Page 140 of Safe With You

“That means you didn’t check,” I called after her.

By the time Mila found the shoes she’d sworn weren’t under her bed, I’d gathered the rest of the things we needed, made sure she used the bathroom before we left, and checked twice that I had my wallet because Tasha would never let me live it down if I showed up with neither money nor ice.

We stopped for the two bags she’d requested on the way.

Tasha was standing on her porch when I pulled into her driveway forty minutes later, already pointing toward the back of my truck.

I lowered my window. “Both bags are back there.”

She smiled. “See? Calling three times works.”

Mila had her seat belt off before I could tell her to wait.

“Auntie!”

Tasha’s entire face changed.

“There go my baby.”

I looked over at Mila. “Interesting.”

She was already pushing the door open.

“Don’t run across⁠—”

Too late.

She was halfway up the driveway.

Tasha crouched enough to catch her when she reached the porch, hugging her like they hadn’t seen each other in months instead of a couple weeks.

I climbed out and went around to the trunk for the ice.

“Your brother is here too,” I called.

Tasha looked over Mila’s head. “Hey.”

“That’s all I get?”

“I see you all the time.”

“You see her all the time.”

“She’s nicer.”

Mila nodded seriously. “I am.”

I grabbed both bags of ice. “Neither one of y’all getting Christmas presents.”

“You say that every year,” Tasha said.

The front door opened before she could respond, and my nephew came barreling onto the porch. He ran straight past Tasha toward Mila, yelling something about a game I’d never heard of, and Mila immediately forgot the adults existed and followed him inside.

I watched them disappear.

Tasha looked at me.

I looked at her.