In Your Corner | ✓

Four

"Honestly, I think starting to work at your dad's garage was probably the best decision I've ever made in my life," Jonny declares, unbuckling his seatbelt and turning to me.

I laugh, turning off the car ignition. "I'm imagining that's not because of the salary, or because of how much you've learned about cars, but because of these meals, right?"

He grins cheekily at me, his eyes twinkling. "Too right."

We've just pulled up outside my childhood home, ready for our usual Sunday night dinner here. Every week, Dad invites Jonny, Pat, Andrei and me for dinner, saying that it's really important bonding time.

The five of us have always operated like a family and Dad – who happens to be the Dad in our garage scenario too – insists that we spend a bit of time together outside of work, eating together.

It definitely helps that my step-mom, Ruby, is a fantastic cook.

Laughing, I push open my door and step outside, locking the car once Jonny has shut his door, too. "You're a menace."

He shrugs unapologetically, letting my words slide down his back, completely unphased. "A hungry menace at that. Let's go."

I follow my best friend, my unofficial brother, up the steps to my home, smiling as he pushes the door open without knocking, as though it's his home too.

I wouldn't have it any other way, anyway. The fact that work and family connect so well together makes life so much easier for me and I love that we have these dinners together.

"Momma Choi!" Jonny shouts enthusiastically, wrapping my step-mom in a hug before she even has time to realise that he's here. "I've missed you all week, you know."

She laughs, pressing her cheek against his chest. Ruby always wanted children, but it just didn't work out for her, so she treats Jonny like her own.

He, of course, laps it up.

Ruby also treats me like her own child, something that never failed to make my Dad tear up about when they were first getting together six years ago.

My birth Mom died during childbirth and it rattled my father for a very long time. When I was growing up, he saw women here or there, but nothing worked like it did with Ruby.

Dad and I have always been a package deal, a solid duo who talk about everything. So, when we realised that Ruby was the real deal, we made a pact to do everything to make her feel welcome and to try our best to keep her around.

We did a pretty good job, I'd say, because they got married quite fast when I was fifteen and it's been a pretty smooth ride since then. She just fits right into our family: not just Dad and me, but the wider, garage family, too.

It's like Dad and Ruby are the parents, Pat's the uncle and Jonny, Andrei and I are the rascal children.

Ruby pulls away from Jonny and embraces me, her cheek pressing against mine. "Good to see you, Natalie."

I squeeze her tight, relishing the soft scent of her perfume. "Hey, Ruby."

It's not personal that I've always called her by her name, but in my head, my Mom already exists. She's with me in a lot of things and referring to Ruby as my Mom would make me feel weird.

It's never affected our good relationship though.

I hug Dad next and then take a seat at the table, next to Andrei and opposite Jonny. Pat sits opposite Andrei, leaving the ends of the table for Dad and Ruby.

"Hey, Andrei," I greet him, resting my head on his shoulder briefly. He's eighteen and started working for my Dad about a year ago. We hit it off straight away and are pretty good friends now. He's a lot more reserved than Jonny and kind of has a bad-boy vibe going on, but he's a teddy bear, really.