Chapter Thirty-Four -- What Siblings Are For
Their parents appeared to be just as taken aback as Maddox was by the furious crowd pouring into the kitchen. After a few calls for quiet from their dad, and one, very prompt, hand slap on the counter from their mom, finally, his siblings quieted down some. Not completely, and the first to talk was Alicia. "Mom, dad, can't you see? Maddox's totally crazy about Jonathan!"
"His name is Jonathan?" Sophia asked. "What's his family name?"
"Is that the most important detail here?" Vern intervened. "Maddox, is this your idea of a joke?"
Of course, Vern would side with his parents, given how serious he had grown up to be. Throughout his childhood, Vern had been his idol and hero. Given the fourteen years between them, he couldn't be anything else. He wasn't that right now, though, and Maddox felt a pang in his chest, like he was losing something important all of a sudden. "It is not a joke," he told his oldest brother.
Vern pursed his lips and stared at him with hard eyes. While Sophia was the younger version of their mom, Vern carried the strongest resemblance to their dad.
To his surprise, Vern turned calmly toward their parents. "If Maddox says it's not a joke, then it's not a joke. Because Maddox never lies when it's about important things."
That was his hero, yes, right there. Maddox wanted to hug him and thank him for being on his side.
"But he's an incorrigible womanizer," Sophia protested.
"And I have no idea what to wear to a gay wedding," Emma moaned.
"What gay wedding?" Their mom raised her voice over them as they began to talk all at the same time. "There won't be any gay wedding."
"Really, mom?" Alicia asked and crossed her arms over her chest. "Of course, there will be a gay wedding."
"I haven't thought about it that far," Maddox considered it a good moment to intervene. "And how come all of you are here? And why?"
Emma considered it proper that she should answer that. "When Al is lurking in corners, something interesting must be going on."
So, from there, it must have spread like wildfire. There was an invisible connection between all the Kingsley siblings that Maddox was very much aware of, as well. When they got together, it was impossible to keep a secret. At least they left spouses and kids out of it, and for that, Maddox was grateful.
"Go back to your rooms," their mom ordered in a loud voice. "This is something we must talk to Maddox about, just your father and I."
"Like hell," Alicia protested. "You'll have to make me. And we're too old for you to send to our rooms like that."
"You're never too old for me to still consider you kids," their mom replied. "Maddox is just, what's that word, dear?" She turned toward their dad.
"Confused?" Their dad replied, but he seemed to be the one confused by the whole thing.
"Yes, that," their mom said. "And we're going to sort him out right now. But without you here."
"I'm not going anywhere," Alicia said. "Vern, she cannot make us go to our rooms, right?"
"We're here for Maddox," Vern confirmed. "And we'd like to hear what he has to say, as well."
"And we want to see Jonathan, too," Emma added eagerly, with stars in her eyes.
Maddox made a move to hand over the phone, but his mom caught his hand. "Don't you dare," she warned him.
That was something he couldn't understand, but allowed his mom to take the phone out of his hand. "Why?" he asked.
"Because he's too handsome, and it's easy to get these airheads," she pointed at his sisters, "thinking that you're about to marry into some royal family."
Emma let out a gasp of surprise. "What are you saying? Al, you weren't just talking shit, were you?"
Alicia stared at Emma triumphantly. "When do I ever talk shit?"
"Stop using the word 'shit' in my kitchen," their mom boomed over the animated conversation that seemed to have been triggered by Alicia's comment.
"Sorry, mom," both Emma and Alicia said in unison.
"Really, is that all you care about?" Sophia gestured wildly. "That this dude looks like a prince? Hello, how about the elephant in the room?"
"Don't be annoying, So-so," Alicia counterattacked, using the most annoying nickname she had ever come up with for her sister. "And dad is not that fat."
That prompted a snicker from Emma, and Maddox could swear even Vern covered half his face for a moment. No, their dad was in good shape for his age, but he might have gained a bit of girth during the past few years since he had started leaving Vern in charge of the construction company. Both his parents deserved more free time, but it looked like their dad was indulging a bit too freely in their mom's awesome cooking lately.
Obviously sensitive to his kids' remarks, their dad sucked in his belly and stared at them, all wide-eyed and ready to bolt.
"This isn't about your dad," their mom stopped them. "This is about Maddox and his sudden decision to shock us. It isn't like you to do such a thing." Apparently, she had already forgotten about how she wanted them out of there, save for Maddox.
"Right, because if it's not aligned with your picture perfect idea of a family, then it doesn't exist," Alicia protested in his stead. "Maybe Maddox could get his beautiful boyfriend pregnant, and then you'll finally be happy."
"Alicia Boadicea Carolina Kingsley!" They all shut up at the same time and stared at their dad. Alicia tried to play brave, but anyone could see she was wavering already. "Go to your room. Now," he added.
Alicia turned on her heel.
"And think about how you're going to apologize to your mother," he called after her.
Not even Alicia dared to slam the door after her. Long moments after she was out of the room, they remained silent, just stealing glances at one another. Vern patted Emma and Sophia on their shoulders. "Let's go. Maddox needs to talk this through with mom and dad."
Maddox stared after his siblings and felt a new kind of weight crushing his chest. He appreciated Alicia being on his side, but her volcanic temperament was getting her in trouble more often than not. And now, their dad was really pissed at her, and that said a lot.
"You, too, Maddox. Go to sleep," his dad said.
"But--"
"No 'buts'. We'll talk tomorrow some more. But before that, we'll have a family Thanksgiving dinner. Your mom didn't work this hard for any of you to make a mess out of it. Good night."
Maddox knew better than to antagonize his dad when he got like that. He knew that their dad loved all of them, but he also cared about their mom, and he could tell that Alicia's words had been too harsh, as much as they must have been meant as some sort of joke. He retrieved his phone, wished them good night in a subdued voice, and headed out of the kitchen.
***
"Aren't you too hot?" Jonathan looked at Rusty, who still wore the sweater he had given him earlier.
"Do you want it back?" Rusty asked while he felt the fabric by rubbing his hands over his belly.
