Page 84 of Breaking the Ice

“Nothing. The catering staff is taking care of everything.” My mom spins on the heel of her sensible pump, then tosses over her shoulder, “Go make introductions while I check on the last minute tasks.”

Isabella’s mouth hangs open. “You really can’t win with her, can you?”

“Nope.” I shake my head, shoving my hands in my pockets and rocking on the balls of my feet. “I made my peace with that years ago. It’s not worth the time or the energy to try.”

She turns to face me. “You’re really amazing.”

Warmth spreads through my chest at her praise, but I deflect. “Nah. Didn’t you hear her? I’m a disappointment at every turn.”

“Not to me.” Pushing up on her toes, she brushes a quick kiss across my lips, but it’s over way too soon.

I want to muss up her perfect hair and make-up, but I resist the urge and thread our fingers back together. “Want to come meet the rest of my family?”

“Depends. Are they all like your mom?”

I shrug. “I have some cousins who are cool. Beth and Ally have potential.”

She gives my hand a firm squeeze and squares her shoulders. “Let’s do this.”

“A whirlwind wedding, ah?” My uncle Todd gives a too-enthusiastic laugh and leers at Isabella. “Does that mean we’ll have a baby announcement soon?”

Isabella chokes on her glass of white wine, then holds it up. “If so, it’s a surprise to me.”

“Just Beth and Ally, dear,” my aunt Debbie says, sipping her cocktail. “It’s all Ann can talk about.”

My mom is weird about Beth’s sexual orientation. She’s leaned so hard into being proud of her lesbian daughter and accomplished partner that, like everything, she’s made it all about her. She’s forever telling anyone who will listen how open-minded she is. And maybe it’s true, I don’t know how Beth feels about it. No doubt Mom will find a way to be the focus of their adoption, too.

“Right, the lesbians.” The way my uncle says the word makes my skin crawl. “Neither of you kids has managed to do things the traditional way, huh?”

The strain in Isabella’s expression has me stepping forward and speaking before I think. “I know it’s been a while since you and Debbie were madly in love, but we just couldn’t wait any longer to be married. There are lots of ways to put together a family, and I don’t care to hear your opinion about it.”

At that, Todd tosses back his whiskey and shuts up, which is worth my ill-advised insult.

But my aunt Debbie jumps in, giving me a pitying look. “That’s sweet, I suppose, but marrying someone after you’ve been dating for a few months is a recipe for disaster. Make a better choice for your second marriage, Evan.”

I clear my throat. “And how long did Grandma and Pop-Pop date before they eloped?”

Color rises on Debbie’s cheeks. “Well, it was a different time.”

It was the sixties. When they dropped out of college and ran off together at Valentine’s Day, moving from Ohio to Michigan, it was the scandal of the century in the small town they left behind. Their friends here are literally still talking about it. So Aunt Debbie can shove it.

“If you’ll excuse us.” Putting my hand on the small of Isabella’s back, I guide her away from my horrible aunt and uncle and into an alcove.

“Sorry about them,” I tell her. “My grandparents are cool, but their daughters kind of suck.”

Isabella laughs. “You don’t have to apologize for them. I get it. My dad has sucked lately, too. Family can be hard.”

I wince. At one point, I had this vision in my head of Coach embracing me as a son, giving me a hug, taking me under his wing. But that seems less and less likely. “Yeah. He’s not actively saying shit like they are, though. Just ignoring me. Which might be better?”

“I guess that’s part of growing up. Making your own family and deciding who has an influence in your life.” She leans into me as her voice catches, then thickens. “I thought my dad and I were getting closer…but if this is how he treats my choices, then it’s for the best.”

“Doesn’t make it any easier.” I hug her to me, trying to press comfort into her body where we touch. “You shouldn’t have to choose between me and your dad.”

Even if it’s only for a little while. Soon enough, we’ll be out of school and she can dump me, getting back in her dad’s good graces.

But she looks up at me, brown eyes shining. “I’ll always choose⁠—”

“Attention, guests.” I’d give every cent in my bank account to know what she was going to say, but she’s cut off by my cousin Colin, speaking into a microphone. We move out of the alcove and into the ballroom to listen.