Belief in Miracles (completed)

Chapter 31: Summer

31Summer

Laurie led me past the stairs into a kitchen that was twice the size of my own. An ornate granite island dominated the center of it, with cherry wood cabinets lining the top and bottom of the back and side walls. Four ladies were busy doing various tasks with the food, only one of whom I recognized: Sebastian's mother, Charlotte. None of them were looking at us, but were laughing and talking among themselves.

"Ladies..." Laurie began, and four heads whipped upward as she placed a hand on the small of my back to urge me forward. "We have a new guest this year."

Smiling, Charlotte rounded the island, wiping her flour-dusted hands on her apron as she came to enfold me in a hug.

"Happy Thanksgiving, Summer. I was hopin' Bassy was gonna bring you."

"Thanks." I said when she pulled away.

Her hair had been pulled up tight and was held in place by a large clip, though a few curls had fallen loose at her temples, which she blew back as she returned to the dough she'd been rolling. She looked up at me  when I didn't move or speak, and jerked her head towards the others.

"Go on and introduce yourself, lass. We don't bite."

Feeling my face warm with blush as more than a little social anxiety made me awkward, I met the eyes of the other women. "Hi, I'm Summer. Nice to meet you all."

"She's Bas's girlfriend." Laurie explained for me, and more than one mouth fell open.

"Since when does Bassy date?" the woman to Charlotte's right asked. She had mouse brown hair and plain Jane features, her hands using two forks to toss a salad. "I thought that last chick sold him off the dating scene for good."

"She is his 'one'." Charlotte spoke up, her eyes smiling. "Everyone finds their 'one', that special person hand-picked by our Heavenly Father. I knew that Molly was not the one, and I was right. We been waiting a long time for Bassy to find you."

I grinned at her as the others in tow lifted their eyes with fondness. Beside me, Laurie touched a hand to my arm, beaming a megawatt grin.

"Summer is special. You two met at church, right?" She asked me, and I shrugged.

"Kind of..." If support group within the church counted anyway.

The woman who had spoken before, smiled at me. "Well that's awesome. Good for Bas. I'm Riley, by the way. Ryan's wife."

"Nice to meet you." I mumbled, wishing Sebastian was there with me to diffuse some of the awkwardness.

Laurie patted my back and led me a little further into the room. "So, you know Mama, obviously, and over behind Riley there is Mark's wife, Katrina—"

"You can call me Kat." She called over her shoulder with a subtle wave. "I loathe the name Katrina."

I smiled as I remembered what Sebastian had said about what she and her husband had done for Charlotte and George. Her hands were making busy work of whisking a gravy pot on the stove, her back to the room. She had red hair a few shades darker than mine, and straight as straw, falling just a few inches below her shoulders. When she turned to grin at me, I saw leprechaun green eyes.

Laurie led me to the island where, opposite Charlotte and Riley, another woman was busy kneading dough. She had smooth, Hershey's-colored skin and black hair that had been pulled into a ponytail behind her head. When she looked up at me, her ice blue eyes smiled with her.

"I'm Tory. Nice to meet you, honey." She started lifting her hand, then, seeming to realize it was coated in flour, lowered it to offer her elbow instead. I laughed when I shook it.