ERIK-VINCENT NOVAK

FEBRUARY 11

I find it so odd that we went from strangers to wrong number text-buddies to where we are now! It’s nothing romantic, but I look forward to hearing from her. She’s great about checking in daily; even if she has other things going on, she always seems to make time for me.

My best friend thinks I’m insane and wasting my time with her, but Everett and I are two very different people. AC makes me happy, and that’s the only reason I need to continue chatting with her. I just wish I knew more about her identity, but I promised to not pry.

AC: Happy Birthday, EN!

Me: Who’s the creepy stalker, now? I don’t remember telling you today was my birthday.

AC: You did too! Like six times, weirdo. Any big plans for the day?

Me: Lookit who’s all interested in my life all of a sudden!

I can’t say for sure why I got so defensive, but hopefully, she’d read it as though I were teasing. I could never predict which way she’d take my words. Heck, half the time I don’t even understand what I’m feeling when I talk to her.

AC: I should let you get on with your day.

I hope it’s a good one.

Sorry to bother you.

Me: No, don’t go, AC! I didn’t mean it that way!!

I *like* that you’re interested in me and my life.

It was just… unexpected.

AC: I’ll try to do a better job in the future of showing that I care, I guess?

I was screwing up and on the verge of panicking. I didn’t want to alienate her, but I didn’t know why I was acting this way. She’d done nothing to deserve it. Unsure of what else to do, I answered her first question:

Me: I’m going to visit my grandparents today. And an insane amount of family, too.

Emphasis on the “insane” part.

“Erik-Vincent? Are you ready to go to the farm yet?” Ma called from downstairs, and I tried to be calm and patient-sounding when answering her. I love visiting my grandparents, assorted aunts, uncles, and cousins, but I wasn’t exaggerating about how many of them I have. When you add in Everett’s family, who always spend holidays and other special occasions with us, it’s truly awe-inspiring. My grandparents’ farmhouse always seems to be bursting at the, well, seams. I’m honestly shocked that we all manage to fit in there, time and time again.

AC: Sounds lovely! I only have a handful of people to call mine. My family, that is.

Me: I’ve got a few I could loan you… lol

That said, I do love them all, but for my birthday this year, all I truly wanted was to talk to my mysterious AC and make things right once more. “Ember and Maddox brought the baby!” Ma tried to sweeten her already guilt-heavy marching orders—generous invitation!

So, Aunt Ember is my mom’s youngest sister. She and Uncle Maddox had had their first child last month—exactly one month before my birthday!—even though their marriage was already rocky. I wasn’t sure why they were together, but it wasn’t my place to question it. Uncle Maddox is pretty cool as far as I can tell, not that we get to hang out much.

“Ten minutes?” I called back to her, popping my head out of the door to where I knew she’d be standing at the base of the stairs, waiting for my answer.

Ma isn’t like other moms around Lappans. She had me young and is a ton of fun when she’s around. I was raised at the farm by my previously mentioned assorted family. The bulk of it fell to Everett’s Aunt Piper, my grandparents, and Everett’s mom up until Ma finished school.

We didn’t even move into our own house until after she finished college and started her own business. My family is so large because Ma has four brothers and two sisters, half of whom are adopted. Plus, Aunt Christine and Aunt Avery, who, even though they were never officially adopted, are as much Ma’s sisters as Catharine and Ember are. Probably more than Ember, honestly. Aunt Avery frequently visits with her son Cole, but I haven’t seen Aunt Christine for five years or something like that. She went back to her other family in California. Anyway, my point is that I come from a big family, and I wouldn’t know what to do with anything less than the chaotic love found at the old farm.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

I’ve had a good life, relatively uneventful. Of course, I can’t say the same would be true for Ma’s life before having me, but that’s neither here nor there since we’re in a good place now. I’ve got a pretty awesome life thanks to my family.

“Sure thing, Birthday Boy,” Ma agreed to the requested time and disappeared with a flash of violet hair.

Embarrassing as it is to admit, up until I was ten years old, I honestly believed her deep violet hair was natural. I remember being so annoyed that I didn’t inherit such a funky, unique color. When I admitted this to her, she invited me to get mine done with her next touch-up. It was one of my happiest memories, weird, I know, but there it is. I kept the violet hue until it grew out and then went back to my natural color: blond, the same as my best friend Everett. I think the real reason why my hair color bothered me so much was that I always worried that it came from my bio dad. I had no idea what the man looked like, but everyone assured me I looked just like Uncle Elliott did at my age. Of course, considering he’s my mom’s twin brother and the Sheriff, the comparison is taken as a compliment.

Speaking of Ma’s brothers, I’m named after my two adopted uncles, Aaron and Vic. Rumor has it they figured out who my bio dad was and put him in the hospital shortly after I was born. They refuse to answer when I ask about it. See, drama?

AC: If you don’t want them, why should I?

I may not know AC very well yet, but I’d like to think Ma and the aunties would appreciate my AC’s sense of humor.

Me: I’ll keep them all to myself then. Nothing is more important than family to me. Even when they are major pains in my butt.

AC: Uh-uh EN, no butt talk!

lol

Go enjoy your birthday with your family I’ll be here when you get back.

I was pretty sure we weren’t in the same time zone since she was always extra chatty around the time I could barely stay awake.

Me: I get to meet my new baby cousin today.

AC: Aww, I love kids! Especially babies. Give him or her a cuddle for me?

Me: Him, and sure thing.

She loves kids? That’s actually really awesome. I plan to have a huge family of my own one day. After growing up with all the love I’ve had, anything less seems kinda cruel by comparison.

“Still chasing imaginary girls?” Uncle Flynn’s voice scared the ever-living crap out of me. I can’t believe he caught me texting AC—again! I tucked away my phone in embarrassment.

“Someone needs to put a bell on you,” I muttered, but he either didn’t catch it or was blatantly ignoring me. With him, it was hard to tell.

“I’d be happy to look into her for you, Erik. You do recall investigative journalism was my first career, right?”

Uncle Flynn is younger than Ma and Uncle Elliott but only by a little more than a year. He’s already had a crazy full life and yet he always tells me that the good stuff is just beginning for him. He had “retired” a few years ago after a roadside bomb claimed the lives of his crew along with his hearing. Somehow I was the one he was always sneaking up on. That was why he even knew about AC, he’s busted me chatting with her on more than one occasion, and the story had come spilling out. He’d been very good at getting people to talk when he was a reporter; his changed circumstances hadn’t taken that away from him.

As a courtesy, we all learned ASL and used it in conjunction with speaking. However, Uncle Flynn had picked up lip reading with amazing speed, rendering it relatively unnecessary unless we were trying to keep secrets. So far he’d kept mine. Only Uncle Flynn, Mom, Everett, and Everett’s Aunt Piper knew about AC, and while they supported my happiness, most of them thought I was either insane or being catfished.

“There’s nothing to look into, Uncle Flynn. She’s just a friend.”

“That’s how it always starts, or at least how it should,” Uncle Flynn grinned, likely in memory of how things happened with his wife.

“Maybe one day,” I hedged, not willing to close the door on the offer. “But perhaps later on down the line? All I need from you right now is a ride over to Grammy and Granpap’s. I hear there’s a cake with my name on it.”

“And several candles,” Ma input from the now open door. “Are you ready?”

I pushed all thoughts of AC to the back of my mind and dutifully followed my mom and uncle outside. “Everett’s driving Piper,” Flynn clarified why the vehicle was empty. Everett had turned sixteen last month, so he’s already driving around as often as he can wheedle the keys out of any given adult.

“Why don’t you take this run?” Uncle Flynn offered me his keys. Yes, it was a big deal in that I’ve never been permitted to drive his car, he doesn’t even let Everett! Then again, the farm was less than five minutes away, so it wasn’t as though it were a high-risk trip. Seriously, it’s not even snowing anymore—a rarity for my birthday. I may have exaggerated the snow when chatting with AC, but not the cold. And the fields were still covered, so it counted. The roads, thankfully, were clear. So yay!