“Because we invited two more people over. People who are dear to us.”
Mr. Baker’s eyes sank. “This was supposed to be a family dinner. You should ask before you invite your friends over.”
Ms. Miller, however, appeared curious. “Special people dear to you?”
“This is a family dinner. I’m not inviting friends. I’m inviting my family,” Grace bravely stated.
Mr. Baker cocked an eyebrow, but he didn’t fight her. He slipped out of view for a few seconds and reappeared, carrying two more folding chairs.
“Guys, come on out,” Grace called as the chairs were put down.
Our cue. We walked into view, waving at Ms. Miller as well as Mr. Baker.
“Brandon and Noah?” Mr. Baker looked puzzled and just a little forceful. “What is the meaning of this?” Fortunately, he looked at Grace to answer that question. I might be the oldest, but the thought of confrontation with the principal turned me into a quivering sophomore.
The two of us continued to approach, and took our seats on each side of the twins. That put five of us on one side of the table.
“They are family, Mr. Ba— er, I mean, Ryan,” Grace said, fluttering her eyebrows and laying on the charm. “They are very dear to me, and they need to be here with the rest of us.”
Mr. Baker wasn’t so easily convinced, raising a confused eyebrow. “I don’t know if your school friends count as family, Grace. It’s good you hold them so closely, but...”
“Dad, really,” Ryan spoke up. “There’s more to this than them being just good friends.”
“What?” Ms. Miller asked. “Are you dating one of them?” She didn’t look happy at the idea of that, but she knew Noah and me as respectable, bright, hard-working boys from our school days.
Grace shook her head. “No. It’s not that. Not exactly, anyway.”
“What is it then?” Mr. Baker asked with a frown. “Don’t tell us they’ve recruited you to join a cult.”
“Excuse me?” I shot up a finger. “I have a job at a respectable Christian charity soup kitchen, and that’s how I got to know Grace. I’ve no interest in cults, thank you very much.”
“Really, chill, it has nothing to do with cults, or drugs, or convoluted ways to get my friends’ free food. There’s more to it than that.” Grace shook her head, stressed out by all this. “Mom, help me out here?”
“Ryan, these boys were both in my math classes,” Ms. Miller said, addressing her soon-to-be husband and not our twin friend. “Stop being so accusatory and let Grace explain herself. I’m sure she has a good reason for inviting them, and I’m interested to hear it.”
Mr. Baker sat down in his chair, grumbling to himself.
Grace stood, taking a deep breath, knowing she had a lot to explain. “Mom, I want to say I never had a problem with the boys. In fact, this is where I want to confess that I had the exact opposite of a problem with them. I uh... fell in love with them.”
The parents looked shocked, and exchanged glances with one another.
“It was before we knew you were even dating. We’d always been good friends at school; we just never really took it to the next level until we graduated. Then, soon after, we find out we’re likely going to become step siblings.”
More confused glances from Mr. Baker and Ms. Miller.
“Step siblings? I suppose you will,” Ms. Miller started. “But as you’re eighteen and going to college, I’m not sure it would be anything like having real brothers.”
“So, as I was saying, we’d always been crazy about one another.”
“When you say we, dear,” her mom interrupted, “which one of the boys are you talking about?”
“All of them, really.”
“If I can explain, ma’am, I never attempted to date Grace when we were in school because I was afraid of how that might affect my grades.”
“You were always studious, Noah.”The parents had confused expressions on their faces. They hadn’t a clue what Grace was about to tell them. “But Grace, what do you mean?”
Grace took hold of each of the twins’ hands. “I love these guys dearly. And I think this might be more than just a fling, Mom.”
“Both of them?” she asked back.
Grace nodded. “Both of them.”
“And... then why are these boys here?” Mr. Baker said, crossing his arms, not entirely pleased with the sudden direction it was all taking.
“Because I love them too.”
Mr. Baker shook his head with confusion as if he were at the heart of a practical joke.
Sam threw his arms up. “Turns out she’s just madly in love with all four of us, and we’re happy with that. So here we are, old man.”
Mr. Baker struggled to process everything thrown at him. “So... what... she’s dating... all four of you?” He held four fingers up as if he couldn’t perceive what the number lay between three and five anymore.