He visibly winces and kind of pulls away, but then he quickly composes himself and reassures his mom. “Ma, it’s nothing.” Then he breaks into a grin and lowers his chin to look at Junie. “Bye, Juniper. You sure know how to make an entrance.” Then it’s my turn. “Nice meeting you, Eden.” His voice is softer when he addresses me.
I don’t have the energy to apologize again. I’m starting to feel overwhelmed by the emotions of the day, and I’ve only been here for like twenty minutes.
I nod at him. “Nice meeting you,” I say quietly, then I turn away.
Hot guy or not, I can only let so many things get close to my heart right now. Bringing an aunt and a bunch of new friends in is more than enough and maybe even more than I can take.
* * *
By the end of brunch,I’ve laughed so hard and eaten so much, my stomach is turning. My aunt has convinced me to call her Aunt Sassy, because she said every time I say Shirley, no one knows who I’m talking about.
And honestly, the Aunt Shirley I expected is nothing like the aunt I’m seeing. Sassy fits her so, so much better.
It has to be around one thirty when Gracie puts her son down for a nap in her old bedroom upstairs. She yawns and asks her mom to wake her by 2:30 if she isn’t up so she can get on the road to pick up her older kids.
Bev hurries back to the shelter, and Carol has a job she’s got to get back to as well. Lucia doesn’t have a full-time job, and Aunt Sassy doesn’t have to be at work where she’s a waitress until three. After Grace lies down with Ethan, Lucia and Aunt Sassy put away the leftover food but then retreat to the couches.
“Are you allergic to dogs?” Lucia asks.
“Not at all. I love dogs,” I tell her. “I’ve actually been planning on getting one now that we have a little house.”
“Oh, Eden, don’t tell Lucia you want a dog. She’ll have every rescue from that shelter on your doorstep if you let her.” Aunt Sassy leans back on the couch, crosses her legs, and plops her bare feet up on a pretty ottoman.
“Well, my Chihuahua isn’t friendly,” Lucia warns. “But she loves Gracie. I’m going to send her upstairs. But my Venus is the sweetest. She’s been out in the yard plenty for one day.” Lucia opens a patio door, and an aged lab-mix-type dog wanders in, wagging her tail so hard it’s difficult not to grin. After loving on the lab for a few minutes, Lucia scoops up the Chihuahua and carries it upstairs. “Be right back, girls.”
Once my aunt and I are alone, I get down on the floor with Junie and introduce her to the dog. “See, Junie?” I hold my hand out, fingers down, letting the dog sniff me. “Hold Mommy’s hand.”
I clasp Junie’s hand in mine and let the dog sniff her fill. Once she seems satisfied that we’re good people, she licks Junie’s hand and flops down on her back, legs up.
“I think that means we can pet her,” I say, scratching the silvery fur with my nails.
“Venus is an angel,” Aunt Sassy says over a yawn. “I never worry about the kids around that one. The Chihuahua, on the other hand…”
Lucia returns and drops onto the couch next to Sassy. “You girls want some more coffee or water?”
“Lucia, I’m stuffed. I’m not going to be able to make it through my shift without a bottle of Tums.”
I look at my aunt. “Auntie, are you okay?”
Aunt Sassy pats her belly. “Baby, never better. Don’t you worry about me. But just you wait. You hit fifty, and nothing works the same anymore.”
Lucia cackles her agreement. “What I wouldn’t give to be fifty again,” Lucia says. “I’m just grateful I have grandchildren while I’m still young enough to enjoy them.”
“Amen.” Sassy yawns again. “Lucia, I don’t know where you get the energy. One afternoon with the kids has worn me out.” She looks at me. “And you. You’ve been doing this all alone.”
An awkward silence fills the room. I don’t know what to say to that. I assume my aunt’s told her friends about our family. My aunt is my dad’s sister, but calling the man my dad would be… Well, let’s just say calling him that would be generous.
He left my mom when I was three and didn’t bother to parent beyond sending child support—late, and usually less than what he owed—and cards on my birthday and holidays.
If Aunt Shirley hadn’t made an effort to stay in touch with me my entire life, I wouldn’t know anyone on my dad’s side of the family.
And then there’s my mom. That’s a whole different kind of story, and it’s even sadder than being abandoned by my dad.
“How you doing, honey?” Lucia asks warmly. And somehow, even though I’ve only just met her, I get the sense that she really does care.
“What I want to know,” Sassy interrupts, not letting me answer Lucia’s question, “is what’s up with Juniper’s father? What is it with these men who abandon their kids?” Sassy shakes her head and looks at Lucia. “You know I don’t condone the kind of father my brother was. But it really pisses me off that my beautiful niece had to go through this not just with her own father, but with the father of this beautiful angel.”
Lucia and Sassy look incredibly worked up, and while I appreciate their interest, this is not a conversation I’m comfortable having. No, correction. It’s not a conversation I can have. There’s a whole legal contract that prevents me from saying just about anything more than the rehearsed line I’m about to repeat.
