• • •

When I wake up on Sunday, this time knowing exactly where to go to pee in peace, I scroll through what seems like hundreds of texts from Mom, and several from Gray and Tad too. At some point yesterday, Mom made a group chat for the four of us on WhatsApp. I went out for dinner with Liam and his family – minus his dad and older brother, who aren't around this weekend – and got back to a new chat and a string of messages.

Mom called the group Sovanono. She seems to think she's hilarious, mashing up our last name with Tad's and Gray's. The cheesiness doesn't even bother me; it's just so good to see her so happy. Half of the photos are awkward selfies of her and Tad, neither of whom seem to know how to actually take a selfie, but they're grinning from ear to ear in every photo.

They look absolutely besotted with each other. They look so together. They just fit. So do Gray and Navya in the selfie he sent in response last night. I scroll through every photo I've missed, safely locked in Liam's bathroom, until I get to the last message, a text from Mom.

your turn storie!! I want a picture of you and liam! xxx

There's a knock at the door before I can reply.

"Storie? I gotta pee. Mom's in the bath."

"Did you walk in?" I ask, realizing that I've been on my phone in here for ten minutes. He probably thinks I have a problem.

"I know better than that," he says. "I really gotta pee."

"Mom wants a picture," I say as I come out.

"Of my bathroom?" He dashes past me and doesn't even shut the door to pee. I guess they're an open door family.

"Of us. You and me."

"Oh. Can it wait until I'm done peeing?"

I sigh, as dramatically as I can. "Fine, I guess," I say, and I drop onto my back on his bed. "I don't want to leave."

Liam comes out a couple of minutes later, drying his hands on a towel that he drops into his laundry basket. I think he's the only guy in the world, definitely the only college guy, who even thinks to wash his hand towels. Or to even have a hand towel. I'm pretty sure most don't even wash their hands.

"Stay right there, then," he says, and he grins when he kneels over me and kisses me, his hair getting in my face. I blow it away. He buries his face in my neck, his lips warm on my skin, and I can't help but giggle like a kid. I shriek when he tickles my painfully sensitive sides.

A few seconds later, Daria races in like a little police dog and jumps on the bed, trying to pull Liam off me.

"My turn!" she cries. "I wanna hug!"

Liam rolls off me, a blush in his cheeks, but he switches straight into big brother mode, scooping Daria onto his hip so she squeals, and he kisses her cheeks and her forehead until she's giggling so hard she can hardly breathe. He has so much energy, tirelessly keeping up with his sister and keeping track of his brothers and looking out for his mom. And being with me.

"Brother duty calls," he says with a laugh, hoisting Daria onto his shoulders.

"The more I see you as a brother, the more I love you," I say, lazily sitting up.

"Oh yeah? Then I guess today's a Daria day."

"Yay!" Daria cries out, grabbing fistfuls of Liam's hair to hang onto him, her legs wrapped around his neck.

"Are you stealing my boyfriend from me, Dar?" I ask. I've only known her for a little more than twenty-four hours but she has made me feel totally at home here, and so has her mom. The boys are nonplussed by my existence, more interested in their video games, which suits me just fine.

"No," Daria says. "He's my brother." She wraps her stubby arms around his forehead and pouts at me. "You're the stealer." She reaches out one hand to me, beckoning me over. When I stand next to Liam, she pats me on the head. "It's ok. I like you."

"I like you too, Daria."

"More than Liam?"

Liam glances at me, amusement in his eyes. I reach up on my tiptoes and whisper to Daria, "You're my favourite. But don't tell Liam."

"It's a secret," she says, a new light in her eyes, which burns brighter when I nod. This kid loves secrets. I'm not sure how good she is at keeping them, though.

That suspicion is confirmed a moment later when she cackles like a tiny witch and shrieks, "Storie likes me better!"

"Well," Liam says, laughing at his sister, "at least I know this little rat is transparent."

We head down for breakfast when their mom hollers, and she serves up a feast with bacon and fried eggs, and a whole bunch of fruit and bagels.

"Today's a very special day," she announces, setting food out all over the huge table. "Matthew's on his way over so this is the first time I've had all my babies under one roof since ... well, since Daria was a baby!"

"I'm not a baby!" Daria cries. I can't believe she was so shy when we first met. Now she's a firecracker.

"Exactly, sweetie," her mom says. "That's why it's special. You're all here. God knows how old this one will be by the next time I have you all here!" She pats her stomach. "And we have Storie, who is an extra special guest, so today is even better."

Liam leans close to me as we head over to the table, once he has shed his sister. "If you're not careful, Mom's gonna try to adopt you."

"That wouldn't be the worst thing in the world," I joke, but Liam keeps a straight face.

"But then you'd be my sister," he says, "and it'd make a lot of my thoughts incredibly incestuous."

"Oh my God, Liam. Shush."

He grins. "You're so cute when you're embarrassed," he says, his hand inching up my thigh to tease me, the table hiding us.

I act like he's not even there, hardly turning towards him to mutter, "You're an ass."

"You love my ass."

I can't lie. I do.

George's fixing us with a piercing stare from across the table, a look of disdain that flickers between us. "Can you, like, not?" he says, loading his plate with fruit, bacon, a bagel and lox. "I wanna eat my breakfast, not see it in reverse."

"George," Allie says, swatting him with a dishcloth.

"What! They're gross, Mom." He wrinkles his nose at us.

"You're twelve," Allie says. "That's a lot grosser."

"Mom!"

She chuckles and rushes off when a car pulls up outside, and she comes in a few minutes later with Matthew. He's twenty-four but he looks older, like a mature businessman. He kind of looks like Kris, actually, with slightly darker hair and a little more height. Allie gushes over him for a while, before she introduces me and lets him sit down.

I feel like a bit of an add-on now that Matthew's here. All the Alexander siblings are together and I'm hanging off the end, but Liam's hand is in mine and Daria's sitting on the other side of me, as though she has claimed me. Each time Matthew asks me a polite question, she pipes up with the answer.

There's an awkward moment when she loudly proclaims that I'm always eating Willy, until her mom explains through tears of laughter that Daria thinks kissing is eating, and Willy just happens to be an easier nickname of William than Liam.

After breakfast, which consists of a lot of the boys talking over each other for their mom's attention, throwing dates and deadlines and commitments at her that she fills into her mental calendar – and promises to back up on an actual calendar later – Matthew catches me as the madness subsides.

"It's really nice to meet you, Astoria," he says with a genuine smile. "You passed with flying colors."

"I passed? Was I being tested?" My eyes go wide as saucers. Is that why Liam asked me here? To put me through the paces of his family?

Matthew laughs. "Not officially, but breakfast in this house is enough of a test for anyone. You held your own. I respect that," he says with a nod. "Your lucky our dad's not here too. He would really test you."

"How?"

"He's a spreadsheet and questionnaire kind of guy," he says. "When he met my first girlfriend, he made her fill out a quiz. It's hilarious now, but it was pretty intimidating when I was fifteen."

"Wow. That's ... um..."

"It's crazy. And weird," Liam says, butting into the conversation. "Dad's just specific. You'd pass easily. You're the full package." He kisses my cheek. "But if he ever gives you one of those damn quizzes, can you just lie? I'd love to see his reaction."

Matthew thumps Liam's shoulder. "He'll lecture you on your poor taste."

"And then I'll read him the real Storie," he says, and he chuckles at his pun. "Hey, did Mom tell you about the baby?"

Matthew's eyebrows scrunch up. "What?"

Liam laughs. "Mom!" He points at Matthew when he gets his mom's attention. "Another kid you forgot to tell."

Matthew hurries over to Allie to hear all about the next Alexander sibling she seemed to forget to tell half her current children about, and Liam leads me outside before Daria can spot us sneaking away.

He lets out a long breath once we're in the garden. "They're a lot," he says.

"They are. But I love that."

"Me too. They're just a lot," he says, "and all I want is a little. A little bit of you."

"You're so soft."

"Soft for you," he says. "So, I was thinking..."

"Yeah?"

"You know how sometimes you have to work until ten?"

"I do," I say. "I'm horribly away of that."

"Well, I was thinking that on those days, when you have college the next day, you should just stay with me." He shrugs. "Davis is almost always with Annika, so we could have the room to ourselves. And Gray can stay too."

I purse my lips. It's tempting. And this Liam, the Liam I've seen this weekend, is the most persuasive of all the Liams I've known since I met him. He's almost a different person at home: he's more confident and loving, more Liam, when he isn't having to live up to whatever the frat says.

"That might be nice," I say slowly.

"I mean, it's more practical. It makes no sense, you driving all that way home when you finish so late. It's more economical to stay with me. You save on gas; you don't have to rush for class ... you get a free poet, apparently."

He grins. I laugh.

"And," he continues, "I'll keep you warm for free. Heating can get pricey in winter, but not with these bad boys." He blows on his hands and rubs them together. "Better for you, better for me, better for the environment."

"Maybe," I say, just to keep him on his toes. It's a tempting offer. I hate driving back after working a closer, knowing I have to head straight back to South Lakes in the morning. "I'll sleep on it."

"You could sleep on me."

"You're bad, you know that? You are really bad."

He just gives me that irresistible grin and wraps his arms around me, pulling me closer.

"Oi! Get a room!" George yells when he spots us, pulling a face.

"You get a room!" Liam calls back.

"I'm not the one frenching in the garden!"

I ease away from Liam. "Your brother hates me."

"He's twelve. He hates everyone," he says. "Puberty is hitting him hard. He's jealous of my perfect complexion and my stunning girlfriend."

George, who isn't quite out of earshot, scowls. "You suck."

Liam eyes me and licks his lips. "Can't argue with that."

I roll my eyes at him and push him away. "My mom still wants a picture," I say, shaking my phone at him. He takes it and swipes to the camera, pulling an exaggerated pout and running his hand through his hair like he's in a boyband.

"How's that?" he asks when he snaps a picture and shows me. He may be messing around but he actually looks really hot. I, on the other hand, am staring at him like a brainless idiot.

"Take a nice one."

"I thought that was a very nice one," he says. "Why don't you take it?"

"You're tall and you have long arms, aka the ingredients for a good selfie," I say, cozying up to him when he wraps his arm around me and manages to find a flattering angle, snapping a few pictures before he kisses my temple and snaps a few more.

"You smell really good," he murmurs.

"I used your bodywash. I smell like you."

"Ah, that explains it."

I snort at him and grab my phone, and I send a couple of the photos to the family chat. Within a few seconds, everyone has seen them and Mom sends back a string of heart emojis, a few blowing a kiss and several hugs. A moment later, an actual text from her appears.

you two are BEAUTIFUL! xxxx mom

• • •

I want to stay here. George may hate me and Sam and Johnny may not even realize I'm here, and Daria may be out to embarrass me, but I love it here. Not that I don't love home, and not that I don't miss Mom – it's so weird not seeing her for so long, except for her constant photos, which have been streaming in all day – but there's something magical about this place.

Maybe it just feels magical because Liam is showing me off to his family. He's proud of me; he's unashamed to hold my hand in front of them; he doesn't wait for the room to empty before he kisses me.

And his mom is such an angel. She has treated me like her own daughter all weekend, pulling me into the family fold with ease. I guess it's easy with such a huge family: I can be absorbed into the house without rippling the waters too much. There isn't so much pressure on me when life is just going on around us.

After a lazy Sunday lunch, Liam is helping Johnny with his homework and I'm struggling to contribute when their mom beckons for me to follow her and I excuse myself from a rather tedious tenth grade trigonometry lesson.

"Thanks for saving me," I joke.

"Are they doing math?" she asks. I nod. She grimaces. "It always went right over my head. I never got it."

"Me neither," I say. I mean, I got enough of it, I guess, but I hated it and I just scraped a passing grade. "Everything ok?"

"I was just wondering if I could borrow you for a few errands?" she asks. "Do you think the boys can survive without you for a couple hours?"

"Oh! Yeah, sure, I'm sure they can," I say, watching as she tips out her purse to find her keys.

"Wonderful," she says. "Let's go."

I didn't expect that on a random October afternoon in my freshman year of college, I'd be alone in a car with my boyfriend's mom and it wouldn't be excruciatingly awkward, but here I am. Allie's bopping along to the music on the radio, driving the exact speed limit until we come to a parking lot.

"Ok," she says when we get out of the car, "so, I lied a bit."

I raise my eyebrows, unsure of what to say. Maybe this was some weird long game where Liam got me to trust him enough to let his mom kill me. Maybe she's not even his mom. My concern must be evident on my face because Allie laughs.

"My God, girl, you look like you've seen a ghost!" she cries.

"Are we not doing errands?"

"Well, we are, sort of," she says. "I have a to-do list." She pulls a list out of her pocket and shows it to me. There's only one item on the list: take Storie out for coffee. I frown before I laugh and she beams, and it knocks years off her age.

"A bit cheeky, I know," she says, "but you seem like you can handle a coffee with your boyfriend's mom."

"I can handle it," I say.

"In return, I promise to try to remember to close the door when you're over," she says, and she laughs at the instant blush that takes over my cheeks. Looping her arm through mine, she leads me to a cute little coffee shop and after she persuades my order out of me, we take a seat at a comfortable sofa near the back.

"Thank you so much for having me this weekend," I say, before things inevitably get awkward and I forget my manners. "I've really loved being here. I love your family."

Allie's face lights up. She doesn't look like she's in her forties with six kids – she has a youthful glow and a young spirit. "I'm so glad, honey," she says. A waitress brings over her coffee and my hot chocolate, and Allie's eyes fall on her Americano. "Don't tell Liam," she whispers, stirring in a couple of sugars.

"Your secret's safe with me," I say. I'm not really sure what else to say in this situation, my words drying up on my tongue. I don't know what she wants to talk to me about but I can feel the tendrils of anxiety settling into my bones and wrapping themselves around my nerves.

Allie eyes me. "You needn't look so scared, hon," she says, and her accent is enough to soothe my worry for a moment. "I really don't mean to put you on edge. I just wanted to talk. I, well, I suppose I just wanted to say that I am over the moon that you and Liam are together."

"You are?" I stir my hot chocolate for something to do with my hands, even though I don't want the cream to dissolve.

"Oh, absolutely! You are such an angel, Storie," she says, her eyes bright. "You know, I was so worried when Liam joined that fraternity. I was so against it, I really was." She shakes her head to herself and sips her coffee, though it must be scalding.

"How come?"

"I'm sure you know what kind of reputation these organizations have," she says with a shake of her head. "I didn't want Liam getting tangled up in that. You know him – he's a good kid. He's so generous."

She's not wrong there. Liam is ridiculously giving, not just with me. I've seen him pay for friends, helping out the brothers who can't afford to go to a game or need cover for a party. I'm not sure I've paid a cent while we've been together, no matter how much I protest.

"He really is," I say. "He's really good to me, and to his friends."

"I'm so glad," Allie says. "I was worried that he'd get caught up in that, you know, that college boy mentality. All drinking and disrespect. When he told me he had a girlfriend, I was worried it'd be one of those vapid girls who hang around for the benefits." She wrinkles her nose. "He's never brought a girl home, so I didn't know what to expect."

"Never?" I ask, unable to hide my surprise. I figured Liam had had a few girlfriends before me.

"Nope. I know he's dated," she says, "but nothing serious. And then he told me about you, and I prayed that he had made a good choice, and now I meet you and I see that he has made a wonderful choice." She reaches across the table to squeeze my hand. "You are such a wonderful young woman, Storie. I knew from the moment I met you."

"You mean when I walked in on you?" I ask, letting out a nervous laugh. "I didn't make the best first impression."

"You did!" she cries out. "I bet these silly little sorority girls would be disgusted to see a fat forty-something in the bath, but you just seemed ... well, embarrassed."

"So embarrassed. I was scared you'd hate me for bursting in on you," I say, "or you'd think I was a weirdo for not running straight out."

She bursts out laughing, shaking her head. "Trust me, hon, I've been there. When you have five sons, you walk in on all manner of things."

I don't want to even imagine.

"Anyway," Allie says, "I guess I just wanted to welcome you with open arms. You're a wonderful girl and I can see that Liam really loves you. He's a softie at heart."

"I've seen that," I say, my nerves subsiding. I can't believe how at home feel in Liam's home, hanging out with his mom. It's surreal.

"Plus, you're an absolute beauty. No wonder he fell for you. My boy has good taste."

"You raised him well," I say, sipping my drink.