Chapter 5: The Family Battlefield

At the family meet-and-greet, I finally met all the McAllister relatives.

The house was buzzing with cousins, aunts, and enough small-town drama to fill a soap opera. Every time I turned, I bumped into another set of unfamiliar eyes sizing me up.

The McAllister family is big; besides the main and second branches, there are third and fourth branches, all from other marriages, and I heard there are several aunts already married off.

The kitchen was crowded with in-laws and distant relatives, all eager to see what the new Mrs. McAllister looked like. Someone brought an apple pie, another brought gossip.

Daniel’s mom, Grandma Carol, looked gentle and kind, but her face was pale—obviously not in good health.

Her hands shook as she poured sweet tea, her voice soft but commanding enough to hush the room. The lines around her eyes spoke of years spent keeping the peace.

The managing stepmom, Mrs. Lee, was sharp and bossy, every word laced with double meaning. I’d heard my sister always got the short end of the stick with her.

She wore pearls too tight and a smile too thin. Her eyes flicked over me, measuring, as if she could size me up and sort me into my proper place.

She clearly wanted to put me in my place too.

She asked about my cooking, my manners, and my plans for the kids, never letting me forget that I was the outsider here.

After greeting the cousins, my sister’s two kids were brought in by their nannies to meet me.

Natalie’s dress was too neat, her hair brushed into place, but she clung to the edge of her skirt like a lifeline. Caleb’s eyes darted everywhere but mine.

Natalie’s greeting was polite, but Caleb was shy and cowering.

He hid behind his nanny’s legs, mumbling a soft hello. I tried to catch his eye, but he ducked away, his little fists clenched tight.

Daniel frowned, showing his displeasure, apparently unhappy with his son.

The air grew heavy, tension simmering under the surface. Daniel’s jaw ticked, and his eyes narrowed at Caleb’s behavior.

Caleb was even more scared by his dad’s glare.

The poor kid shrank further into himself, shoulders hunched, as if he could disappear if he just tried hard enough.

I sighed inwardly, my fists already itching.

I fought the urge to march over and pull Caleb into a hug, or tell Daniel to cool it. Instead, I offered the kids a small, reassuring smile, hoping it would help.