Meeting His Family Pt. 01

It was such a warm and relaxed atmosphere at Brynn's grandmother's house, that Kenny didn't even feel put on the spot by the comments her family made about wanting to see her have a baby sooner than later. It was easy to see that comment as just conversational and not directed specifically at him or the relatively new relationship that he and Brynn were in. Could he imagine someday asking her to marry him? Sure. They've only been together a few months, but there was potential. He already had some serious feelings about her, they felt compatible, they had tons to talk about, they've read so many of the same books, they enjoyed working out together, the sex between them was outstanding. Even his dog, Bob Barker, seemed to have taken a liking to her already and he wasn't easily impressed.

Which stood to reason that he couldn't not ask her to come to his sister's wedding with him.

"Have I told you that my sister is getting married?" Kenny squeezed Brynn's hand in his while they walked back to her apartment after the Easter gathering with her family.

"I think you've mentioned that she's engaged." Brynn squinted against the afternoon sun to look at him.

"The wedding is about a month and a half away and I was wondering if you'd like to come with me." He felt overly formal asking the question as if he was asking a girl out to the prom. The corner of her mouth turned up in a smile.

"Yeah, sure. Where is it?"

"In Connecticut," Kenny sighed. "It's at the Country Club that my parents belong to." Brynn's eyebrows arched slightly.

"Oh, are you in the wedding?"

"No, I'm not. I'm invited to come to the rehearsal dinner the night before and the brunch the morning after, but I don't have to actually be up there," he gestured with his hand, "during the wedding. I barely know her fiance." He shrugged.

"How long have they been together?" Shit, did he even know the answer to that question? He thought about it, trying to think about how many Christmases he had seen Abby bring Henry over.

"I don't know for sure," Kenny shrugged again. "Three or four years?"

"Oh," Brynn looked surprised. Her gaze switched to look out in front of them.

"I told you, I'm really not that close with my brother and sister, or my parents for that matter. We just don't get along. We're very different." Kenny drew circles with his thumb inside Brynn's hand. "I'd honestly advise you not to come to this thing because there is likely going to be a lot of uncomfortable shit being said, but I don't want you to feel like I'm hiding something from you, like I don't want my family to meet you. Because I do. I think you're amazing. But they are not. They are just... not warm and fuzzy like your family is."

"Warm and fuzzy?" Brynn chuckled, looking up at him again.

"Yes, warm and fuzzy. Hanging out together, reminiscing, greeting each other with hugs. Everything is very... formal, everything has to be a certain way." Kenny thought about an example for a moment, looking out down the sidewalk towards the street corner. "You know how you said you were getting full and Sawyer just reached over me and snagged the bacon strip off your plate and it wasn't a big deal, no one said anything, it was just normal, right?"

"He does that all the time," she narrowed her eyes, shrugging a shoulder. "He's my brother."

"Right well... it would be like a huge deal at my house if I did that to my brother. Or sister. There would be so many things wrong with it. Using my hands, reaching over another person, taking things from someone's plate. There just isn't the same sort of... familiarity."

"Ok, I'll be sure to remember that." She smirked as if what he said was trivial and unimportant. On the one hand, he wanted to prepare her for what his family would be like, and on the other hand, he wasn't sure that she really needed to know it all ahead of meeting them. Wouldn't it be fairer to let her form her own opinion, to let her like them if she wanted to?

He wrestled with the idea of how much to prep Brynn for this event over the next several weeks. Kenny decided that Brynn should probably know, going in, that his dad was the owner and CEO of an investment company in the city, the same one that his brother worked for. Yes, he told her, part of the hard feelings within the family was in fact Kenny's decision not to go into the family business. His mom worked too, he told Brynn, she was the director of acquisitions for an art gallery.

"Oh my God, you had like a nanny and a housekeeper when you were little, didn't you?" Brynn's eyes widened. He sighed, nodding.

He told Brynn about the fact that his dad had an apartment in the city, for when he worked late and didn't want to commute all the way back to Connecticut, but decided to omit the details about what else dad used that apartment for. She didn't need to meet his dad for the first time with the foreknowledge that he's had girlfriends or mistresses over the time that he's been married to Kenny's mom. He warned her that his family aren't huggers, so that wouldn't be a standard way to greet anyone, not even his grandmother or his sister. He prepared her for the fact that Billy might actually hit on her, which made her laugh.

"I'm serious, Brynn," he glanced over at her, his forehead creased, before returning his eyes to the road. They were less than an hour out now, despite the heavy traffic on a Friday afternoon in May. "He's a jackass. He made my girlfriend in high school so uncomfortable that she wouldn't come over to my house anymore." Brynn stopped laughing, her smile diminishing. "He made comments about her body, tried to grab her ass, said something to her one time about thinking about her while jerking off," Kenny shook his head. Brynn's face was more serious now.

"But he was what? Sixteen, seventeen then? I'm sure he grew out of it by now, right? He wouldn't do that now." She shifted in her seat, looking at him.

"I don't know," Kenny shook his head. "I wouldn't put it past him. Yes, he's older now, but he is not all that different."

"He's not bringing a date?" Brynn asked after a short pause.

"I don't know. I don't think I've talked to him at all since Christmas. But he doesn't usually date, he doesn't have girlfriends. He's a player and the thing is, I've seen him blatantly flirt with other women while he is with a date too, so... just an FYI." He rubbed circles with his thumbs on the wheel of the rental car they had gotten. "Abby is nice though." He added, as if it was a consolation. "We are not close like you are with your brothers, but she's a decent person. Probably the least likely one in my family to say something really uncomfortable."

* * * *

He looked at her as if she were some sort of a supermodel or an angel. There was something in his eyes that made her feel as if he saw her as so much more than she actually was. His eyes related something deep, almost disconcertingly so.

"You look absolutely stunning," Kenny told her, shaking his head slightly. He had looked up from checking something on his phone when she walked out of the bathroom after finishing her makeup. She wore a deep purple cocktail dress, which actually made her look like she had some cleavage, and a pair of heels. With the additional three inches on her feet, she was almost at eye level with Kenny, though he still had an inch or two on her.

"Thank you," she smiled. "You look very handsome as well." Kenny wore a navy suit with a crisp white shirt and no tie. His hair was neatly parted and combed - his usual clean-cut, put-together look, with just a touch of stubble along his jaw. Kenny let out a breath, coming close and wrapping his arms around Brynn's waist.

"Last chance to back out." He leaned his forehead against hers. "We can just... I don't know." He shook his head.

"We can do this, it will be ok. I am a pretty likable person, I think." Brynn smiled, feeling pretty confident.

"You are an incredibly likable person. You are beautiful and smart and interesting and they are going to be stupid assholes if they dare to overlook it." He shook his head. Brynn felt a touch of heat cross her cheeks.

"Come on," she broke away. "We don't want to be late."

Kenny drove. The country club was a short distance down the road from the hotel. There was valet parking and Kenny handed the rental car keys over to the attendant before they headed inside. There was a sign directing them to the area of the restaurant for the Livingston-Winthrop wedding party. People were standing around, chatting quietly with cocktails in their hands. Kenny held onto Brynn's hand as they approached a woman in a black, knee-length cocktail dress with a wrap around her shoulders. She was a few inches shorter than Brynn, her auburn hair was in a short bob hairstyle and she had a similarly excellent posture to Kenny's.

They made small talk with Kenny's mother, then his father, he seemed to be very stern and critical, even if he hadn't said anything particularly ostracizing. Yet his disappointment and distaste were somehow palpable. His sister greeted them and introduced them to her fiance before everyone sat down to dinner.

They sat down to dinner at the long table, surrounded by some of the wedding party, whom neither Brynn nor Kenny knew, and made small talk with strangers. There were speeches and toasts and groomsmen and bridesmaids were presented with gifts. Brynn had almost forgotten the fact that she didn't seem to meet Billy yet when a pair of hands appeared on Kenny's shoulders, causing both him and Brynn to look up.

"That fucking traffic out of the city, huh? When the hell did you get here, bro?" Billy asked. He looked strikingly similar to Kenny. The resemblance was more than Brynn had expected, even though she knew that they were identical twins. He had a different sort of hairstyle, though also short and professional and slightly thicker arms and chest inside his suit jacket. He probably spent more time on weights and less on cardio than Kenny did, Brynn thought.

"We've been here a while, I left Brooklyn at like three o'clock." He had taken the afternoon off and picked Brynn up from work on his way out of the city. Billy's eyes darted over to her, widening in surprise.

"Well shit, Kenny, I didn't know you were bringing a girl." Brynn could feel his eyes sliding up and down her.

"This is my girlfriend Brynn," Kenny seemed to sigh, reluctant to make this introduction. "Brynn, this is my brother Billy."

"You look really familiar." Billy narrowed his eyes. "Have we met before?"

"No," Brynn shook her head. There was absolutely no chance she'd ever met him before. Billy stood up tall, rubbing a hand over the stubble on his chin.

"You've got a sister?" He tilted his head to the side.

"No, I don't." She shook her head while Billy nodded.

"Hmm, I'll figure it out." Billy pointed a finger at her. He looked over to where his parents sat. "I gotta go make some apologies for missing half this thing and see if I can still get some food." He patted Kenny on the shoulder before moving along.

After dessert, when people started standing up and making the rounds of saying their goodbyes, Mr. Livingston pulled Kenny away for some sort of private conversation and Billy plopped down into his seat next to Brynn with a huge grin. A game of twenty questions ensued as he continued trying to figure out why she looked familiar to him. He asked about where she had gone to college, where she lived, worked, which gym she went to.

"Maybe, you do have a half-sister somewhere out there that you don't even know about. There's certainly a major possibility that I do," he chuckled, wiggling his eyebrows.

"I doubt it," Brynn frowned, not being entirely sure what Billy implied. Was he saying that he suspected his dad of cheating on his mom?

"It's a shame. I'm kinda into this whole hot, smart, and independent thing you have going on." Her eyebrows went up.

"Thanks," her eyes scanned the room for Kenny. They must have stepped out somewhere. This was flattering, of course, but also somewhat uncomfortable.

"How serious are you guys? Like are you expecting a ring anytime soon?" Billy leaned forward, his elbow leaning on the table.

"I'm not expecting anything, but we are serious. We're definitely not seeing other people." Billy chuckled.

"Relax," Billy brushed a hand over her bare knee. "I'm not angling for anything here."

Warning signals were already going off inside her head and she was glad that Kenny had warned her about Billy being a creep. The topic of conversation, paired with his proximity and touches was highly unsettling and she wanted to get away from him. It was strange. She wasn't usually shy or anxious in social situations. She's never had trouble telling guys off at the bar or expressing a lack of interest at the end of a first date, but something about Billy made her feel less assertive than her usual self. It was probably the setting, the formal dinner, the family present there, the atmosphere of hushed tones.

"Hey, let's get outta here," Kenny's hand landed on her shoulder and she startled a little. She stood up immediately, reaching for her purse, and looked up at Kenny's face. His expression was pained and distracted, his eyes looking towards the door and making their exit.

"Yeah, let's." She was more than ready to leave.

"I'll see you guys around!" Billy called after them.

They didn't make the rounds of saying goodbye and stood silently by the attendant's desk while waiting for the car to be brought around. The attendant dropped the keys into Kenny's hand and Kenny slid a tip into his hand before opening the passenger door for Brynn and waiting for her to get in before closing it.

"What happened?" She asked him after they turned onto the road outside of the Country Club property.

"Nothing," Kenny shook his head. "Same shit as always. When am I going to go to med school, what am I going to do with the trust fund, why am I being so stubborn." He was looking straight ahead at the dark road, not turning to meet Brynn's eye.

"You had planned to go to med school?" This is the first she's ever heard of this. Kenny has been working as a physician's assistant at a pediatric practice and he seemed to be quite happy with it. They'd talked about it before, the fact that he enjoyed his chosen career.

"No," he said flatly. "I've already done exactly what I had planned to do. I'm doing what I want to do with my life and it's just..." he sighed, "really difficult for my family to understand for some reason. They don't think it's enough." Brynn wasn't sure what to say. "I wasn't raised for mediocrity." He obviously quoted his father.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

"I'm probably adding to your dad's perception of your mediocrity."

"Brynn, don't." Kenny shook his head, his voice sounded exhausted and annoyed.

"Don't even start thinking down that path, ok?" She nodded her head, but he repeated himself. "I'm serious, ok?"

"Ok."

They parked at the hotel and Kenny held her hand again walking inside. She was definitely beginning to see why Kenny wasn't into seeing his family and why he referred to them as "not warm and fuzzy." He was still quiet and contemplative as they walked through the lobby, his thumb absentmindedly rubbing circles on her wrist. In the back of the lobby, away from the reception desks, there was a seating area with armchairs and sofas and a grand piano in the corner. The lights weren't on in that section, discouraging people from using it at this hour of the night. Kenny seemed to be drawn in that direction though and Brynn followed him, her hand still in his.

He sat down on the piano bench and patted the spot next to him for Brynn to sit too. She felt her insides flutter at the thought of hearing Kenny play. He'd mentioned that he had spent many years taking piano lessons, but they were never in the presence of an instrument before. He lifted the lid, looking down at the keys before placing his fingers down on them. Brynn wondered how long it's been since he's played, but didn't want to interrupt him to ask. Kenny started out tentatively, but his fingers seemed to find the right keys on their own. He was playing something slow and classical sounding, but not anything she could readily identify. Brynn was mesmerized. A couple of minutes into the piece his fingers suddenly sped up, moving swiftly across the keys, his arm pushing past where Brynn sat to the higher notes. It seemed like a long piece that eventually slowed down again and sped up once more, Kenny's fingers moving in a flurry of activity. By the time he had finished, there were a few people standing around in the lobby who applauded him. He smiled, his former self, the Kenny that Brynn knew, seemingly returning.

"Chopin, Ballade number one in G minor," he told her.

"That was amazing! I had no idea you could do that." Brynn was in awe.

"Let's go to bed," Kenny suggested, carefully replacing the lid over the piano keys. Brynn nodded in agreement.

Unfortunately, the following day at the wedding, there were more of the same type of conversations and passive-aggressive comments from Kenny's family about his life choices and their undisguised disappointment in him. While Kenny left the cocktail hour to take a few posed photos with his sister and brother, Kenny's grandmother sidled up to Brynn. They had been introduced earlier, before the ceremony, and when she began speaking to Brynn now, her expression already featured a turned-up nose and a sour disposition.

"He's a very talented boy, you know. He could have been a concert pianist or a composer. He was composing at eight years old, you know. He was so serious and focused and practiced so hard and then he didn't continue with it! I bet he could have gotten into Juilliard!"

"But he went to Columbia. That's amazing too." Brynn defended Kenny. "And he's extremely talented at what he does now too."

"Well that's another thing," Grandma huffed, "another talent that he's just wasting. He could be a very skilled surgeon, with those hands of his. He could be making a lot more money and doing much more interesting things than drawing blood and treating ear infections. It's really a shame."

"Kenny likes what he does. He likes helping with everyday problems. He likes kids." They've talked about that part before.

"It's a waste," Grandma shook her head, unconvinced. "He could be so much more. This family doesn't do mediocrity and Kenny needs to be with someone who encourages him to achieve his potential, to use his talents, to live up to the Livingston name. Not settle for average."

It was hard to imagine what it was like for Kenny to spend Christmases with his family. Every positive thing they had to say about him, about how smart or talented he was, seemed backhanded. Everything was bathed in a layer of discontent and dissatisfaction.

Abby seemed sweet, but as the bride and the center of attention, was busy with a million other things during the reception. Billy intermittently showed up at their side and seemed mostly in line that night not letting any inappropriate comments or touching slip. After the cake was cut and Billy seemed to be three sheets to the wind, he suddenly pointed a finger at her from where he sat, next to Kenny.

"I figured it out, Brandy!" Billy winked.

"Her name is Brynn." Kenny was quick to correct him. Billy laughed.

"She knows what I'm talking about." Brynn had no idea. She raked her memory, looking for the reason why he may have called her that, but came up with nothing.

"Oh come on! What was it like... ten, eleven years ago?" Billy slapped a hand on the table. He was definitely at the point of sloppy drunk. His tie was loose around his neck, his jacket hung on the back of his chair, his eyes seemed unfocused. Ten or eleven years ago Brynn was finishing high school in Brooklyn and starting college upstate New York. There was no way that she could have run into Billy somewhere then, when he was in college in Connecticut.