The Survivor (Book #2)

Chapter 16

Almost everything was in the works or already made by the time I arrived, but I got to help with some of the easier dishes. Brooks and I worked on the green bean casserole together under Charlotte's watchful eye, and then Caleb and I threw some dough on a tray and started baking the rolls. We nearly let the first batch burn but managed to catch them just in time. They had burnt tips, sure, but nobody would notice.

We threw them in the cute basket Charlotte had picked out and I hopped on the counter as I watched Damon and Dominic work on the dessert. There was something funny about them trying to be precise with miniature foods with their massive arms and hands. They were currently making strips for the lattice top of the pie and almost shaking from their focus. Every time I giggled Damon threw me a dirty look until eventually, he found a towel to whip my leg with. I scooted down closer to where Charlotte was making things pretty so that he had to stop.

Charlotte was throwing garnish around some of the meals and replacing the cooking sheets under the food with colored platters. I never realized she had an eye for this sort of thing, but I supposed I wasn't surprised. The house that she owned was stunning, after all.

"How did you learn how to do that, Charlotte?" I commented in an awestruck voice.

She smiled up at me, brushing a strand of red hair from her face.

"My mom taught me," she said with an open expression. It seemed like she was remembering something fondly, and that made me happy. I wondered if she was thinking of past holidays with her mother, or maybe the day she had first learned how to make things so pretty.

"What's your mom like?" I asked hesitantly. I didn't want to ask if she was still alive or if she had passed, but she had to be old by now, certainly.

"You'll find out today," she responded knowingly, taking a step back to admire her handiwork and then smiling at me.

"I'm going to meet her?"

"Yep! Her, my brother and his wife, your cousins, and a good friend of mine." I smiled at the way she said "your" cousins, and she beamed back because she knew. I blushed as I faced the ground and then thought back to her first statement.

"What's your dad like?" And then before I could help it, I blurted out "Is your mom old?" It may have been insensitive, but I was curious!

"My father has long since passed but my mom is going to make it to 100 someday by sheer power of will." She laughed at her own assessment and Caleb came over and joined the conversation.

"Yeah, Mimi is a handful, but you'll like her. She's strong like you." He remarked casually, before walking over to Damon to try to steal a cookie. I heard the snap of the towel again but was still reeling over what he said. Did he really think I was strong? I thought I was the weakest person in the world. What had I ever done, besides stay alive?

I let out a weird sound in my throat as I thought of that truth. The reality was that I would never be as strong as my uncle. Never as big, as broad, as muscular. I'd never be able to hurt someone and not feel it a thousand times stronger than they did. I was weaker than anyone knew. Charlotte walked over to me as if she sensed what I was feeling.

"Are you okay?" she murmured, placing a tentative hand on my shoulder.

I nodded immediately and gave her a smile. "Is everyone who's coming today nice?"

The subject change didn't go unnoticed, but I think she believed my excuse easily enough. And it was true, I was worried about who was coming over today. What if they didn't like me? What if they said mean things to me? What if they wanted to hurt me, or thought of me in a weird way?

I knew the chances were small, but luck hadn't ever really been on my side before. Why would it now? 

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A/N This chapter is because y'all are good people who leave adorable comments and deserve all the chapters your little hearts desire.