Page 74 of Crash

For the next half hour, we work together side by side. When the bakery clears, we both sigh in relief. Throughout all of it, her mother watches.

“Go back to your seat before Auntie sees you.” She pushes me, but before I can get out from behind the counter, the front door opens and my entire family walks in.

This is the first time I’m seeing my parents since I left Arizona. They ended up staying with my cousin Eugene for an extra week and arrived home late last night.

“Are the Clarks traveling in packs now?” I ask. Travis sees me and runs into my arms.

“Cookie!” he yells.

Soon, thanks to Vivi, he has a cookie in each hand.

“I’ve missed my baby,” my mother says, hugging me despite having Travis in my arms. She gets on her toes and kisses my cheek repeatedly.

“Creator, come and get your wife,” I say to my dad. “She’s embarrassing me in front of my girl.”

Mom leaves me and runs to Vivi, taking her in her arms.

“So, the rumor is true,” she says. Vivi has turned completely red at this point, but my mom is oblivious. “I knew it.”

“Can I get you guys anything?” Vivi asks.

“Dad insisted on the entire family getting together for lunch. That’s what he says, but he’s only being nosy,” Troy says, getting a snicker from Jake.

“Oh,” Vivi says, turning redder. I catch Sandy’s eye and nod towards Jocelyn. Sandy loudly gasps when she sees her but doesn’t say anything. Jake follows his wife’s gaze and visibly cringes.

“We have plans today,” I say to put them off.

“You’re already planning on having lunch before Vivi goes to her ice-skating lesson,” my dad says. “We have a room reserved at one of your uncle’s restaurants. He and Terry will be joining us.”

“How do you know our plans, Creator? Are you psychic?”

“Remember when I was dating Sandy and you were a mean little bitch?” Jake asks. “Payback.”

“This is why Troy is my favorite brother,” I tell him. Travis starts to wiggle, and I put him down. The little bugger runs to Vivi and she gives him another cookie. Tracy grabs him, warning him about spoiling his lunch.

“It was Troy’s idea. Come on. You know how the old man is when he gets something in his head,” Jake says.

“I’ve missed my family,” Dad says. “You protested a little bit too much when we hired Vivi here.”

“You protested?” Sandy says. “You have a problem with my cousin?”

“Obviously not anymore since I’m in love with your cousin, Sandy. You want to go to lunch, Sunshine?”

Jake and Troy snicker at the nickname, but the women swoon. Vivi hides her face in my chest.

“Sunshine?” Jake taunts.

“Um, yes. You call your wife every nickname out there and I can’t call my girlfriend Sunshine?” I turn to look at Sandy and decide to goad my brother. “You hungry, gorgeous?”

Jake’s eyes turn into slits as everyone else chuckles.

“You want to sit down, Princess?” Tracy says. Jake looks at her, surprised at her audacity, but the situation is diffused when everyone starts to laugh

“How’s my baby, baby?” Vivi says, rubbing Sandy’s body while affecting her best Jake impersonation.

“This is why I love this girl,” I say to the room.

“We’ll wait for your shift to be over, Sunshine,” my Dad says. “Lukey, come sit down and let Sunny work.”

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