New to the Family

A Cup of Tea

Jared kept his hand on my knee for all of breakfast. Theo was at the table, but only took small bites of his food. Luckily, Lindsay and I only made eggs and toast for breakfast. There was no meat in sight. The two of us were washing the dishes when there was a knock on the front door.

"I've got it," Jared said as he walked down the hall.

I was drying the plates when I heard the door open and a series of voices. I looked over my shoulder to see Jared walking down the hall with two people. It was a middle-aged man who looked a lot like Gabe, and a woman with dark curly hair. The man had his arm around the shoulders of the woman. Jared pushed past them and grabbed my elbow. He pulled me forward before snaking an arm around my waist. I was still holding the dish cloth tight in my hands.

"This is my wife Leah," Jared said before kissing the top of my head.

"Nice to meet you," the man said. "I'm Taylor and this is my wife Emme."

Taylor took his arm off of Emme. He reached forward to shake my hand. I kept the towel clutched in my hands. Jared chuckled before kissing the top of my head again.

"She's still a bit shy," he said.

"That's okay," Taylor said while retracting his hand. "It has been awhile since we've had a new girl join the family."

"We've had some trouble with Leah, but she realizes this is where she belongs."

"Well, she is beautiful."

The heat rushed up to my cheeks. I silently cursed myself. I couldn't let myself accept a compliment from him. They were trying to melt my mind even more.

"Thank you," Jared said before kissing the top of my head. "Leah, this is Emme. I want you to behave today, okay? She's part of our family."

I nodded my head. Jared took his arm off from around my waist. I looked up to see Emme's eyes locked on me. Her wide eyes were glassy and her nose twitched every few seconds.

"We're going to go outside," Jared told me. "Be good."

I broke my stare with Emme and looked up at Jared. I gave him a fake smile, and this caused a smile to be plastered across his face. He kissed me before going out the door with Taylor and Gabe. Lindsay was standing by the stove. I could see her waiting beside a kettle.

"Leah, have a seat in the dining room with Jenny," Lindsay said. "I'm going to bring us some tea."

"Do you want any help?" I asked.

"No, it's almost ready," she said. "I have Emme to help me carry in the cups. I need to talk to her first anyways."

"Okay,' I said before going back into the dining room."

Jenny was for once not scratching at the grooves on the tabletop. She was sitting still with her arms crossed over her chest so that her hands were holding her shoulders. Her eyes were fixated on something behind me. I turned, but I saw nothing.

Murmuring was coming from the kitchen. I leaned over the table and peered into the kitchen. Lindsay was holding onto Emme's shoulders. Her face was stern, like she was scolding Emme. Emme had her head hanging low and her eyes were focused on the floor. Emme nodded her head, and Lindsay let go of her. I leaned back when I saw Lindsay lift up the kettle. I looked back at Jenny to see she was still staring at the wall.

"It's ready," Lindsay said walking in with a teapot. Emme was behind her with four cups. She set them down on the table and sat next to me. Lindsay sat next next to Jenny and poured the tea into the cups.

"So," Emme said as she shifted her weight in her seat. "Where are you from, Leah."

"Alaska," I said. I stirred a spoonful of sugar into my tea.

"So there's no one here looking for you?"

"Emme!" Lindsay shouted.

"I'm sorry," Emme said. "It was just a question."

"You know that it is a ridiculous question."

Emme let out a deep breath, and she dropped the spoon into her tea. The spoon clanged against the cup and splashed onto the table. Lindsay's fingers were curled tight around her cup.

"Don't tell Taylor," she said, "please."

"I won't," Lindsay said. "But if you keep it up I am going to have to."

"Please, I promise I will behave."

Lindsay nodded her head and loosened her grip on the mug. She took a sip of tea, and then put her hand over Jenny's.

"It is nice to have you here," Lindsay said to Emme. "Hopefully you can come over more often when Taylor comes over."

"Taylor comes over?" I asked.

"Yes, almost every day," she said. "He helps the boys outside with the farm. He has been excited to meet you, Leah. We just had to wait until you calmed down."

I never realized someone else was working with Gabe and Jared outside. I did not know what was outside. If I tried to run I may run into someone in this family. I had no idea how big this family is. I could run into some cousin and he would drag me back to the house. They would lock me in the basement for weeks.

"How big is our family?" I asked.

"Not too big," Lindsay said. "Colin and Annabelle live in Florida. They're about to have a baby. And then there is Jimmy and Julie. Jimmy is supposed to get out of jail soon, but Julie has been saying that for years."

Jimmy and Julie.

Those names seemed so familiar to me. I closed my eyes, and I tried to focus. I remembered my high school friend, Kristen, reading a lot of true crime novels. She had a book that she always wanted me to read, but I skimmed through it. I remembered those names: Jimmy and Julie. She was on multiple shows trying to explain away the family's messed up traditions. I am now stuck with these traditions.

"Are you okay, Leah?" Lindsay asked.

My eyes flew open. My heart sank into my chest.

"Wilcox," I blurted out. "Your last name is Wilcox."

"Our last name," Lindsay said. "You are married to Jared now."

I glanced down at the ring on my finger.

"Did you read Julie's book?" Emme asked.

"Part of it," I said.

"So you know it is all lies," Lindsay said. "Julie is a mess. I only met her once, but she had quite a meltdown."

"I saw her when she was pregnant with Hunter," Emm said. "She was a lot calmer."

"She should have never written that book in the first place."

I took a sip of my tea. Lindsay was scowling as she continued to stir her tea. She stopped when Jenny started to giggle.

"How has Jenny been?" Emme asked.

"She gets more confused and violent every day," Lindsay said. "I have to get Gabe to help me get her ready most mornings."

"Do you think we're going to end up like that?" Emme asked.

"Not everyone gets dementia when they are older."

I wondered if getting your brain warped by this family would give me dementia. Emme must have had the same idea. It would explain her question.

I spent the rest of the morning listening to Emme and Lindsay talking. I tried to patiently wait for a time I could talk to Emme alone.