Rand: WTF?
Carolina: *gif of an actor doing a spit take*
Unknown number: Relax, idiots. It’s Flint. Not sure how I ended up in this text chain, but I’m leaving now.
Unknown number has left the group chat.
Rand: Now we have to go to the reunion together. Otherwise, I’ll never hear the end of it.
Carolina: Oh, well, since your reputation is on the line, then I WILL have to say yes.
Rand: (...)
Carolina: *winky emoji* J/K. You’re in, Rand. Welcome to Mi Vida Loca - My Crazy Life. Population: two
Rand: *gif of the Carlton dance*
Rand: Can’t wait.
Chapter 18
“They can wreak a lot of damage in five days.”
-Carolina
Rand arrives at Mama and Papa’s house around eight o’clock, with Faylor in tow. She’s staying in the guest room while Rand plays the fake boyfriend role at my reunion.
“This will be so much fun,” Mama hugs Faylor.
“Mama,” I warn. “You don’t know if Faylor is a hugger.”
The teenager shrugs and tries to play it off, but I see the light in her eye when Mama hugs her. Faylor is a hugger.
Papa grabs Faylor’s bags. “What time do you have to be at school?”
“8:30,” Faylor picks up her backpack and opens her phone. “I’ll order a rideshare.”
“No way,” several adults blurt out at once. Me included.
“Luis or Carmen will drop you off,” Rand glares at Faylor. “And either they or Wysdom will pick you up after school. You are not to get any rides home with your friends, or take rideshares with strangers, understand?”
Faylor rolls her eyes and stomps her feet. “If I had a car, I’d be driving myself - all by myself. And we barely know the Wards and Sabers.”
Rand tilts his head at her. “Ah, yes. But you don’t drive. And you don’t have a car. So, you’ll have to depend on the kindness of peopleI know.”
“What - ever,” Faylor pouts.
When we were little and got in trouble, our grandparents, aunties, and uncles thought it was the funniest thing ever. They often laughed at our misfortune and punishments. It used to piss me off something terrible.
Now, I completely understand why it’s so funny. It’sadorbs.
I try hard to bite back a smile as Rand lays down the law with his daughter/niece.
“I’m dead serious, Faylor,” Rand commands.
The tone of his voice is no longer funny. And it’s not because I feel bad for Faylor. It’s because my lady parts are suggesting he might want to boss us around too. When they decide to start calling himBossy McBossypants,I demand they think of anything else but Rand naked, and it does the complete opposite.
I’m standing in the middle of my parents’ house, in front of Faylor, imagining her uncle daddy naked.
