. Recently, it felt like Peter’s love had unlocked something inside me, and I craved more closeness, more warmth. Maybe it was a side effect of his giving personality, or the stories he would tell of his own family. I was really excited about meeting them and joining them through my marriage to Peter. I saw his mom first, I immediately recognized her from the photos he had all over his apartment – both she and her sons had dark brown curls, but only Peter had inherited her brown eyes. Cole’s were green like mine. Peter’s dad, Christopher, was laughing at something Peter had said and was gazing at his son with such pride that I halted for a second, not wanting to intrude on the family moment. It was then that Peter noticed me, his entire face open and loving, and he yelled out: “Ellie! Over here!”
I slowly but happily made my way over to them.
“Hello everyone, I’m Ellie.”
His mom engulfed me in a big hug.
“Hi, I’m Hannah, it’s lovely to finally meet you, although I feel like I already know you from all the stories Peter has shared. Congratulations my dear, what a big day for you both.”
“Thank you so much, the pleasure is all mine, ma’am.”
“Oh none of that ma’am business, please call me Hannah, we’re practically family.” Peter and I shared a glance, we would be telling everyone about our engagement tonight at the dinner.
“I’m Christopher, Peter’s dad.” The huge man almost crushed my hand in his bear paw and I felt a huge wave of affection for him just from the way he had looked at Peter as if he was the most precious person on the planet. Which he totally was.
“Nice to meet you sir. How was your flight?”
“Oh it was a nuisance,” Hannah was quick to respond. “I’ve never been a fan of flying, but the things you do for your children,” she poked Peter in the ribs and he reverted to an absolute teenager, rolling his eyes and whining “moooom”, and I couldn’t help but grin at their easy banter.
Then someone’s phone rang and Hannah fumbled around in her bag until she found it.
“Oh it’s Cole!” she practically screamed. “Hello? Hi, baby. Yes, yes, it was a lovely ceremony, oh you should have seen your brother, I’ll send you the videos and photos when you get off work. Yes, he’s here with Ellie, hold on,” she thrust the phone at Peter and I could see him grinning while talking to his brother and it warmed my heart.
“Ellie, will you please join us for lunch?” Christopher offered.
“Thank you so much, but I’ve already made plans with some of my girlfriends for a celebratory lunch before we all leave for our respective hometowns,” I declined, and I was happy to. They hadn’t seen their son in months, and we’d all be together for dinner anyways. With a quick kiss on Peter’s cheek, I said goodbye and drove off.
My anal retentive personality forced me to be in front of the restaurant at exactly 7:50, and the reservation was for 8 pm. Being on time for me meant being late. As the waitress led me to the Andrews-Williams table, I was reminded of how well Peter knew and loved me. He and his parents were already there.
“I told you guys,” he laughed as he got up to give me a kiss. “My girl likes being early.” I sat down on the chair next to him, facing his parents and having a good view of the entrance.
“I’m not early, I’m punctual. Hello again, Mr. and Mrs. Williams,” I smiled.
“Hello to you too Ellie, and please, it’s Hannah,” Peter’s mom admonished me playfully. “Are you excited about moving back to Chicago?”
“Well, yes and no. Yes because Peter is coming with me,” I smile at him. “And no because I’m somewhat scared that this is it – we enter the workforce and then what? It all seems so serious and so sudden.”
Christopher nods thoughtfully. “It is a big leap - one day you’re a student writing papers and going to parties, you have a million friends, and the next you’re an intern, pulling crazy hours and struggling with rent on a studio apartment you share with three people, all of whom you’ve found through ads or online. It’s tough. At least you’ll know and like your roommate,” he winks at Peter and we both laugh.
“Chicago is a lovely city, I actually used to live there before I married Christopher,” Hannah says to me.
“Really? I didn’t know that. How did you guys meet?” Peter shoots me an uneasy glance, but Hannah seems unfazed.
“A friend from nursing school was working as the head nurse at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix and she offered me a job so I moved. Then I met Christopher at work and I stayed,” she looks at him with an adoration I can only pray to have twenty plus years into my marriage. I melt a little.
“Does your brother work at the same hospital?” I turn to Peter.
“He does. Can you believe what a nepo baby he is?,” Peter needles me, and I laugh.
“Okay, shots fired. I guess when we go to Arizona your brother and I will just have to form a nepo baby alliance against you, the last honest working man in America,” I tease back, and everyone laughs, I guess they know I’ll be working for my parents.
“Do you have any siblings?” Hannah asks.
“Unfortunately no. I’ve always wanted some, though, and I know my dad always wanted more children, but my mom had complications during labor and had to have a hysterectomy,” her eyes are sympathetic. “Oh, speaking of my parents, here they are,” I stand up to hug my dad while mom is trailing behind him, talking to the hostess.
“Dad, this is Peter,” they shake hands, “and these are his parents, Hannah and Christopher Williams.”
My dad just stands there, frozen. Peter’s mom looks like someone put chalk on her lips.
“Hannah,” he says so quietly it’s almost a whisper. Mom is behind him now:
“Hello everyone, sorry we’re late, I’m Susan,” she says and looks around the table, and then widens her eyes like a deer caught in the headlights when her gaze lands on Hannah.
Hannah and dad are still staring at each other. Christopher breaks the silence.
“Honey, what’s wrong?”
Hannah clears her throat.
“This is Jack, Cole’s biological father. And the woman he’s cheated on me with.”
“What?!” Peter and I shout at the same time.
“You son of a bitch,” Christopher growls.
What?!
