Hanging out with my niece and helping you is way better than staying in Virginia Beach with all those people. I miss you guys.
Theresa:
We miss you too. Love you. Drive safe.XOXO
Ava:
Always.
The drive was uneventful, which is what I needed. I’m pulling into their driveway, and my foot barely hits the pavement when my sister runs out. She wraps her arms around me. “I’m so happy you’re here.”
She hugs me tight and wiggles us. “I’m happy to be here. Now, where’s my niece?”
“What? Am I chopped liver now?” she asks as she releases me and crosses her arms over her chest.
“Stop it.” I roll my eyes at her and head inside in search of Giana.
“Auntie, Auntie, you here!” she screeches at the top of her lungs, running to me with her arms outstretched.
I scoop her little body into my arms and squeeze her tight. “How’s my little lady doing?”
“Auntie, you squeeze me too tight.” She tries to wiggle out of my arms, but I hold her a little tighter for a few seconds longer.
I loosen my grip on her. “I missed you so much.”
“I miss you too. Want to play kitchen with me?”
That’s what we play for the next hour. She cooks me food and I eat it. This girl has me wrapped around her little finger.
She comes and sits on my lap on the floor. The snuggles are like nothing else as she gives the best ones, and I don’t want her to grow up. She can stay this little forever.
My sister disappeared while we were playing. I hope she took a nap. With her due date a month away, she must be exhausted. Frankly, for her not to come and talk to me while I played with Giana, she must be exhausted.
“Do you want a snack?” I ask her as she stands up.
“Yes, my belly needs a snack,” she says, rubbing her belly and walking toward the kitchen.
“Okay, what kind of snack do you want? Apple, puffs, cheese…”
She climbs up the chair and clasps her hands on the table. “Puffs, please.”
I give her a bowl of puffs and say, “Auntie will be right back, and I’ll have a snack with you, okay?”
Taking one puff at a time and shoving it into her mouth, she barely says, “Okay, Auntie.”
I head to my sister’s bedroom and walk through the door. There she is, lying like Sleeping Beauty on her California king-sized bed. She needs sleep, so I scurry back to Giana and entertain her the rest of the afternoon.
Logan walks through the door around seven o’clock. Giana’s fed, bathed, and ready for bed.
“Hey, I didn’t think you were coming until mid-next week,” he says, walking over to give me and Giana a big hug.
“Everything down there wrapped up quicker than I thought it would. Instead of hanging around, I drove straight here.”
Logan searches the room. “Where’s your sister?”
“She’s been sleeping ever since I arrived. She really must be exhausted.” I snap my tongue against the roof of my mouth.
“That doesn't surprise me. The last few nights, she hasn’t slept well—she’s very uncomfortable. I feel bad. I’ve massaged her, bought her a new body pillow, but nothing has helped. I'm relieved she’s finally sleeping.” He shrugs and moves to sit with us to play with baby dolls on the floor.
