Page 71 of Even After This
“You were robbed,” Hannah says under her breath.
Harlan hears it and winks at me.
The YouTube sensation about him died down weeks ago, andPeoplemagazine’s Sexiest Man Alive issue came out this week without mention of the hometown hero. Now he’s just movie-star Harlan. Except really, now he’s just a man standing in my kitchen with dark circles of exhaustion under his eyes, but eyes full of vulnerable hope nonetheless.
What happened to you over the last sixweeks?I know he was filming. I know he said he would be busy. But was it more?
“Well, Harlan Holcombe,” my sister says, “welcome to our family Thanksgiving. I’m hoping we don’t scare you away before dessert, but if we do, it was wonderful to meet you.” Molly shiftsmy direction, and in a quick private moment with me, she bugs out her eyes. “You have a lot of explaining to do.”
Trying to conceal my giggle, I cover my mouth and cough just as I hear my parents enter the house through the front door and call out their greetings.
I shoot a panicked look between Harlan and Molly.
My mom walks into the kitchen. “Oh, good, you’ve all met Harlan.”
Because the last five minutes weren’t bizarre enough, this happens right as my dad scoots into the room and gives Harlan a manly pound on the back. “Come on in here, son. We’ll find a football game while they finish the meal preparations.”
Harlan jerks his chin up at me, winks, and leaves the room with my dad.
Glancing around, I take note that we all appear related not because of our common genetics but because of the matching gaping mouths.
My mom approaches and wraps her arm around my waist in a side hug. “He’s a nice boy, Meredith.”
“But how did you...?”
“He was getting out of his car when we left the house. Don’t tell your father, but I think I saw that young man without his shirt on once. All the ladies at Wednesday morning Bible study were watching something on YouTube. If I recall, he has a nice chest.”
I’m worried Hannah’s head is going to explode after hearing her grandmother talk about seeing a man’s pecs. “Gramma. Gah.”
My head may explode too, but for different reasons.
Molly turns to her kids, snaps her fingers, and holds out her hand. “Hannah and Taylor. Phones. Now.”
The memory of Harlan’s pecs is snatched from my mind as reality sinks in. “Oh my gosh. Yes. You guys, you cannot tell your friends he’s here. No pictures. No posting anything, anywhere.”
“Huh.” My mom furrows her brow while she fiddles with herphone. “I should probably take down the selfie of Harlan and me on my Facebook page.”
“Mother.” I hold my hand out, opening and closing my fingers twice.
“Look at that. Seventy-two likes.” She looks at the screen and her smile wanes. “Oh. Kathryn messaged and she wants to meet him.”
“Mom. Gah.” I make an unsuccessful nab for the phone.
Hannah snickers.
“I’ll fix it.” My mom shoos me off. “I’ll tell her it was my first attempt at Photoshop.”
“Okay. Everybody out.” My firstborn, drill-sergeant sister swirls her finger in the air, directing everyone to the door. “There’s a Thanksgiving meal to prepare, an explanation to be told, and a famous person in the living room. Man your stations.”
Molly stashes the confiscated phones on top of the refrigerator while everyone else shuffles out of the kitchen. The only action I’m capable of right now is blinking.
What just happened?Blink.
Why is he here?Blink.
How am I nauseated but also full of glee?Blink.
With a drone-like perspective of the bigger picture, I pull back. And then it hits me.
