Page 31 of This Broken Heart
Right before we step inside, she looks over at me. “Just be warned, they can be a little loud.”
At her words, the living room erupts in a chorus of boos and complaints.
Husker football.
It’s the most important thing in this state, right behind God and family.
Maybe even in front of family.
When we step inside, the game switches to commercial. It’s unfortunate timing, because now the Olson clan is looking for a diversion.
I try not to blush under the weight of a dozen pairs of eyes.
I tug at the sleeve of my sweater, realizing too late that I wore the other team’s colors. Green.
I had one job. Wear red. Couldn’t even manage that.
Josh is sitting on a recliner with Trace on his lap.
A tall woman, presumably Josh’s aunt, turns to look at him. “Joshy, who’s this?”
Trace leaps off his dad’s lap. “Erin! You’re here!”
He barrels into me, wrapping me in a hug. Pulling back, he fixes the room with a proud smile. “This is Erin, and she’s my nanny.”
“My nanny!” Maven squawks, clambering off Keith’s lap. She joins her brother, and they engage in a brief struggle over my legs. I break up the scuffle by sweeping Maven into my arms. It certainly beats responding to the collective stare of twelve people.
“You got a nanny?” Another man asks. He looks like a shorter, pudgier version of Keith. Must be an uncle.
Josh glances at me, and I’m surprised to see the faintest tinge of pink on his cheekbones. He introduces all twelve of his family members, finishing up just as the commercial break comes to a close. I only really paid attention when he introduced his sisters. It doesn’t seem like I need to know who his cousins are, but the sisters might be more relevant.
He has three of them.
Parker is tall and willowy. She takes after their dad.
Reese is short and curvy like Lisa, with her warm smile.
Charlie is a perfect blend of the two: petite, but skinny.
Having staked her claim, Maven wiggles out of my arms and returns to her throne on grandpa’s lap. Charlie squats down by Trace, cajoling him into playing with her.
Within moments, both kids have abandoned me and I am left with nothing to do.
I glance around the crowded living room. I’ve never been a big football fan, as much of a sin as that is for a Nebraskan to say.
And I don’t relish sitting amongst the Olsons while they watch. Each play seems to be punctuated by their loud and bombastic outcries.
I can see why Lisa wanted back up.
With nothing else to do, I make my way into the kitchen and start tidying up.
Despite watching her grandkids for a few weeks now, I’ve never been inside Lisa’s kitchen.
It’s beautiful.
Maybe it’s a bit out of date, but it’s still charming. It’s got that old Victorian style that was so popular in the eighties. The sheer size of the room is impressive. I can easily picture the family gatherings in here, kids getting ready for school.
I wipe the countertops down, making my way over to the fridge. My gaze catches on the photos taped there.