"Claire's going to be here in about an hour." I called out to the others as I poured myself over the kitchen stove. On it was a pot of cooling macaroni and cheese, a skillet full of chicken stir-fry, and a cooling plate of my first ever batch of crab Rangoon. I'd never made them before and figured it fit the situation quite well. I really didn't know how well my plan for the night was going to go, nor did I have the same faith in my new recipe.

Angela snuck behind me and reached for one of the Rangoon, and I smacked her hand like a Catholic school Nun.

"Ow. All I want is one!" She complained, stomping her foot as her stomach growled.

"No. You should have eaten more during lunch. Now go and entertain the others so I don't have them hovering around me." I ordered. This was my kitchen. And you'd think that after living here for three years that they'd all realize this by now. But no. Every time I cooked, someone was lingering behind me, as if I was finally going to give in and let them sneak a bite.

"You are an unfair chef! You know that?" She said stomping away to go rejoin the others outside.

"Yeah, cry me a river." I mumbled lowering the heat on the stir-fry. Of course this wasn't nearly enough to actually feed seven people, let alone wolves, which was why everyone was outside. I'd ordered a lot of Chinese and decided to just cook what everyone had asked me too. The stir-fry at the China Wok was horrible, and that's how this entire meal got started. With complaints.

Alan then decided he wanted mac and cheese, and Nick was quick to join in on his request. So, with my hands tied, I started cooking. I just wish they had enough patience to wait!

It wasn't too long though, before Emily and Alan came inside. Alan was a strange child. He showed the same ferocity towards food that we all did, and his metabolism was definitely up to the task of dealing with it, but he still wasn't old enough to change. His time would come at around fifteen, maybe sixteen.

Emily however, was just a glutton. And I made sure to tell her that as much as possible. She was constantly ready for food, which made me guess whether or not that it was because of her and Nick's not having sex. Whereas he would use his addiction to video games to entertain him, Emily really had nothing to do, except bother me to cook, or while I cooked, or even as I set the table.

"Can we eat yet?" She asked.

"How many times do I have to tell you? When Claire get's here with the other two, yes. Until then, no!" I said as sternly as possible.

Yet, they still came into the kitchen. Alan came in on my left side, and Emily strafed the counter too my right. "Well, can we at least get a snack?" Alan asked, inching towards the cutting board that I'd used to dice the chicken, bell peppers, and onions.

I turned on a dime to protect the food. "I swear to god you too! If anyone sneaks any food from this kitchen, I'll throw it all away!" I bluffed. I wasn't about to waste all this good food, but I did want them to go away.

Emily frowned and went back into the living room, where she turned on the sound system and put in her favorite CD. And within seconds, Three Doors Down's 'Loser' was playing softly in the background.

Alan, however, was still standing where he had been when I warned him.

Propping open the front door with the unused coat rack, Emily made her way outside to complain too the other two.

"So who's Claire?" Alan asked.

"She's a friend of the family. More like a mother to me than anything else." I said, turning back on the stove to cover the mac and cheese and place a thin sheet of aluminum foil on top of the Rangoon. I wasn't taking any chances. The stir-fry would have to suffer exposure though, because of the heat.

"What about the other two?" He asked, making me fell as though he was just trying to get something. Yet, when he turned, I saw something completely different.

His chin was down, almost touching his chest, and his eyes were low and gloomy.

"Alan, what's wrong?" I asked worriedly. He's just lost his mother and you ask him what's wrong? Angela thought loudly from the front porch. I wanted to yell at her for saying it, because her tone almost made me laugh. I knew that sometimes I could forget things, mostly important things, but it wasn't something I could help.

"How did you get over your mom dying?" He asked quite blatantly.

I was too taken by shock to answer him automatically. I had to think about it. I didn't want to tell him that I ignored it for over a decade. And after I did the math to make sure that that was correct, I still came up blank.

"I really couldn't tell you, man. I mean, time heals all wounds and all, but…" I shrugged. "The thing is, you can't let it rule you."

He looked up to me. And I knew he was grateful that I could at least offer him that much.

"So what are we going to do?" He asked. I wasn't sure how I was going to break it to him that he wasn't coming with us, but I knew it would have to wait until after dinner.

"I'm going to make sure that she doesn't regret sending you here, and you're going to make her proud."

The sounds of heavy tires sliding to a stop on the loose, gravel driveway tore our conversation from both of our minds.

"They're here!" Emily yelled, making a B-line too the kitchen.

I stopped her dead in her tracks before I went outside to greet them.

"You turn your ass around and be a nice hostess." I said, turning her back towards the door where she cursed, and stomped back outside. She was definitely the proud owner of a one track mind.

Derrick and Wilson were the first to pop out of the small Nissan, and made it to the porch before Claire got out of the car. Everyone was shaking hands, hugging and wondering why we were all here in the first place.

"Michael!" Claire yelled happily as she ran up the stairs and threw her long arms around my neck. She was definitely glad to see me again. It had been almost a year since she'd last visited, but with her job at the local college, she had a hard time coming across the country to see us. "It's so good to see you!"

"Same here. I'm glad yall made it safely."

"Can we eat?" Derrick yelled over the slew of young greeters that had swarmed around them.

"Yes, yes." I said, waving my hands. "We can finally eat."

"Thank God!" Emily yelled, running past me into the house. The sounds of plates being set and silverware dispersed was quick and loud, but at least she was being polite.