âYou said your brother is going to be there?â
Jake nodded wordlessly.
âWhy did you say he was going to be upset you were coming home?â Iâd been mulling the question over for a few days but heâd never alluded to having a bad relationship with any of his family before that I could recall.
Jake snorted. âHe wonât be upset about us being there. Heâs just upset about life. Because heâs an angsty 17 year old and the baby of the family.â
I grinned, understanding sibling dynamics. Lillian and Adriana were 16 and 14, respectively, and, much as I missed them, the hormones and drama were a bit frightening to experience first hand.
âAnd his name is Josh?â
Jake finally gave a genuine grin. âYes, his name is Josh.â
âAnd your older sister is Liz?â
âYeah, but she wonât be there this weekend.â
âAnd your parents named you all with nicknames on purpose?â I couldnât wrap my head around the fact that all three of them didnât have full names. And it amused Jake to no end that it confused me.
Jake laughed and shrugged. âYeah. For our first names, at least.â Then he blushed and glanced away.
âNow youâve piqued my curiosity,â I told him, laughing when that made his cheeks darker.
âNever gonna happen,â he responded stubbornly. âWhat about your sisters? What are they like?â
He was about as subtle as a bull in a china shop, but I let him change the subject.
I feel like Iâm hardcore changing the tone