As she’d done many times in her life, she let her family make her feel better.

By the end of the day she was glad she’d listened because her muscles ached and her head hurt. The doctor had said she’d most likely have some soreness and a headache for a while on and off. She took some pain reliever and hoped for a quiet night for a change.

Jill drove her back home and Tate spent the last bit of nagging time to convince her sister and brother to get back to Atlanta and to school.

“After dinner, though.” Jill grinned.

Tate was good at three things—cutting hair, dancing and cooking. She was so good at it her siblings, even as adults, could be found at her dinner table any given day of the week. She took great pride in these things. It was a good thing to have skills that made you happy and people could always use a meal, a bit of dancing and a trim. It wasn’t rocket science but it made Tate special.

The driveway already had two cars in it and Tate smiled, the tiredness ebbing as she found comfort in those people she loved most. Except for Tim, her siblings were almost like her children and rather than feeling burdened by it, it buoyed her, anchored and strengthened her.

Her house, a neat little bungalow in that area of town that hovered between decent neighborhood and neighborhood in decline, was her proudest possession, even more than the shop. It wasn’t much. Just two bedrooms, a small living and dining room, but the kitchen was big and the bathroom was too.

She’d decided on a pretty butter yellow with light blue trim on the shutters. She was no green thumb though so William, a baker and gardener extraordinaire, took pity and did all the planting and managing of her yard.

It was her oasis from the world and was quite frequently teeming with Murphys. Luckily, while the house was small, the lot it sat on was gargantuan. She had a big, fenced-in backyard so her nieces and nephew could come over and play any time they wanted. Which was often enough she had a toy box in her living room and a play set out back.

“Looks like you’re not the only one who wants to eat at my table tonight.”

Jill laughed as she pulled Tate’s car into her spot closest to the house. “Duh. You feeling okay? We can get take-out too. It’s really just that I’d like to spend some more time with you before we go back tonight.”

“I’m good. I just had a headache but it’s going away now. I expect some food will help.”

The scent of freshly baked bread greeted her when she walked inside. Nathan smiled from the kitchen. “Hey, sweetie. William brought several loaves of bread by. He said he’d see you tomorrow and to call if you need anything. I told him Jill and Jake are going back tonight and I’m sleeping over here so he didn’t have to worry.”

Nathan looked like he’d be the most laid back of the whole Murphy crew but in reality, aside from Tate, he was the most tenacious. She knew he’d sleep on her porch if she didn’t give him the guest room so she didn’t bother arguing.

“Thank you, Nate. I don’t need it. I’m fine, of course, but as no one is listening to me, I’ll save my breath. And yes, Jill and Jake are going back after dinner.”

Beth wandered in and absently pressed a hand to Tate’s forehead. “You’re warm and you look tired. Why don’t we get take out?”

“Yes. I’m calling right now. China Gate I think.” Jill pulled out a menu and began to consult with Nathan. Tate just shook her head.

“Fine. Get extra egg rolls. I am going to bake some cookies though. Chocolate chip with walnut and oatmeal peanut butter chip I think.”

“Dang, I think so too.” Jacob walked into the living room, hair still wet from the shower. “Don’t worry, the car is packed. I know you’re kicking us out after we eat. But I wouldn’t look amiss at some cookies to take home.” He sent her puppy dog eyes.

She changed clothes and got started on the cookies. It didn’t take long, she tended to have a basic mix in her fridge or freezer to add extras to because she baked so often.

Her siblings cleared the dining room table and laid out plates as she changed out baking sheets and cooled the cookies.

“Wow, you’re sending that many home with us? You rock.”

Tate rolled her eyes at Jacob. “No. You can have a third. Nate can take another third to his class, you said they had some kind of math-olympics thing, right? And the last third is a thank-you for the firefighter who helped me yesterday after the accident.”

They ate a big dinner and saw Jill and Jacob off clutching enough food for the next few days. Beth left for her apartment a few blocks away and Nathan bunked down in her guestroom.

Tate sat in bed and stared at the television for a while, letting the cherished silence settle in around her. She had a very full and satisfying professional and personal life with her family. And yet, something was missing. She saw Anne with her boyfriend, Tim with Susan and William with Cindy and she wanted that too. She wanted a man to come home to. She wanted children of her own.

Would she ever have that? Would a fluffy girl like her be able to find a man who’d want the whole package? So okay, Tate knew she was a big girl and most days she was okay with that. She didn’t really have problems being fat. She didn’t even have issues with the word fat unless her father was the one using it. Using it to slap her, to punish her for not breaking, for helping the others survive.

But it wasn’t just the abundant curves, it was the seven siblings, two sisters-in-law and their children.

It wasn’t like her family was meddlesome so much as they were all very involved in each others’ lives. Tate didn’t have many friends she wasn’t related to. Some men she’d dated had a problem with that. They’d felt like they didn’t fit in or that she didn’t drop everything for them. When she thought about the man she wanted to share her life with, she knew she wanted to share her family with him too. Wanted him to think those things were as important as she did.