Chapter 2: The Family Laughs at Me

The next afternoon, I caught a rideshare back to Denver.

The driver lent me a charging cable. The moment my phone powered on, more than ninety messages flooded the family group chat.

Not one of them asked where I was.

My mother was confirming floral arrangements for the charity gala. My father had forwarded photos of the hotel ballroom. Caleb was reminding everyone to coordinate their outfits.

Paige sent a picture of a giant screen.

“Can’t wait to show everyone how fun our family is!”

The messages that followed were a stream of laughing emojis and applause.

The only message addressed to me was from the apartment management company in Chicago.

The lease was active. My move-in date was confirmed.

I closed the group chat and archived the email.

When I reached the front door of my parents’ house, I was still holding five season tickets for the Denver Broncos—a reward for a project I’d landed at work.

I’d been sleeping four hours a night for a month to close that deal. I’d planned to give the tickets to them for Christmas so the whole family could go to games together.

Now, the idea of a “whole family” felt like a bad joke.

I pulled out my own ticket and shoved the other four into the mailbox.

It was the last gift I would ever give them.

Just then, the door swung open.

Paige grabbed my arm and yanked me inside.

“She’s back!”

Applause and laughter erupted from the living room.

My parents stood by the fireplace. Caleb held a champagne glass. On the coffee table sat a cake, and piped across the frosting were the words—

Welcome, You Passed the Test.

Caleb hurried over, wrapping me in a hug.

“Congratulations, Nora. You passed the final family humor test!”

My entire body went rigid.

My father spread his hands, smiling.

“Last night was just a test. You’re about to get married. You had to prove you could handle the Bennett family’s sense of humor.”

“We were watching your location the whole time,” Paige said, waving her phone. “You actually walked pretty far. Honestly, that was kind of impressive.”

They knew I had been walking in a blizzard.

They knew I could have frozen to death.

And they were calling it a test.

I raised a hand and pressed it flat against Caleb’s chest, pushing him away.

My mother rushed over and pulled Caleb behind her.

“Nora, what are you doing? He was just trying to hug you!”

She looked at me as if I were the one at fault.

“Everyone put in so much effort to help you fit in. Not only are you ungrateful, but now you’re throwing a tantrum. Why can’t you ever take a joke?”

Slowly, I lowered my hand.

I hadn’t actually tried to hurt Caleb.

I had just wanted to see who they would protect if I showed even a hint of aggression.

The answer wasn’t surprising.

If Paige had been the one abandoned in the mountains, they would have called the police, sent out search parties, and made whoever suggested the “joke” pay for it.

But since it was me, they just thought it wasn’t funny enough.

Paige came back in from the porch, holding the tickets I’d left in the mailbox.

She glanced at them and let out a derisive laugh.

“Regular seats?”

She tossed them onto the coffee table.

“We already have a season suite. Who would sit there? Keep them and go by yourself.”

We.

The word landed, and the last, absurd shred of hope inside me died.

So, they’d already made plans for the family.

I just wasn’t part of it.

My father frowned.

“All right, that’s enough of the victim act. Today is supposed to be a celebration. You should apologize for ruining the mood.”

“That’s right,” my mother agreed. “Especially to Paige and Caleb.”

Caleb took my hand, his voice low.

“Nora, the adoption charity gala is in a few days. Robert’s key clients, the charity partners, my parents—they’ll all be there. Don’t make trouble right now, okay? Think about the bigger picture.”

I looked at his face and suddenly changed my mind.

I’d planned to grab my passport and leave.

But if they cared this much about the gala, why should I let it go off without a hitch?

I lowered my head.

“I’m sorry. I overreacted.”

The living room went quiet for a second, then the laughter started up again.

My mother nodded, satisfied. Caleb let out a breath, as if he’d just successfully managed an unreasonable child.

Paige looked even more smug.

“That’s more like it.”

She picked up the remote and waved it at the television on the wall.

“By the way, I’ve got a family laugh reel ready for the gala. Trust me, it’ll be the best prank I’ve ever pulled.”

They all laughed.

I smiled, too.

In a few days, the charity gala would become the finest piece of family humor I could ever give them.

Just wait.