“How does it still smell the same?” I ask in disbelief as he leads me into the front hall.
Mark squeezes my hand and chuckles. “You’ll have to ask Ryan about his little mishap when ordering Mom’s favorite air freshener. I’m fairly certain they’ve got a lifetime supply. Ha. Since this is now his home, he gets to live with it. I guess that’s the price he’s paying for trying to impress Lanie.”
“Hmmm, that sounds like quite a story,” I muse with laughter.
“Oh, it is… Trust me. Just ask Lanie about it one day when Ryan’s not around. You’ll get the full scoop.”
Inhaling deeply, Jane’s familiar scent somehow calms my nerves, and I’m suddenly ready to face her enormous family. She’d always hoped she’d have an even bigger one than her two children and four granddaughters. I always loved her stories about the girls, and now that I’m finally meeting them, it feels like I’ve come full circle.
The sound of little feet slapping down the hall draws me out of my trip down memory lane. “Papa… Faye… You’re here!” Two familiar boys come charging at us.
One clings to Mark, as the other collides into me and hugs me so tight, he almost knocks me over. It takes a second to recover, but instinctually, I squeeze my surprise hugger back just as hard. When he pulls back, I see it’s Jason. “Hey, Jay. It’s good to see you.”
Turning to his brother, he grins. “See… I told ya she’d know.”
Hands to his hip, Josh asks, “How’d ya know, Faye? We usually trick everyone new.”
Instantly, I relax even further as I chuckle at the twins’ antics. “Well, for starters, your voice is a little different. The second”—I look from Jason to Josh playfully—“is my little secret. If I let you know my superpowers, you’ll get away with everything.”
Thank God, Josh has a tiny freckle above his left eye, or I’d never have been able to tell them apart.
“No, we won’t.” Josh sighs heavily, “Because you’re like Momma and won’t let us get away with nothin’.”
“What won’t I let you get away with?” a woman, I assume is Sloane, says, rounding the corner.
Jason rolls his eyes at his brother and points a thumb at me. “Faye has superpowers like you and can tell us apart.”
As I reach out my hand in greeting, Sloane bypasses it and pulls me in for a hug. “It’s so nice to finally meet you. My boys haven’t stopped talking about their new friend Faye since they’ve been home.” When she pulls back, she gasps. “Wait… You’re the one in the picture.”
“What?” Mark and I say in unison.
“Nana has a picture right here in the hall of you and another girl out on the beach when you were kids. I thought it was one of Aunt Mable’s friends, but now that I’ve seen you in person, I know it’s you, Faye.”
Another girl, who is the spitting image of Sloane, steps into the hall and joins us. If I were a betting woman, I’d put my money on it being Raven. Even as adults, they’re identical. However, Raven now has a tattoo on her inner wrist and an edgier look to her than she did as a teen.
“Raven, you know that picture of Dad, Mable, and that girl we never knew the name of on the beach, that’s right over there…?” She points to a framed photo on the wall.
“Yes…” Raven’s brows pull tight. “What about it?”
“It’s Faye. Nana said it was Dad’s first crush, but never gave us her name.”
“I always thought he was crushing on one of Aunt Mable’s friends.” Then she looks between her dad and me and smirks, just like I’ve seen Mark do a million times. “But obviously, the two of you were more than friends back in the day.”
Sloane quirks a brow. “At least that’s the word on the street.”
“You say that like we’re not even here,” Mark grumbles.
“What are y’all doing in the hall?” another of Mark’s daughters asks as she comes into view. If I had to guess, it’s Melanie, or Lanie, as everyone calls her. Jane used to show me pictures and tell me so many stories about these girls, I feel as if I already know them.
“Hi, I’m Faye.” I reach out to shake her hand in greeting. “You must be Lanie?” I guess, hoping I didn’t make the wrong assumption.
“Wow… she’s good,” Josh pipes in. “Papa, did you give her a cheat sheet, like our video games?”
Mark’s deep chuckle fills the room. “No, buddy, I didn’t.” Then he turns to me and asks, “How are you doing this?”
“Let’s go into the living room so we all can hear her explanation,” Lanie suggests, ushering this suddenly large gathering out of the hall.
Once we’re settled, Raven asks, “So, how is it you’re able to tell us apart?”
