Research: Romance

dinner & dessert

My cousins shout answers enthusiastically, crying out at ear splitting levels. Their smiles and energy are so contagious that the adults laugh and smile along with them. We make our guesses as well, but this time no one can figure out what Robin is acting out.

"Give us a hint!" Joey, the oldest of his siblings at 13, demands from beside Rosie.

Robin smiles, then points to Jordan, who is sitting beside Caragh. He looks surprised to be called out, and let's go of Caragh's hand to sit forward, "Me? I'm the hint?"

Robin nods, then tries to mask his laughter, and acts out the scene again. Everyone cracks up, not sure what he's doing.

"Eating something?"  Rosie guesses and he encourages her.

"Something gross!" Cade adds on and Robin waves for more.

Nora's eyes light up and she glares at Jordan accusingly, "You think my turkey was dry too, you jerk!"

Everyone bursts into laughter as Jordan's jaw drops. Robin claps his hands, nodding his approval of the guess. Jordan points at Robin in betrayal, shouting, "I told you that in secret!!"

We fall into another riot of laughter; the little kids hold their full bellies while they giggle. AJ tucks Nora under his arm good naturedly, "Aw, baby, it tasted great to me."

She snorts, brushing off his ill attempt at comforting her. Instead, she glares playfully at Robin, "Who invited you anyway?"

Robin takes his seat on the other side of my dad, who gives him a secret fist bump when he thinks Nora isn't looking. Since she got it right, she stands up, "Alright, what category?"

"I'm bored," Cade and Oliva groan together.

Rosie joins in sweetly, trying not to blush when she looks at Robin, "I like this game."

"That's cause you're boring," Cade remarks pointedly at Rosie, making her stick her tongue out at him. Caragh reprimands her gently, and Rosie blushes. Meanwhile Cade looks smug enough to make Jordan tell him to cut it out.

Mom chimes in, "Dessert still has to bake for a while longer. What should we do?"

AJ yawns, "Let's all play the quiet game."

Every child boos out loud, but the adults like the sound of that. When my dad starts to support AJ along with my grandpa, who has been asleep next to my grandma this whole time, my grandma looks at me and says, "Why don't we ask Leah?"

Surprised by her sudden contribution, everyone turns toward her. My mom looks at her mother and replies kindly, "Ask Leah what, mom?"

"Why she's a freaking nerd?" Joey cracks, making the little kids--And AJ-- lose it.

I roll my eyes, responding with the utmost maturity, "I know you are, but what am I?" 

This stumps him, and Robin chuckles across the room making Joey glare at me defensively. Before we can start arguing Grandma says again in her sweet voice, "About her book, Lily. Why don't we help her with her book?"

My Mom looks at me in question, her face saying: What is she talking about?  I simply shrug in response.

That's when my Aunt Caragh shoots up from the couch, "That's a great idea Gran! Leah, what trope can we help you research! Is there something you guys haven't done yet?"

Robin and I make eye contact from across the room. He lifts his eyebrows, the corner of his mouth rising slightly. My heart skips and I look back at my aunt, "Umm..."

"Ohh! Let's act out our favorite cliches from Rom-coms and we must guess which one it is!" Nora exclaims.

"Boring!" Joey and Cade cry out, and the rest of the men in the circle, excepting my dad who is a closet romantic, seem to share the sentiment. My eyes find Robin's again, except in complete panic. He's looking at me in the same way, alarmed at doing anything of the sort.