AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She pushed her seat back and closed her eyes. She didn’t want to be rude, but this kid wouldn’t shut up. He reminded her of Vance Albridge, former football god. This kid probably was the same way. Big jock in high school trying to swim his way with the big fish in college. The rest of the flight was uneventful, and it landed in Atlanta six minutes ahead of schedule. Upon disembarking, the college kid ignored her. Perfect, I don’t want to talk to you, either. Have a good life.
Her brother, Michael, was waiting for her at the baggage claim with her nephew, Mikey. He ran to her.
“Aunt Ava, you came for my birthday party?”
She kneeled and showered his chubby little face with kisses. “Of course I did! I wouldn’t miss your birthday party for anything.” She stood up, and he clung to her hand.
“Wow, I get nothing? Not even a hug?” Michael asked.
Ava hugged him with her nephew still clinging to her hand. She handed Michael her baggage tag, and he pulled her suitcase off of the carousel. She ended up sitting between the two car seats because her nephew insisted she sit next to him.
“So what has Daddy planned for the children’s birthday party?”
“You have no idea. He had a small carousel set up in the backyard for tomorrow. The landscaper is having a fit because the grass is going to need to be replaced. He also has several food trucks coming and, of course, Alicia’s sister is catering the event. He even hired two lifeguards for the pool. I can’t fault him on that, though.”
As they pulled up to her father’s grand home, she could see some of the rides behind the house. She didn’t care about that because she wanted to see her family. Alicia came out with Elizabeth to greet them. The little girl was the spitting image of Alicia with strawberry blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Elizabeth ran to the car to greet her. Ava scooped her into a big hug and kissed her many times the way she had with Mikey.
“No, no, Aunt Ava, going to mess my hair up.” Elizabeth put her hands up to her hair to see if her ribbon was still intact.
“It’s fine, sweetie. I wouldn’t dream of messing up your hair.” She put Elizabeth down to hug Alicia who was now six months pregnant with her third child, another boy.
“Where’s Daddy?” Ava asked her brother.
“He is finishing up a few things at the office. He should be home for dinner soon. Let’s get your bags to your room so you can clean up.” She followed Michael into the house as he carried her bags up to her childhood bedroom. Alicia and the children stayed on the front porch. Michael dropped her bags on the padded bench at the end of her bed and kissed her forehead.
“I’ll see you downstairs for dinner. Brooke, Walter and William should be here soon.”
* * *
Ava descendedthe stairs just as Brooke and her family entered the foyer of their father’s home. She rushed over to Ava to hug her, happy to see her. Ava hugged Walter and then picked up her nephew, William; he was so precocious and smart. He had grown almost as tall as Mikey, who was a year older. He showed Ava his skinned knee with the Elmo band-aid on it.
“How did you get that?” William stuck his finger in his mouth and told her he fell off his bike.
“Tell the truth, William,” Walter instructed.
When the boy didn’t answer, Brooke told her that he was climbing the porch post and slipped. Ava put William down when he started wiggling in her arms when he heard his cousins in the dining room and wanted to play with them. Walter followed, leaving Ava and Brooke alone in the foyer.
“Ava, how are you doing?”
Ava looked at Brooke, “I’m okay.”
“No, how are you doing?”
Ava looked at her puzzled.
Brooke lowered her voice and continued. “Daddy told me that you haven’t been okay. Are you still missing Xander?”
“He was there.” Brooke, Rachel, and Sam were the only people to whom Ava chose to drop her façade. Her sister cocked her head because she didn’t understand the reference.
“At the camp,” Ava clarified.
“How could you know? Did you see him?” Ava reached into her pocket and took out her cell phone. She scrolled to the picture of the lavender rose.
“How do you know that was from Xander?”
Ava used her fingers on the screen to zoom in on the picture, pointing to his initials and her birth date. “Look, do you see it?”
Brooke squinted her eyes and found what Ava was referring.
