Read Online Love in the Time of Cynicism by Jani Berghuis - Free Book Online Page B

interact as freely as they do. My entire family is made up of repressed, spiteful people dying to get away from one another. Thinking of my family makes me want to spend time around theirs.
    Once we hear Rhett leave and start to help his mom out in the kitchen, Tannis pulls out her contact and puts on a pair of large glasses.
    “You change and I’ll meet you out there, alright?”
    She nods and I stand up, meet Rhett in the kitchen.
    “Handled it like an expert.”
    He holds up his hand for a high five. “Nice job.”
    I slap his hand, not sure why, and ask, “Any other crises I need to take care of for you?”
    “Not as of right now, but I must admit I find a woman who knows how to handle extremely volatile situations exceedingly attractive.”
    “Preteen hormones aren’t exactly new territory for someone who has them.” I pause, cringe. “There I go, saying strange things that are vaguely inappropriate to you. Oh well.”
    Rhett smiles the grin I’ve yet to see on anyone else and helps his dad set the table while his mom finishes cooking.
    Susie the Mother stacks chocolate chip pancakes, bacon, biscuits, and sausage on a bunch of platters and sets them on the table. Next come cartons of juice and milk which I help to facilitate. Butter, syrup, anything else you could possible need for a successful breakfast.
    Joel the Father dashes out of the kitchen to get the one child I haven’t seen yet while Rhett guides me to a seat and plops down next to me. “Guess I should’ve mentioned that breakfast was at my house and not, like, out somewhere. And I’m really sorry about my family.”
    “Why?” I look around at them – Sawyer the middle brother emerging with sleep in his eyes, Tannis popping her newly-freshened head out the bathroom door, the twins with their disgusting amount of early morning energy, and, most importantly, Rhett’s parents, with their arms around each other peering back and forth with love like I’ve never seen in their eyes. “They’re great. By far the best apology I’ve ever been given.”
    “You’re welcome, Cordelia Kane.” He watches briefly as his family takes seats around the table. “And I am sorry, by the way. Though I’m not completely sure what I did was wrong, I didn’t want to irritate you or hurt you or anything like that.”
    “It’s fine. I overreacted anyway,” I answer honestly. “You’re a good guy and the only interesting person within a hundred mile radius. Might as well make the most out of this relationship.”
    He smirks and bumps my knee with his under the table. “Looking forward to the opportunity.”
    Susie – it’s still weird to call her by her first name, even in my head, but oh well – sits at the table next to her husband and instructs, “Dig in.”
    The silence breaks with hands grabbing at biscuits and bacon and pancakes. The ruckus is deafening and slaps an instantaneous smile across my face. It’s refreshing, sitting down to a family meal. Even one this crazy. Rhett helps me get a plate of pancakes and bacon as the lawless, food-induced pandemonium unfolds. Juice is poured and plates are passed until everyone is eating calmly.
    “Mother?” It’s Sawyer, the around seven year old boy who is a clone of his father minus the blue eyes. He looks over the spread of food disdainfully and Susie pays dutiful attention to him.
    “Yes, dear?”
    “I had asked to devour the unborn last night.”
    My head shoots up as I look to someone – anyone – for clarification.
    Rhett sympathetically explains, “Eggs. He asked for eggs. That’s just how he talks.”
    “Ah.” I take another bite of my syrupy pancakes, relishing the taste of a home-cooked meal, the likes of which I haven’t had since very early childhood. Before we left my dad and before Michael.
    “Sorry, baby,” Susie answers. “We’ll have eggs tomorrow, I promise.”
    He nods sadly and shovels in a mouthful of biscuit. “Itinerary for the day?”
    Mr. Tressler, who I