That bit of recognition from my big sister makes me happy.
“No, and I don’t think that I will.”
“Still avoiding them?”
“Just not wasting my time.”
“How so?”
“I didn’t tell you this before because I knew how you’d react, but after Aaron died, I found out that he had a girlfriend. A girlfriend that was known by the family. I think he’d been with her for a few years.”
“A girlfriend!”
“Yeah.”
“Then why the hell are we grieving for this motherfucker again?”
“Pat!” I almost laugh. “Do you kiss my nephew with that dirty mouth?”
Suddenly my nephew makes a rare appearance.
“Hi, Aunt Trina!”
“Hi, Nate. It’s so good to see you. What are you doing?”
“Playing Legos.”
“Sweet! I love Legos and I love you too. I miss you lots.”
“Me too.”
“Take the dogs out to the yard, Nathan,” Pat asks so she can finish her conversation with me.
“Okay, Momma.”
“Now let’s get back to the previous topic at hand. Why didn’t you tell me about the girlfriend? That was a key piece of information that has just released me from ever feeling sorry for that man again.”
“I was afraid you’d be disappointed.”
“In what? In you?”
“I moved across the country for a man who didn’t love me. I left you and Nate and Bobby for what?”
“I could never be disappointed in you for taking risks, Trina. I’m the safe Banks sister who is scared of heights and only snacks on salt and vinegar potato chips. You’re the more adventurous one and I respect you for it. Don’t keep things like that from me again, you hear?” She points at me like she does at Nate when she’s reprimanding him for lying to her about eating his broccoli.
“Okay, big sis. Got it.”
“Now that we’ve got that out of the way, am I seeing things, or is that a hickey on your neck?”
For a moment, I forgot about it, but now I focus my eyes in the mirror on the fading purple mark on my skin.
“Uh, hello?” She asks again. “What are you, fourteen-years-old again? Who put that god awful mark on your neck? You didn’t say you were seeing anyone. ”
“Um, someone’s at my door, Pat. I have to go.”
“I didn’t hear the buzzer.”
“Bye!”
