dinner and an unexpected guest

 Today, we're having dinner with Jeff's brother. It was something planned earlier this week when his brother asked if Thursday worked for us. We obliged. You see, Jeff and I have only been in our new home for two weeks. During our first few days here, we hosted a very casual get-together with grilled steak. My family was there, along with Jeff's younger brother and his wife. Since my family and Jeff’s brother only live 20 minutes away, it made sense. Jeff did invite his mother, but she had other plans.

Little did we know that this casual event would be the precipice of a family mini-drama. A day after our dinner, Jeff heard from his younger brother that their mother and other siblings felt slighted. “Why him (the younger brother) and not us?” they asked. I was taken aback. It was such a casual thing, nothing official. We don't even have furniture in our home yet! But Jeff shrugged it off and said it was typical.

That bothered me more than I wanted to admit. I’ve always thought family should be understanding, especially when things are still in flux. But I guess expectations have a way of sneaking in, even when you’re just trying to settle in. I spoke with his older brother, whom I'm pretty close to. He made some passive-aggressive jabs disguised as jokes, hinting that maybe I was the one who hadn’t been inclusive enough. That stung a bit, but I brushed it off and assured him that his family was always welcome. A day later, he invited himself over, and we happily accepted, deciding we’d make dinner.

Last night, Jeff's sister called and gave him a heads-up: his older brother is bringing a surprise—their mother. I’m not anxious, just cautious. I do want her to feel welcome, but I also want her to know that we’re still figuring things out here. I’ll be ready for whatever comes next—stay tuned, because this could get interesting.