Aunt Tilley had already donned a pair of dish gloves with a funny fake diamond ring on them and was filling the sink with soap. I thought about grabbing a drying towel, but, since this ritual took place weekly without me, I didn’t want to overstep.
“I’ve just never heard of such a thing happening in Cape Carolina,” Mason’s mom was saying as I put my plates down on the counter.
“Never?” Elizabeth asked. “Don’t act so scandalized, Olivia.”
Amelia rolled her eyes at me, which indicated that this was common practice, not an argument, which relaxed me.
I avoided confrontation, and in my profession, I was around my share. If you want to see perfectly sane and in-love parents fight, put them in the worst day of their lives, when their kid’s life is on the line.
“We all know of situations like this,” Tilley said, her glove rhinestone sparkling as she washed the dishes.
“But the baby in the dumpster is kind of extreme,” Amelia added.
I stood back and studied them, this group of women who were so clearly family, yet not all of them were related by blood. I’d seen this inSteel Magnolias. And, sure, don’t get me wrong, I loved my family. But they weren’t quite like this. We never gathered aroundand chatted and dried the dishes together. I wanted to do it forever. Wasn’t this why I’d moved? To find a warm community? I wanted to be part of a family like this that knew decades of each other’s secrets and held all the town history.
“Well, let’s not talk of such unpleasant things,” Tilley said. I studied her, wondering what was going on inside her head. Here was this woman, probably no older than my father, dressed strangely but talking totally sensibly. Interesting. “Are you and Parker taking a trip for your anniversary?” she asked Amelia.
“I can’t believe it has been five years!” Olivia said.
“Since all our dreams came true,” Elizabeth said, clutching her drying cloth to her heart.
Sure, I was new here, but even I knew Southern best friends had wanted their children to marry each other since the beginning of time, so this wasn’t a big leap.
“Oh, I wish we were going on a trip,” Amelia said. “But you know we can’t leave the twins.” She shifted her eyes toward Aunt Tilley, and I realized she couldn’t leave her either.
“Amelia, surely we can handle our own grandchildren for a few days,” Elizabeth said.
I don’t know what made me say, “I could keep them for you.” Everyone looked at me like they’d just remembered I was standing there.
“Really?” Amelia asked.
“Sure,” I said. “I mean, I am a NICU nurse, so kids are kind of my thing.” Why was I talking them into this? I was just getting settled in town, and, yes, I had days off, but I surely didn’t need anything else to do. Applying for a new job, moving to a new town, offering to do this off the cuff… Was I becoming impulsive?
“I could stay right here, and I bet Aunt Tilley would be a big help to me.” I raised my eyebrow ever-so-slightly just to Amelia so that shewould get the picture. I knew that I would be keeping an eye on her three-year-oldsandher aunt.
Much to my surprise, Amelia threw her arms around me. “Parker is going to be so excited! And, of course, we can work around your schedule, and Mom and Olivia will be right here. And so will Mason and—” She hugged me again. Over my shoulder, I could see Olivia and Elizabeth sharing annoyed looks, and I wondered if I’d just stepped into something.
Well, never mind. Amelia was just sohappy. Had I found a crush and a best friend my very first week in a brand-new place? Only time would tell.
MASONFirst Cicadas of Spring
I still can’t believe you offered to keep the twinsandTilley,” I said as Daisy and I walked from Dogwood to my house for the “one more drink” I had offered.
Daisy laughed. “Why not? They’re so cute.” She put her arm in the crook of mine, and I sort of loved it. “And I want to spend some time with Aunt Tilley.”
“You do?” I loved Tilley situationally, but I knew I wouldn’t want to be in charge of her well-being. But, then again, I wasn’t a caregiver for a living.
We walked through the tall grass, the first cicadas of spring singing their song. I almost never noticed them anymore. But tonight was one of those nights where everything just felt more alive.Ifelt more alive. And I had to wonder if it was because of Daisy.
“Yeah. I mean, I’m sure I’m like the millionth person to say this, but I feel like I could maybe help her.”
I nodded. Yeah. Poor Elizabeth had dragged that woman all over the country. No one could figure out exactly what was wrong with Tilley. She potentially had something like delusional disorder. Or maybe PTSD. Now that she was older, there was a suggestion of early-onsetdementia every now and then. But no diagnosis seemed to fit quite right. And no medication seemed to help much. Which just goes to show that not everyone is a problem to be fixed, or a puzzle to be solved.
“Well, you’re definitely helping Parker and Amelia,” I said.
“Will you help me?”
She looked up at me with big round eyes. I wanted to laugh, but I resisted. “Uh-huh. I see how it is. You offer to babysit and then enlist my services. Tricky.”
