Page 22 of It's a Love Story

“This is Jane,” Reenie says to everyone. “Can we try to act civilized for just one night? Danny’s brought a girl home.” She makes big eyes at the crowd for emphasis.

“What? Did you lose a bet?” another one says to me. He’s a bit fairer than the others, his hair more brown than black, but with the same navy blue eyes. “I’m Connor. You look familiar.”

“He’s the baby, but we call him the professor,” Brian says.

“Because he’s a professor?” I literally don’t know how to jump onto the freight train that is this family.

“He’s a dentist. Big shot.” This is from a shorter man who has to be Dan’s dad. He is the source of the cheekbones and sturdy jaws. “I’m Cormack Finnegan. Welcome.” He shakes my hand and gives me a beer.

All of these brothers look like they were produced from a Xerox machine, differentiated by some slight smudges in the printing. Aidan introduces me to his wife, Paula, who gives me a hug and says, “Thank you for not being platinum blond. Brian dates so many platinum blondes, and I get confused as they come and go. For a while I was just calling them all Heather, and twice I was right.” This appears to be a joke, not that it’s one I get, but all of the brothers are laughing, including Dan. “Don’t try to remember any of our names, it’s impossible,” she says. “And avoid the children, the worst of them are Finn’s.”

Connor’s wife, Marla, is both pregnant and carrying a baby, and I don’t know quite how to process this. “Hello,” I say. “I don’t see how . . . Is that your baby?”

“Baby?” she asks and then looks at the baby like she’s surprised to see it there. “God, no. Whose baby is this?” she shouts into the crowd. Everyone laughs, and Aidan claims the baby.

Dan doesn’t speak directly to me, but he stays close like he’s responsible for me, worried I might get trampled in the crowd. I think of how much time I used to spend as a kid searching for my dad’s face in a crowd, and I wonder what it would be like to be surrounded by so many people who look just like you. Reenie calls to Aidan from the kitchen, and he hands me the baby. “Katie, this is Auntie Jane, be right back.”

“I’m not . . .” I start again. But Katie is in my arms and has one fist wrapped around my hair and another in her mouth. She’s staring up at me with those deep blue eyes like she’s a hundred percent sure I can handle this. We have a quiet moment where the din of the crowd softens and she and I lock eyes. I don’t know what to say to a baby, so I make myoofface and she laughs. Just a tinyI love you too.

“She likes you already,” says Reenie, leading me to a seat at the table. I don’t know if I’m responsible for this baby now or if she’s just the general responsibility of this giant, pulsing Finnegan organism. We all sit, and no one makes any move to take the person in my arms.

Cormack pulls chicken kebabs off the grill, and Reenie brings roasted potatoes from the kitchen. The sun lowers over the potato fields and the humidity starts to lift. Aidan’s wife, Paula, takes Katie from me and is feeding her something from a jar. I meet Finn and his wife, Eileen, and their small brood just as we’re sitting down, and I’m counting on my fingers: this is five; it has to be all of them. And only Dan and Brian are single. In a shocking turn of events, a sum total of zero Finnegans are pretentious or hairsplitting, even Dan, actually, now that he’s home.

Dinner is served, and I am starving. I find kebabs hard to deal with, and I forever hope that someone else will unkebab them for me. There’s always the possibility of the awkward moment where your fork catches on the spear and you pull too hard and send a chicken cube flying across the table. So I start with the potatoes and the salad.

“How are things looking for the festival?” Dan asks Finn. Mention of the festival refocuses me. I’m on a business trip, a mission to confront my past and win my future. I don’t need to be worried about what I’m supposed to be talking about with these absurdly attractive strangers.

“Good, I think. I only see the parts I’m involved in, mostly wires.”

“I can’t wait till it’s over,” Cormack says to me. “This thing causes such a frenzy. Brings in money, but it definitely disrupts the peace and quiet. As you can see.” He gestures to the full table.

Aidan rolls his eyes, and it’s appealing on him. “He’s just annoyed that Paula, the girls, and I are freeloading. We rented our house for ridiculous money for the week, so we’re crashing here.”

Dan drops his fork. “How’s that going to work?”

“Oh, it’s fine, honey,” Reenie says. “You two are grownups.”

“Mom. We’re grown-ups whoworktogether. And honestly, we barely even do that. I thought we’d have two rooms.”

And boom, just like that, there’s just one bed. My face goes hot, and I concentrate on the brain-surgery-level work that is getting this kebab off the spear. I have an elbow in the air for leverage and tug with increasing pressure until it gives and, you guessed it, flies across the table.

“Janey Jakes!” Connor says and starts to laugh. I can feel it: I’ve just made myoofface. Braces sparkling, glasses in disarray. He has seen my essential awkwardness, and he knows who I am. I sit up straighter and try toMona Lisamy features. “I knew you looked familiar, but you’re so hot now.” He looks at Dan, then his wife, Marla. “If that’s okay to say.”

“What’s Janey Jakes?” Paula asks.

“Holy shit,” says Aidan. “You are her. Danny, are you joking? How did you not tell us this?”

Dan turns to me and stares. He scans my face and my hair, like the PIN for his debit card is hidden there. Then he turns back to Aidan. “Are you talking about the geek fromPop Rocks? There is no way.”

“Was that the show Connor loved that you guys were always watching? With the catchy song?” Reenie asks.

“ ‘Jump-Start Love Song,’” Connor says, then starts singing and strumming his hands on the table. “I want to write a jump-start love song, figure out how we went so wrong.”My face goes hot. This is a nightmare. I came to New York to pose as a Hollywood dealmaker, not a chronic punch line.

Aidan joins in.“I don’t know how you’ve stayed gone so long, calling you back with my jump-start love song.”They all start to laugh.

“I don’t know what you nitwits are talking about,” Cor- mack says, effortlessly forking a piece of chicken.

“I never watched it,” Brian says. “It was after Finn’s and my time. But God, these guys were so into it.”

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