Life in Fusion by Ethan Day

it.” I was assuming that the “we” in her
    statement meant I had to hate the mystery guy as well. They
    seemed like an all for one, one for all kinda family.
    I turned around and surveyed the large corkboard on the wall
    behind me. It was covered with family pictures, cards from every
    possible special occasion, along with multiple children’s drawings,
    and it was about the only thing that kept the kitchen from feeling
    cold and sterile—that and the warmth of the people currently
    inhabiting it.
    Uncle Pete, who I hadn’t seen since the unfortunate night I
    ran out of his restaurant like a freak, was as relaxed in his home
    environment as he had been at his business. There was an overall
    sense about him that led me to believe he was now, and always
    had been, extremely easygoing. He was also kind of a hottie, for
    an older dude, dressed in jeans and a crisp red button down that
    made his full head of white hair practically glow.
    He was opening several bottles of wine while Jackie pulled
    out a tray of hot garlic bread from the oven. She slid the pan
    across the granite countertop before using her foot to kick the
    oven door shut.
    78 Ethan Day
    It was like a ballet, which made me very conscious of the
    fact that this was a family that had spent many years working in
    confined spaces with one another. They instinctively knew where
    to stand, when it was okay to move, taking a step or two in any
    given direction when needed, and most of all when to stop and
    smile at one another—as if that were their reward for a job well
    done.
    Even after Wade and Shep came back in, filling the room
    up with more bodies, it never felt cramped. And Wade kissing
    the top of my head and massaging my shoulders while they all
    talked at the same time, still managing to understand one another
    perfectly, eased the tension I felt as the lone wolf interloper.
    It wasn’t that I didn’t belong, so much as they were all so at
    home. It was a slight distinction that made a huge difference in
    the way I perceived myself among them. I kept on smiling as they
    volleyed comments back and forth while carting the food and
    wine from the kitchen to the dining room. It was as chaotic as
    any given evening at my parents’ house, but in a totally different
    way. Here it felt like anything uttered among them would be
    enjoyed, appreciated and welcomed wholeheartedly. At home it
    felt like anything might be uttered at anytime, whether enjoyed
    and appreciated or not.
    His family had manners, and was all polite and shit—quite the
    contrast from mine.
    I brought up the rear, following Wade into the dining room
    while Shep sat the kids down at the dinette table in the kitchen.
    Jackie breezed past me and helped Shep arrange the fries and
    chicken nuggets onto plastic plates for the boys.
    Jackie mentioned the boys were no longer allowed to eat
    anything that could stain, such as tomato sauce, while at Del’s.
    Apparently there had been some incident in the past. I wasn’t
    sure why she decided to inform me of this, as if I, of all people,
    would judge anyone else’s nutritional intake. I was however
    beginning to think these tiny humanoids were a lot more trouble
    than they were worth.
    Wade motioned for me to take the chair next to his while
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    Del and Uncle Pete sat at either end. My stomach rumbled and I
    realized how hungry I was as I joined them at the table. The dining
    room wasn’t huge to begin with. The fact it was crammed full of
    furniture between the table, sideboard and large china cabinet
    didn’t help matters. An oversized brass chandelier dangled above
    our heads and the back wall was covered with framed photos
    of the family. I was sure to all of them it was cozy, but to me,
    who’d grown up having dinner on the floor in front of the TV, it
    was kinda claustrophobic. The open archway at my back that led
    into the living room was the only thing that kept me from totally
    wigging out.
    I could hear giggling