Work Text:
“I’m going to regret this,” Evan mumbles to his mother as they approach the front door.
“It means a lot to Grandmother that you’ll be here,” Heidi replies, knocking on the door.
Loud footsteps echo in the house as they approach. Slowly, the door opens, and Grandmother’s face appears, beaming.
“Evan! Heidi!” Grandmother exclaimed, pulling them into a hug. “Welcome! I’ll show you to your rooms for the night.”
Grandmother opens the door wider, allowing Evan to glance at the interior of her house. Just as he has been dreading, there are people everywhere.
Several children and young teens sit on the couch. Adults hover around. Teens sit in a circle on the floor, legs crossed, phones in their hands. A few heads turn to the open door, and they glance at Evan and Heidi before returning their attention to socializing or playing on their phones or Ipads. Evan looks down at his feet, frozen.
Grandmother offers a smile and wraps an arm around Evan’s shoulder.
“Your room is this way,” she says, walking into the house.
Evan drags his suitcase behind him, and Heidi follows them awkwardly, waving at everyone inside. Evan keeps his head down, his face flushing pink with stress and embarrassment.
They head upstairs and enter a carpeted room with two beds and a table.
“I’ll be downstairs if you need me,” Grandmother says, closing the door as she exits.
Heidi sighs and sets her suitcase on the bed closest to the window. Evan sits in a chair and stays silent, his back hunched and his hands resting on his lap.
“Well,” Heidi sighs, turning to Evan. “We should probably head downstairs to say hello to our family.”
Evan looks up, still silent.
Heidi moves closer.
“Not for too long. Just long enough for them to know we’re there. You don’t have to talk to anyone. You can sit and read for a while. We have to talk to them eventually; they’re our family.”
Evan sits still, unable to move.
“Please, do it for Grandmother. She just wants us all to know each other better. And I know that it’s hard for you to socialize, but you have to learn how to do it.”
Evan’s head barely moves as he nods.
Heidi returns to her suitcase. “Great. I’ll just unpack, then we can go downstairs. How about that?”
“Great,” Evan lies, wincing.
After fifteen minutes, Evan grabs a book from his suitcase and follows his mother down the stairs. His legs are stiff with fear and struggle to move. His eyes stay down on the floor.
“You can sit here.” Heidi motions to a couch with ten-year-olds staring at their screens. “You don’t mind, do you?” She asks the sitting there.
They shrug in reply, so Evan slowly makes his way to the edge, as far away from people as he can get.
“I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me,” Heidi says.
“Great. Thanks, Mom,” Evan mumbles.
As his mother disappears from sight, Evan pulls open his book, trying to distract his mind. His eyes read, but his mind seems to retain nothing.
After a few minutes, Evan feels someone put weight on the couch as the cushion moves. He looks up from his book and sees one of his uncles beside him.
“I’m your Uncle Steven,” the uncle grunts, sipping a beer. “You’re Mark?”
“Evan,” Evan mumbles. His palms grow slick with sweat. He wipes his right hand against his pants, trying to dry his palms.
“What was that?” Uncle Steven asks, his voice slurred.
“Evan,” Evan replies, slightly louder.
“Mark’s son, right?” Steven asks. “Ah, that’s right. That’s how I got your name confused.”
Evan decides not to explain that his legal name is Mark. He looks at the book in his lap.
“Whas’at yer readin’?” Steven asks.
Evan shows him the book cover.
“Whassit about?” he demands, leaning in closer.
Evan shrugs and meekly replies, “I just–I just started reading it. I don’t, um, really know yet.”
Instead of continuing reading, Evan folds the corner of the page and closes the book. He lets his eyes focus on the pattern in the rug.
“What do you do for fun?” Steven asks.
Evan’s mind goes blank. “Oh, um, I hike and… stuff…”
“Hike,” snorts Steven. “Why are you being so shy? I’m your uncle, not a stranger.”
Although that’s actually not true, Evan decides, because this is one of the first times Evan has met his Uncle Steven.
Luckily, before Evan has to come up with a reply, Heidi enters the living room. “Hi, Steven.” Her voice is sour.
“Hello, Heidi. I’d best be off.” Steven stands and wobbles as he walks off, probably to grab more beer.
“Was he giving you a hard time?” Heidi asks.
Evan nods.
“He’s like that to everyone. Are you all right?”
“Yeah, I’m okay.”
Heidi reaches a hand out to her son’s shoulder. “Thank you for trying to put yourself out there. You did your best. I can talk to Grandma and tell her that you need some time to yourself.”
Evan’s eyes look up from the floor and focus on his mother’s face. “Really?”
“Yeah, go ahead. I can bring you some dinner later. Thank you for trying. Text me if you need anything.”
“Thanks, Mom!” Evan says, heading towards his room.
He closes the door behind him, flops onto a bed, and pulls out his book. Finally, after a long day, he can relax.