C5 A Not So Good Family Reunion

Lily was leaning over the kitchen counter, sorting through a few invoices on her tablet, when the doorbell rang. She frowned. It wasn’t Alexia—her friend never knocked, much less rang the bell. Plus she was in the kitchen, making dinner.

Grumbling under her breath, Lily trudged to the door and swung it open.

“Surprise!” chirped her mother, Stephanie, in a voice loud enough to alert the neighbors. She had a floral dress on and her bright red lipstick made Lily wince.

Behind her, holding a backpack and smirking like he’d won a lottery, stood Kevin, her younger brother. His hair was a messy thick lush and it fell to his face. He had a stupid grin on.

“Mom? Kevin? What are you doing here?” Lily’s voice cracked in disbelief.

Stephanie pushed past her, dragging an enormous suitcase. “What kind of daughter doesn’t tell her mother she’s hit the jackpot? I had to find out about your success from the news, Lily. The news! Do you know how embarrassing that was?”

Kevin breezed in, tossing his backpack onto the couch. “Yeah, way to keep it low-key, big shot.”

Lily shut the door with a sigh, trying to process their sudden appearance. “I didn’t tell you because—”

“Because you wanted to hog all the glory? Typical,” Stephanie interrupted, plopping onto the nearest chair. “Lily, dear, this place is—well, better than I expected for someone like you. And to think I worried about you being Alexander’s little secretary forever. Look at you now! Beaumont riches! A new chapter for the Andersons!”

Lily pinched the bridge of her nose. “Mom, you can’t just barge in like this.”

“And leave you to fend off all those vultures alone? Never. Besides, Kevin insisted we come,” Stephanie added, gesturing vaguely to her son.

Kevin raised his hands in mock innocence. “Hey, I just wanted to see how much of this whole ‘heiress thing’ was true. By the way, your apartment could use some better furniture.”

“Excuse me?” Lily snapped.

“You’ve got money now,” Kevin replied, flopping onto the couch. “Go for something... not so ‘secretary chic.’”

“Out! Both of you!” Lily growled, pointing at the door.

“Oh, come on, Lily,” Stephanie said, dramatically pressing a hand to her chest. “Don’t be so ungrateful. We’re family. And we came all this way. The least you could do is make us dinner.”

Lily opened her mouth to argue, but Alexia peeked out from the kitchen. “Dinner? I’ll cook! This sounds fun.”

Fun? That word didn’t belong anywhere near her family, but Alexia had already pulled out a frying pan.

“Great, now let’s sit and catch up,” Stephanie declared, patting the chair next to her. “Lily, I still can’t believe you landed this! Honestly, when you started working for Alexander, I thought you’d die of stress. That boy has been nothing but trouble for you.”

“Mom—” Lily tried to interject, but Stephanie steamrolled on.

“I’m just saying, sweetie. Don’t waste your life on someone who’s done nothing but bark orders at you. Eric, though... now there’s a gentleman.”

Lily groaned. “Not this again.”

“He’s charming, polite, and not nearly as cold as Alexander,” Stephanie continued, oblivious. “I mean, sure, he might have his flaws—don’t we all? But he’s the type who could make a woman happy. Unlike Alexander, who’d probably forget your birthday.”

Kevin snickered. “She’s got a point. Alexander does seem like the kind of guy who’d hand you a meeting schedule as a gift.”

“Will you shut up?” Lily snapped at her brother.

“Relax,” he said, grinning. “I’m just saying, you should probably lower your expectations. There’s no way you’re actually going to marry one of them.”

“Excuse me?” Lily’s voice shot up an octave.

“Think about it, sis. They’re Beaumonts. You’re... well, you’re you. You should be happy with whatever cash you’re getting out of this.”

Lily’s hands balled into fists. “I swear, Kevin, if you don’t stop talking—”

“Lily,” Stephanie cut in, “your brother’s right. Aim for the money, not the romance. That’s always been your problem, dear—you dream too big.”

Lily shot up from her chair, pointing a finger at both of them. “That’s enough! My life, my choices. Got it?”

Kevin smirked. “Touchy, aren’t we? Fine. Do whatever you want. Just don’t cry when it all goes up in flames.”

Lily grabbed a throw pillow and hurled it at his face. He dodged it, laughing as he ducked behind the couch.

“Alexia, stop laughing and help me!” Lily shouted as Alexia doubled over, thoroughly enjoying the show.

“Sorry,” Alexia wheezed, wiping tears from her eyes. “This is gold.”

“Unbelievable,” Lily muttered, slumping back into her chair.

Stephanie leaned over, her tone suddenly serious. “Listen, Lily. I’m only saying this because I care about you. Don’t let Alexander or anyone else manipulate you into something you’ll regret. You’ve got a good head on your shoulders. Use it.”

Lily stared at her mother, caught off guard by the rare moment of sincerity. “Thanks, Mom. I’ll think about it.”

“Good.” Stephanie patted her hand before turning back to Alexia. “Now, about that dinner...”

Alexia waved her spatula. “Almost ready! Kevin, can you set the table?”

Kevin groaned but complied, muttering under his breath. “I didn’t come here to work.”

The four of them eventually sat around the small dining table, the smell of Alexia’s cooking filling the room. For a moment, Lily allowed herself to relax.

Then Kevin, with his usual impeccable timing, piped up. “By the way, Lily, you should really reconsider marriage. I mean, you’re barely tolerable as a sister. Imagine as a wife!”

That earned him a jab in the ribs from Lily’s fork.

“Kevin!” Stephanie scolded. “Stop teasing your sister.”

“But she’s fun to annoy,” Kevin said, laughing.

Alexia grinned. “I like him. Can we keep him around?”

“Absolutely not,” Lily said firmly, though a small smile tugged at her lips.

Despite the chaos, the dinner passed with an unusual warmth. And as Lily looked around at her odd little group, she realized that, for all their flaws, this was still her family.