Idiot's Guide To Falling In Love [Completed]✔

Chapter 16

Shawn and I went to his backyard, both smiling until we saw the scenery. Tamara was in one side of the yard, Shawn's mom on the other side with Caitlyn and their dad was nowhere to be seen. Same with his brother. I thought my awkward silences were bad.

Then Shawn's dad appeared out of nowhere and his face went red. I don't think he was expecting for things to be this bad.

Then Steven came out of the kitchen and his eyes went wide to the sight of my best friend. His dad patted him on the back and said, "Relax son, she's your sister." He sighed loudly and I could hear a slight laugh from Tamara.

Then Shawn spoke. "Oh and I invited Emma, if that's okay?" His mom's face softened. "That's okay honey. The more the merrier." She smiled at me and then her face went back to her bored look. I'm pretty sure I wasn't the only one who noticed that she wasn't very pleased with her step-daughter who'd she'd never met being at her house.

Once Shawn's dad started cooking meat for the barbecue the silence ended. He talked about how nice it was to have all of his children in one house (to which Shawn's mother scoffed), about how thankful he was to have Tamara and I with them, and how happy he was that he had such a big family.

It was all very nice until we started eating and DAMN Shawn's dad was a good cook. Yes, it was a simple barbecue but not even my dad can get into that level of deliciousness.

"Tamara, how is your mom doing?" Shawn's mom asked, not even bothering to look up. Tami swallowed her food and sipped a little from her drink. "She's doing great actually now that..." Her face went blank. I knew what she was going to say. Ever since her dad started helping them, but I don't think she was ready to call him that. "Now that you are helping her she's gotten a lot better. She was really thankful that you invited me over tonight." Her voice was shaky and everyone could tell she was trying hard not to cry because of the nerves.

But Shawn's mom didn't get it.

"And has she had another incident with the drugs?" Shawn's dad stood up and practically yelled, "Felicia!" Her mom stood her ground. "I was just asking her. If her mom still has the problem she could always come here." Their father sat back down though I could tell he was still really mad and Tami looked like she was close to tears. But we were all stunned that Mrs. Becker actually wanted to do something good for her stepdaughter.

Tami took another sip from her drink and her step mother said, "I'm sorry if I sounded rude. It just makes me sad that my children had a good life while you've had to grow up practically with a single mother." Tami nodded. She was speechless like the rest of us.

Soon after we were all laughing and getting along. The Beckers and Tamara actually looked like a family and I started noticing the ways they were all similar. Like how they had the same nose as their father and how Tami's mouth curved in the same way as her dad's did when they laughed. How could I have not noticed sooner? They were all so alike.

At eleven Mr. and Mrs. Becker started cleaning everything up. They were moving the table away and cleaning the yard. Tamara and I seemed to be the only ones who didn't know what was happing. Then they brought blankets from inside the house and I understood.

They put blankets and pillows on the grass and they sat down. Then Tami whispered something to me. "It reminds me of the only December 31st my mom and I spent with my dad. We lay blankets on the floor and looked up into the sky. Then we waited for the fireworks to begin." She had tears in her eyes and I held her in my arms. Then we both did as everyone else.

Felicia and Mark (Tamara's and the Becker's dad) were in each others' arms looking up. I had my head on Shawn's chest and Tami's head on my stomach. Caitlyn was lying down with her head on her sister's legs, Steven just lay there away from everyone and the babies were inside in their room where hopefully they wouldn't be woken up by the fireworks.