Page 67 of Take Me to Church
I watch as the women my brothers love, along with one of their mothers, take over my kitchen and dining room, filling my house with noise and chaos. Chaos that’s compounded less than a minute later when Piper and Myra rush down the stairs, looking for the source of the commotion they heard all the way on the second floor.
Piper blinks hard, wiping at the outer corner of one eye as she frowns at the commotion. "What the fuck? Who in the hell has a party at eight in the morning?"
"There you are." Jill comes right for Piper, reaching out to her the same way she did Lydia. "You must be Lydia's sweet friend." She pulls Piper into a tight hug. "I have heard so much about you."
Piper's eyes are wide, her body stiff as she looks my way. "From who?"
Jill leans back, wiggling her eyebrows. "That's for me to know and you to find out." Then she boops Piper on the end of her nose before turning her attention to Myra. Her expression softens. "And you’re Myra, Lydia's sister." She pulls Myra into the same hug she offered Piper, squeezing her tight. "How are you, honey? Are you doing okay?"
Myra seems less caught off guard by Jill. She hugs her back, squeezing tight. "I'm good." Her eyes drift to the island where Kerri, Shelly, and Felicity are popping open a bottle of champagne. "But I will be better once I have some of whatever they're making."
She and Jill walk arm in arm to where my sisters-in-law are mixing up mimosas, filling every glass and coffee cup I own and passing them out.
Piper's brows slowly lift as she turns my way. "Maybe I don’t mind your family's parties." She sidles up to the counter, snagging a drink poured into a coffee mug emblazoned with the logo of my company.
Lydia keeps one hand tangled in my belt loop as she watches, pinching her lower lip between her teeth.
I lean into her ear, keeping my words just between us. "What's wrong?"
Lydia's eyes hang on the scene a second longer before coming to mine. "I just don't understand how this is so easy for Myra and it's been so hard for me."
"Just because it looks easy, doesn't mean it really is." I don't want Myra to have a hard time, but I also won't have Lydia thinking she's not been successful. That she's lived her life incorrectly in Memphis.
Some people are careful and cautious and some people dive into shit with both feet. The people who are careful and cautious face problems as they come. The people who jump in with both feet deal with problems when they can't avoid them any longer. The family I've made for myself is large and filled with all kinds of people. People like Piper. People like Myra.
And definitely people like Lydia.
I tip my head to the three women standing together at the outskirts of the group, smiling as they watch the louder women entertain everyone. "Let's go talk to the women I think you'll feel most comfortable with."
Lydia’s lips press into a thin line, expression uncertain. "I'm starting to think I may not be comfortable around anybody."
"You're comfortable around Piper." I give her a grin. "You're comfortable around me."
"That's different."
I lift my brows, surprised. "Why is that?"
Lydia's lips finally soften, twisting into a little bit of a smile. "You guys didn't give me any other option."
25
LYDIA
I DON'T KNOW how to act. I've never been in a room full of women speaking so freely. Or so loudly. It's nice to see but is completely overwhelming and makes me want to shrink back. Hide myself away so they won’t notice how out of my element I am.
Seeing my sister and my best friend acting right at home in this situation makes me feel even more out of place. Even more disappointed in myself for failing to figure out how to insert myself into the real world.
Christian has assured me no one in this room will judge me or question the way I act, but I can't help feeling like they are. Just for the exact opposite reason of why I used to be afraid I was being judged.
"You okay?" One of the women Christian parked me next to leans my way, her smile soft. "I know this can be a lot."
I take a sip of the spiked orange juice in my hand, smiling back as I nod. "I'm good."
The woman sitting on my left snorts softly. "You don't have to say that." She tucks a strand of her light brown bob behind one ear. "I'm frequently not okay at these things, so I definitely won't judge you if you're not." She seems to ponder it for a second. "Actually, I might feel better if the volume is a little too much for you. I won't feel as guilty about the earplugs I've been considering buying."
Her honesty makes me feel a little more comfortable. It's the same reason I'm so close with Piper. She calls it like it is. Speaks her truth every time she opens her mouth. I've never felt like she was manipulating me or trying to trick me in any way, and it made me feel comfortable. Safe.
And now I feel guilty I didn't offer up honesty myself. "It is a little loud." I glance at the blonde woman sitting to my right. "And unexpected."
