The Quest for Fireworks

Hey Brother

    I have a boyfriend. Later that day, we decided that if this is love, the least we can do is put a trivial, adolescent title on it.
    In the days that followed, not much changed. We spent time together, went on dates, had more sex. Everything has only gotten better.
    Today, however, I'm meeting his family. I have a mother who lives in Florida that I barely see. Everyone else in my family is not relevant or dead. In Jordan's household alone there are seven people. That's a lot to take in when you're not used to family.
    I'm nervous but I'm trying my best to hold it together. I'm wearing leggings and a nice shirt that I barely wear, I actually styled my hair and put on a little bit of makeup. I want to make a good impression.
    "They're going to like you," Jordan says as we pull up out front of a cute, two story brick home. "It's hard not to."
    "For you, maybe," I say, checking my face in the visor mirror for the third time. "I'm not great with families."
    "Babe," he says, which is only the second time he's called me that, "they're just people. And you're a great person, give yourself some credit."
    "Well I guess if someone like you likes me, I can't be that bad."
    Jordan rolls his eyes but smiles before leaning over to kiss me quickly. "Oh and don't look too closely at the pictures on the walls," he says, one foot out the car door. "I keep asking my mom to take down the old ones but I can bet she hasn't."
    You know when someone tells you not to do something and it takes over your entire brain so that all you want to do is the thing they told you not to? That's what I'm experiencing right now. I try my hardest to push the words from my memory completely, trying to forget that it was even suggested and hoping that my eyes will just look away on their own.
    I follow Jordan as he opens the door and steps inside the house. Immediately I smell garlic and hear video game sounds.
    "Oh, hey brother," a voice says before I can see where it comes from. The sounds stop.
    Inside the first room to the right is a huge TV and an oversized couch. There's a teenage boy with shaggy hair holding a controller of some kind.
    "Nate," Jordan says, walking further into the room and fist bumping his brother. "This is Avery."
    Jordan introduces me before I'm prepared. "Hey," I say, trying too hard to sound cool. I'm officially at the age where I feel the need to impress teenagers.
    "Sup," he says, reaching his hand out for me to shake. Polite young man.
    "Where's mom?" Jordan asks.
    "Kitchen," Nate says plainly before turning back to the television, resuming the game and furiously hitting buttons on the controller.
    I follow Jordan down the hallway until the room opens up, revealing a large kitchen and another living room area separated by a dining table.
    Another older looking teenage boy sits on the couch, looking at his phone while some sports game plays on the television.
    "Hey D," Jordan says in the boy's direction.
    He lifts his head enough to see us, nods and then looks back down.
    "That's Dean," Jordan tells me.
    I just nod.
    To the left there's a thin woman with long brown hair stirring a pot on the stove. She turns around at the sound of Jordan's voice.
    "Well hello, son," she says, her voice soft and sweet.
    "Mom, this is Avery," he says, gesturing to me.
    I smile and take a tentative step forward, not sure if I'm supposed to shake her hand or hug her or nothing at all.
    "It's nice to meet you," I say.
    "It's wonderful to meet you as well," she says, staying where she is, grabbing a towel off the counter to wipe her hands. "I've heard a lot about you."
    "That's terrifying," I say without thinking.
    Luckily she laughs. "Dinner will be ready soon, your brother is on his way," she says the last part to Jordan.
    "Driving back from college? He didn't have to do that," he says.
    "I asked him to, so, yes he did," his mother clarifies with a smile.
    Footsteps coming down the stairs grabs my attention. I turn to see a middle aged man who must be Jordan's father coming down the hall.
    "Ah, son," he says, entering the kitchen and clapping his hands on Jordan's shoulders. "Who is this lovely lady that has daringly entered this war zone?"
    I vaguely remember Jordan telling me his father was in the army so I get the joke.
    "Oh Tom, don't act like you don't know that this is the one and only Avery," Jordan's mom says.
    "Mom," Jordan groans.
    "Oh yes, of course. The girl that's stolen our son's heart," his dad, Tom, says.
    "Did you guys practice being this embarrassing or is it just that natural for you?" Jordan asks them.
    "We're not embarrassing, are we Addy?" Tom asks, walking over to his wife.
    "No, never," she says, wrinkling her forehead and pretending to be offended.
    The front door opens drawing my attention once more. A tall boy in skinny jeans and a band T-shirt walks in. He looks like a younger, taller, tanner version of Jordan. I know by the things Jordan's told me that this must be Luke.
    "Well, well, well," Luke says, making his way down the hallway, looking directly at me, "if it isn't the girl who's trying to steal my soulmate."
    He walks past me and hugs Jordan. It isn't a "bro" hug either, it's a real one.
    "Missed you," Jordan says to him as they part.
    "Come to campus then," Luke tells him. "As much as you come to Philly, you can always make a pit stop."
    "I know, I will," Jordan says.
    "You can bring her too, I guess," Luke says, pointing his thumb over his shoulder at me before walking over to kiss his mother on the cheek.
    I start to feel slightly nauseous. I don't think Luke likes me and I haven't even said a word to him yet. Things were going fine until now.
    "Jordan, round up the boys for me. Avery, pick a seat at the table," Addy says as Luke and Tom also make their way to the table.
    I sit down at the opposite end from them and hope that Jordan can claim a seat next to me.
    Dean appears and he looks unhappy. "That's his seat," Nate tells me as he slides into the seat across from me.
    "Oh, I'm sorry. I can move," I say, starting to get up.
    "It's fine," Dean says, sitting in the chair at the end of the table, next to me.
    Jordan comes back and sits on the other side of me, thankfully. I instantly feel less stressed with him by my side. Luke is next to him, Tom is at the end and, after setting all of the bowls on the table, Addy sits across from Luke.
    "Help yourselves," Addy instructs, though Nate has already taken two pieces of garlic bread and Dean reached for the salad bowl the moment Addy set it down.
    The dinner conversation is mostly Addy and Tom asking Luke about how college is going. Addy draws attention to me once by asking if I went to college and what I do now. I tell them and Nate says he's seen some of my articles which makes me feel almost famous. I don't ask him if he liked them or not because I don't want to ruin the feeling.
    Every once in a while, Jordan squeezes my leg under the table and I can't tell if he's trying to reassure me or himself.
    After dinner, I offer to help Addy clear the table because even if I don't have a family, I have manners. She insists the boys can do it and instructs me to relax on the couch.
    I sit down and immediately my eyes go to a framed picture hanging on the wall across from me. I pull my phone out of my pocket and scroll through Twitter to distract myself. Though seeing old pictures of Jordan won't change how I feel about him, I don't want to disrespect Jordan's request. 
    A minute later, I feel someone sit next to me. I assume it's Jordan but when I look up, it's his twin.
    "I was just joking earlier," Luke says. "Not about Jor being my soulmate, because that's a fact. Just about you stealing him. I'm glad he found someone, he deserves more happiness than most people."
    "He does," I say because it's true. "He talks about you a lot."
    "He better, he's my best friend. We've both been through a lot of shit together. Sometimes it feels like we're the only people in the world who really get each other. But if he found someone else then maybe there's hope for me too."
    "I'm sure there is," I tell him. "If you're as great as Jordan says you are then you should have no trouble."
    Luke shrugs. "I am who I am because of Jordan."
    "Then you must be incredible," I say, unable to stop myself from smiling.
    He smiles and runs a hand through his hair. "I strive to be on his level everyday. To be brave, fearless, authentic. He's the best role model and mentor I could've ever asked for."
    Jordan walks over, eyebrows raised and sits on the other side of me. "What're you talking about?"
    "Oh, I was just telling Avery that if she hurts you I'll personally kill her with my bare hands," Luke says, casually.
    I look over at him, slightly scared but then he winks.

    "You come for dinner anytime you want," Addy says to me as Jordan and I make our way to the front door.
    "Yeah, and if you want Jordan full time, I've got some boxes in the basement. We can start packing his stuff right now," Tom calls from the living room.
    "Ha ha," Jordan yells back, smiling.
    Without a warning, Addy pulls me into a hug. "Thank you," she says in my ear. "I've never seen him this happy."
    "I know how he feels," I say before letting go.
    "I'll be back later," Jordan tells his mom, opening the front door for me.
    "And if you won't, just shoot me a text," Addy says with a wink. "Lovely to meet you," she says to me.
    "You too," I say as she kisses Jordan on the cheek.
    We make our way to the car where Jordan opens the door for me for what feels like the millionth time. He gets in behind the wheel and silently starts the car.
    "They like you," he says once we're a few miles down the road.
    "I don't know about Luke or Dean," I say.
    "Dean is always like that," Jordan explains. "He's in his angst phase."
    I nod, remembering my own teenage angst.
    "Luke is Luke," he says as if that's enough. "When he was born, I was old enough to know how to take care of a baby and I was obsessed with him. As he grew, I grew and our bond just got stronger."
    These are the conversations I love having with Jordan. They show me a little bit of who he was before I knew him.
    "I got to pick his name," Jordan says. "And yes, I chose the name of my favorite Star Wars character."
     I laugh. "I've never seen Star Wars."
    Jordan audibly gasps. "Glad you didn't say that at dinner."