A smile pushed forward. “No. Do you?”
“Just these babies,” I said, flexing my less-than-impressive muscles.
“I’ll take my chances.”
Andrea stepped into my apartment. I couldn’t even believe I was saying that. Andrea. In. My. Apartment. Her eyes immediately zeroed in on Noah.
“Oh, my god, Jesse, I can’t believe how big he’s gotten.”
“Yeah, these things…they grow. Who knew?”
Andrea laughed… in my apartment. First Quinn. Now this. Was I living in a TV show?
“May I?” Andrea asked as she approached Noah.
I nodded, still too dumbfounded to process her request.
“Hi, Noah,” she said, extending her hand formally. “I’m Andrea.”
He shook it, a floppy eight-year-old boy handshake. “Mom’s sister.”
“That’s right. I’m sorry I haven’t been around much, but it sure looks like your mom is taking good care of you.”
“Aside from the scraped-up face, the bruised spleen, and the broken arm, you mean?” I asked.
“Yes, that’s what I meant.” Andrea smiled. “I brought you a gift, Noah… if… oh, I’m sorry.” She turned to me. “Maybe I should have asked you first. Is it okay?”
God, so awkward. How had we gotten this way? That we couldn’t be in the same room without spewing politically correct verbiage?
“We’re equal opportunity gift getters in this house, aren’t we, Noah?”
“We are,” he confirmed, accepting the present with a smile on his face. I watched from my place near the door as he ripped open the paper to reveal a game inside.
“Totally Gross!” he called out, his eyes sparkling. My sister had just gifted Noah with the only game that catered specifically to a little boy’s love of grossness. “Can we play now, Mom?”
“Maybe later. Don’t forget your manners.”
Noah, in all his pureness and without any knowledge of the rift between my sister and me, rose to his feet and gave her a hug. “Thank you.”
“Oh,” she said, taken aback by his gesture, awkwardly patting his back. “Aren’t you a sweet one.”
Had she made even the slightest effort to be in his life, I would’ve gladly shared him with her. As would I have with my mother, stepfather, and younger half sibling, Mabel. But none of them had ever shown an interest, so I’d gone it alone, raising my son without a tribe. It had been a lonely path to travel.
Andrea released Noah and turned to me. “Can we talk for a minute?”
“Sure,” I said, then addressed Noah. “We’ll be in the kitchen. Call me if you need anything.”
Once we were out of Noah’s earshot, I offered up a glass of wine to Andrea.
“Yes, please,” she replied, eyeing me as I poured a glass for both of us. “I didn’t think you drank anymore.”
“I do occasionally, but normally I don’t have much of a reason. You, here, is a reason.”
“Yes. It surely is,” Andrea said, pausing as if she were struggling for words. “I hope you don’t mind me buying Noah a gift.”
“Why would I? You’re his aunt,” I said, handing Andrea a glass and sitting down at the table. “I am sort of pissed that I now have to play the game with him, but…”
We laughed, and it was an odd moment for both of us. I couldn’t remember the last time we’d done that together.
