Chapter 2
An hour later, the kids were engrossed in a game of hide and seek inside the house, while David made dinner and kept an eye on them. All the other adults, including Sasha, sat on the porch chatting. Ariel held baby Dot in her arms, having fallen in love with the child’s adorable face.
“I can’t get over how comfortable she is with me,” Ariel said, bouncing the smiling baby on her knee. “If this were one of mine, they’d be freaking out.”
“It’s true,” Mallory said. “The first time I tried to hold my nephew; he screamed like I was gonna toss him out a window. It was a little insulting honestly…”
“Micah’s always been sensitive,” Ariel admitted. “But he’s gotten a lot less shy over time.” She grinned at Dot. “You, on the other hand, are not shy at all. You’ll grow up to be one of those kids that make friends with everyone.”
“For sure. Dot knows no strangers,” Callie confirmed. “It’s one of the many wonderful things about her.”
Sasha smiled but stayed quiet. She hadn’t uttered a word the entire time they’d been sitting outside, and Mallory wondered what was going through her mind. What was Sasha’s side of the story about what had happened in the master bathroom?
Ariel tickled Dot’s chin, and the baby let out a squeal of laughter, making everyone smile.
“So, how are things going at the bookstore, Sasha?” Mallory asked. “Has the training been difficult or…?”
“Not really.” Sasha shook her head. “There’s a lot to learn, but it’s pretty self-explanatory. I’m worried about Friday and this weekend though. Kate said it’ll be crazy those days. I hope I won’t mess anything up.”
“You’ll be fine,” Callie reassured her. “Kate wouldn’t have given you the job if she thought you couldn’t handle it. Plus, she needs all the help she can get this weekend, so she’ll be grateful to have you.”
“Yeah, maybe...” Sasha nodded and then snapped her fingers.
“Oh, that reminds me. I told her I could come Thanksgiving morning to get a few more hours under my belt before the madness.” She paused and gave an apologetic look.
“But that means I won’t be able to help much with getting ready for dinner. I’m sorry.”
Callie chuckled and shook her head. “I wasn’t going to let you help anyway!”
Mallory and Ariel both laughed. “It’s true,” Ariel said. “Mom hardly lets us help and we’re her own kids!”
“Still, I wish I could’ve done something...like set the table, or...” Sasha said.
“That’s kind of you to offer, but it’s good that you’ll be getting extra hours at the store.”
“Alright.” Sasha nodded. “Oh, and I’m taking Dot with me, so you won’t have to worry about her.”
“She’s not a worry,” Callie insisted. “And if you’d rather leave her here with us that morning, we’ll have plenty of adults to look after her. Honestly, it’s no trouble at all for us.”
“Yeah, I’ve already fallen in love with this baby girl.” Ariel pressed Dot to her chest, gently kissing her head. “It’d make my day to if you’d let me watch her that morning.”
Sasha blushed and said a quiet thank you.
However, Mallory wasn’t sure what to make of this whole situation.
It wasn’t that she’d expected Ariel to come in with a list of probing questions for the young mother, but she also thought her sister would’ve been at least a little more curious about Sasha.
Ariel had seemed uneasy when she’d first arrived and asked if Sasha was inside. Where did that natural suspicion go?
Instead, Ariel seemed content to take everything their mother said about Sasha at face value. Was she just being polite?
Or was Mallory just overanalyzing everything?
Dot leaned forward in Ariel’s lap and reached for her mother.
“Oh, it looks like she wants her mama.” Ariel handed the baby over to Sasha and was immediately taken over by a full-body yawn.
“Man, we haven’t even had dinner and I’m ready to call it a night.
I know it was a short car ride, but it felt like a lifetime. ”
“I think your father’s almost done in there,” Callie said.
“We should be eating soon and then you can go right to bed. I’ve got the master bedroom ready for you and the kids.
I brought up some extra pillows and sleeping bags in case Micah or Becca want to make their own beds on the floor or something. ”
“Yeah, and Hannah can crash with me,” Mallory added but then paused. “Unless she still kicks in her sleep like she did when she was younger. Then I’m not so sure.”
Ariel cringed with a guilty expression. “Oh, she absolutely does... It’s even worse now after her growth spurt.”
Mallory shook her head and laughed. “A little warning would’ve been nice!”
“Sorry! I forgot. It’s been so long since I shared a bed with her...” Ariel sighed. “And with the way Hannah’s been behaving lately, I think she’d rather shave her head than be close to me. She barely even lets me hug her anymore. At least, not when her friends are around.”
“That’s normal.” Callie smiled. “All three of you kids went through that stage of never wanting to be near David and me. Then you got over it. Mostly.” She smirked at Mallory. “You kept at least a small piece of that well into adulthood.”
Mallory ignored this comment, only because it was too true for her to address on an empty stomach. She turned to her sister for support, but Ariel’s weary eyes were staring off listlessly, as if she might doze off at any moment. When she noticed Mallory’s gaze on her, she laughed at herself.
“Sorry,” Ariel said, “I’m fading fast.”
“It’s okay. I get it. If you wanna go lay down, I could bring you some dinner when it’s done.”
Ariel raised a brow. “You are offering to serve me in bed? Who are you and what have you done with my little sister?”
“Ha! Ha!” Mallory rolled her eyes. “Forget about it if you’re gonna be that way.”
“Mallory’s been a huge help around the house lately,” Callie added, only amplifying Mallory’s embarrassment. “She cleans, runs errands, it’s really nice.”
“You don’t have to say it like it’s rare for me to be helpful,” Mallory muttered, her gaze narrowed with irritation. “I’m almost forty and you’re talking about me like a kid who just learned how to do their chores.”
“That’s not what I mean.” Callie sighed. “Don’t twist my words. I was taking your side.”
“It’s not—” But Mallory abandoned her own defense, it wasn’t worth it, and she knew her mother hadn’t meant to be condescending.
“Never mind. But in the name of being helpful, I’m going into town tomorrow to see if any other local shops are hiring, so if anyone needs something while I’m out, let me know. ”
“Oh!” Ariel perked up. “Can you grab some of those Cup-O-Noodles? Micah is obsessed with them. It’d be good to have some on hand this week in case he’s picky.”
“We bought some mac and cheese,” Callie said. “Does he still like that?”
“Depends on the brand.” Ariel shook her head and shrugged. “Now he’s decided there are only two kinds he likes, and he refuses to eat the other ones. He hasn’t developed the same pickiness with the noodles yet though thankfully.”
“I’ll pick some up, no problem.” Mallory winked and then glanced at Sasha. “What about you? Do you need anything? Some hand soap?”
Sasha’s wide eyes stayed on her for a beat. “Huh?”
“Hand soap,” she repeated herself. “Or another kind of soap? Mom said you went into the master bath earlier looking for some, I thought I’d offer to buy some if you’re out. So, what kind do you need?”
Sasha opened her mouth to reply, but nothing came. Callie jumped to her rescue. “It was body wash. I had extra,” she answered. “I let her take the whole bottle since we don’t need two in our shower anyway, so there’s no need for you to get more.”
Ariel’s eyes darted between her mother and sister, as if she was waiting for an explanation. However, before she could ask any questions, David opened the sliding back door and stuck his head outside. “Dinner’s ready!”
*
“So—who’s that lady again?”
Hannah sat on the edge of the bed in her pajamas, talking to her aunt while she scrolled on the old iPad her mother let her use—as long as she promised not to download any social media apps.
Mallory didn’t recognize the app the young girl was on, but she had a feeling it was one that Ariel would not approve of.
She made a mental note to learn more about it and then decide whether she needed to intervene or not.
“Hmm? Oh, you mean Sasha,” Mallory replied. She was seated at the desk and ran a brush through her hair, braiding it back for the night. “She’s a single mom your grandparents invited live with them for a while. Didn’t your mom tell you?”
“Sort of. She just said there was gonna be some lady and a baby staying here. She only told us when we were halfway here.”
“Well, your mom’s had a lot on her plate lately. I’m sure it slipped her mind.”
“Why did grandma and grandpa invite her to stay?”
“Because they wanted to help her. It’s a charity thing. She was in a women’s shelter before this—do you know what that is?”
“A homeless shelter for women?”
“Yeah, sort of. They also take in women who are… running from stuff.” Mallory didn’t know how to explain such a serious topic to a girl Hannah’s age.
She didn’t want to scare her or make her upset, but she also didn’t want to lie to her niece either.
Growing up, she’d always appreciated it when adults were straightforward, and she wanted to exhibit a similar respect to the kids in her own life. But where should she draw the line?
“Running from what?” Hannah asked, looking up from her iPad screen.
Mallory flinched and bit her tongue, racking her mind for a simple, safe answer.
“Well, uh…” She cleared her throat. “These shelters are open to people who need a safe place to live. For some, that might mean they just don’t have enough money to afford a place of their own.
For others, they might’ve had a place to live, but it wasn’t safe for them to stay there for one reason or another. ”
Hannah’s inquisitive eyes stayed fixed on her aunt, considering her words. “And why did Sasha go there?”
“I—Uh…” Mallory stopped braiding her hair.
The young girl pressed further. “Was she poor or was she not safe at home?”
Leaning back into her chair with a sigh, Mallory tied an elastic around the bottom of her braid. “I wish I knew. She hasn’t really said much about her past. It’s probably not easy for her to talk about it, maybe it makes her sad… I don’t know.”
“You asked her?”
“Indirectly, yes. Why?”
“I was just wondering...”
“Do me a favor and don’t go ask her any of those questions.
I know it’s hard not to, and I’ve also been trying to learn more about her, but we need to be respectful.
Asking about her past might bring up some bad memories, and we don’t want to upset her.
” Mallory was uncomfortably aware of her hypocrisy in saying this, but she closed her eyes briefly and pushed past the shame.
“Don’t worry about it, okay? It’s just a bunch of complicated grown-up stuff. ”
Hannah shrugged and nodded. “Okay. It’s just weird that she’s here...”
“It’s… different, I’ll admit. But at the end of the day, what your grandparents are doing is a good thing. They’re just trying to help someone in need.”
“Yeah, I guess.” Hannah stood up, pulled back the covers, and crawled into bed. “Her baby’s cute, though. If you like babies.”
Mallory laughed and lay down beside her. “Yeah, Dot’s cute. As far as babies go.” She turned the lamp off.
“Do you like babies?” Hannah asked.
“They’re fine. What about you?” Mallory turned toward Hannah, who was staring up at the ceiling. “Do you think you’ll have kids when you grow up?”
“No way.” She shook her head. “I don’t want to change dirty diapers. Gross.”
“Yeah, that’s definitely one of the less fun parts of parenting.”
“And I hate when they cry. It’s so loud.”
“Same,” Mallory said. “But there are good things about having a baby too. Sometimes, when Dot’s sleeping, she looks so peaceful. I can see the appeal.”
Hannah turned to face her. “Are you going to have a baby?”
Mallory stifled a scoff. She never wanted to be a mom, and she was comfortable with her choice not to settle down and start a family. But that didn’t mean Mallory wasn’t resentful when people cracked jokes about her lack of parenting skills.
Nonetheless, she knew Hannah was asking out of genuine interest rather than masked judgment.
“No,” she said after a while, “I don’t feel drawn to that journey, personally. Besides”—she leaned over to kiss her niece on the head— “I’ve got you and your siblings. I love being your aunt more than anything.”
Even in the dark, she could tell Hannah was smiling. “Good,” she said. “Because I like hanging out with you, but I wouldn’t like it as much if there was a crying baby around.”
Mallory chuckled. “I agree. Plus, babies don’t like shark movies.”
Hannah snorted. “That’s true! They’d get too scared, and we’d have to stop watching them.”
“Speaking of which, your grandpa and I curated a great list of movies to binge this week. A couple of them are PG-13, but I already read the warnings. I think I can convince your mom to let you watch them.”
“Yes!” Hannah said, kicking her feet under the blankets. “That’s awesome! Can you convince her to let me watch the rated R ones too?”
“Whoa! Slow down, girl,” Mallory said with a laugh. “There’ll be plenty of time for you to watch the more violent ones when you’re older.”
“Lame,” Hannah said under her breath.
“Oh, whatever.” Mallory gently nudged her shoulder before turning onto her side. “I’m the coolest aunt in the world and you know it.”