28. Joni
Joni
Two Years Later
Enzo moved in six months ago, and he keeps saying he’ll invite his family over, but his little sister is graduating from high school in less than a month, and if we want his mom to let us host her graduation party, I know she needs to see the house first.
Eva Torres loves to host family gatherings, but she never lets herself sit down and enjoy the celebration.
She flits around nonstop, refilling drinks and clearing plates, cleaning the kitchen in micro-shifts, and I don’t think that’s fair to her.
Enzo says I don’t understand that she wants it that way.
Maybe I don’t understand, but I’m going to offer, anyway. Mia is the baby of the family, and if we can lighten Eva’s load for this last graduation party, I want us to do that.
She arrives right on time, and she brings a gift.
“Enzo said you liked yellow flowers. These have a little pink on them, too, but they’re mostly yellow.”
“They’re beautiful. I love them. Thank you. Please come in.”
We walk into the kitchen, and she gasps. “Enzo created this?”
“He did. It’s my dream kitchen, but it’s a kitchen made for cooking in.” I pause and try to choose my words carefully. “A kitchen made for hosting people. And we’d really love to host Mia’s graduation party.”
“Are you sure?”
Okay, this is a good sign. No pushback. She seems receptive to the idea. “Positive. We have all this space, and it would great to fill it with family.”
“I could cook in here?”
I hadn’t intended for her to have to cook, but the way her eyes light up, I realize Enzo is right. She likes to do the work of hosting. Maybe she’ll let me help?
“Yes, of course. I’d love to help, but you could have the run of the kitchen.”
She peers through the window over the sink. “Oh, you have so much room outside, too.”
“We do. Plenty of room for everyone to spread out.”
“Okay. Yes. I think we should have the party here.”
“Perfect! That makes me so happy.”
“Me, too. Sit down. I’ll make you something to eat.”
Before I can say a word, she’s opening cabinets and drawers, making subtle noises of disapproval and shaking her head as she goes.
“Why are your pans over here? No, no, no. This is wrong. They should be right next to the stove.” She begins stacking all the pans on the counter.
She’s going to rearrange my kitchen?
Enzo comes home in the middle of her efforts. He shakes his head at me.
I shake my head back at him before he can say anything, and mouth, “It’s fine.”
“I’m going to take a shower.” He kisses his mom on top of her head on his way.
Mia comes through the front door with Sabrina, who’s here to drop off my Sugar Lips order that she was kind enough to pick up for me.
“Wow,” Mia says as they walk past the living room. “Your house is really nice. And this kitchen looks like it belongs in a magazine.”
Her mom stops emptying my bakeware drawer and beams at her. “Enzo did this.”
“No, he may have ordered a bunch of guys around while they put it all together, but he didn’t design it.” Mia nods at me. “She did. My brother does not have this much good taste.”
“He doesn’t actually order people around,” I say. “He’s pretty easy going.”
“Enzo? He’s the bossiest person on the planet. He’s been bossing me around my whole life.”
“Well, we’d like to host your graduation party here, and if that sounds good to you, I promise to make sure he doesn’t boss anyone around.”
“Are you serious? I could have my party here? That would be so amazing! Are we sure Enzo has to come?”
Sabrina laughs, but then she immediately reaches for the back of a chair in my breakfast nook to brace herself.
“Did you get dizzy?” I ask.
“No, just nauseated. I woke up this way, and it’s been coming in waves all day.” She pulls out the chair to sit, lowers her head to the table and closes her eyes.
Eva springs up from her reorganizing project. “And you feel okay between these bouts of nausea?” she asks.
“Yeah. But they wipe me out. I get so tired I can hardly hold my eyes open.” She opens them to prove she still can.
“How are your boobs?”
Sabrina’s eyes widen. “A little sore, but—”
“Yep, that’s what I thought,” Eva says. “You’re pregnant.”
“What?” Sabrina’s head pops up. “No. I don’t think. I mean, I didn’t . . . we didn’t . . . we just . . .”
“Enzo!” Eva yells at the top of her lungs. “Get in here.”
He comes running back into the kitchen, barefoot and shirtless with his jeans unbuttoned. Poor guy. He almost made it to the shower. “What’s wrong?”
“She’s pregnant.” His mother points at Sabrina.
Enzo immediately throws his hands up. “I am in no way connected to that.”
“She needs to take a test before she tells her husband,” Eva explains. “Go to the store and get one.”
Sabrina tries to protest, but it’s a losing battle. Eva insists, so Enzo puts his boots back on and goes to the store. As soon as he leaves, Sabrina groans and lays her head back on the table.
Mia spots Oliver and friends though the bay window. “I totally forgot you have llamas.”
“They’re actually alpacas.”
“Can people pet them?”
“They love attention.”
“Yes! I can’t wait to tell my friends there will be alpacas at my party.” Her eyes drift to the living room. “Can I watch TV?”
“Of course. Make yourself at home.”
“Hey, Sabrina,” I say. “Do you think maybe you should call Mav so he can be here when you take the test?”
“I don’t know. But if I don’t tell Glynnie, she’ll never forgive me.”
“I’ll text her.”
“Thanks.”
Glynnis swings by Grin’s to grab Mav on her way over.
He looks a little shellshocked when they arrive, but he pulls up a chair next to Sabrina and rubs her back.
In no time, a hopeful smile spreads across his face.
I think he’s coming to terms with this hypothetical baby much more quickly than his wife.
Enzo returns shortly after and dumps the contents of the drugstore bag onto our kitchen table. Four different brands of pregnancy tests spill out, along with a bag of gummy bears that he snatches up and throws into the living room, hitting Mia on the side of the head.
“Hey!” she yells. “Quit throwing things at me, you jerk!” Then she realizes what hit her and says, “Oh. Thanks!”
Glynnis gathers all four boxes from the table and says, “Let’s do this.”
Sabrina forces herself out of the chair and follows Glynnis. They stop and turn back to me, “Are you coming?” Glynnis asks.
“No, I think I’ll wait here, maybe pour Mav some whiskey.”
Sabrina wretches at the thought. I’m trusting Eva’s prediction more by the minute.
We don’t have to wait for Sabrina to tell us because Glynnis comes running out ahead of her, yelling, “I’m going to be an aunt!”
Mav leaps to his feet.
“Call your parents!” Eva shouts at him.
Enzo quietly tells her that Mav’s parents are both deceased. Her face falls, and then she runs to join Mav and Sabrina’s hug. And though she hardly knows either of them, she says, “It’s okay. I will be your baby’s second grandmother. One’s not enough.”
I already know this kid is going to grow up calling her Abuelita and Glynnis will be Aunt Glynnie and it will all be the most normal thing in the world because family doesn’t always mean blood. Especially not in Grinberry Falls.
My kitchen is in complete disarray. Tears are flowing and laughter fills the room. People are stumbling over each other, passing out hugs and congratulations.
Enzo wraps his arms around my shoulders from behind and says, “This is what it’s like when my whole family is together. Our house will be loud and chaotic the entire time they’re here.”
“I know. I’ve been around them all at your mom’s house. I like it. And if I like it . . .”
He sighs. “I love it.”
I gasp. “Oh, my gosh! This kid is going to be Grinberry Falls royalty.”
Everyone stops and stares at me.
“Mav Grinberry, you’re not going to be the last of your name after all.”
“I guess not,” he says.
Glynnis leans in to Sabrina and says, “You know this kid could turn out to be just as grumpy as him, right?”
Sabrina shrugs. “Eh, I tamed him. Pretty sure I can handle the pint-sized version.”
Merilee bursts through the door. “Okay, what’s the verdict? Am I going to be an aunt?”
“How did you—?” Mav begins.
“I saw Enzo at the drugstore, and before I could jump to any conclusions, he made it clear he was buying the pregnancy tests for Sabrina, not Joni. So, am I Auntie Mer-Mer or not?”
“You know,” Mav says. “For someone who bitches every time I treat her like a little sister, you’re awfully anxious to be my kid’s aunt.”
Merilee squeals.
Mia finally pauses the TV and comes into the kitchen. “Okay, since these two refuse to have any kids,”—she smirks at me and Enzo—“can I be this baby’s aunt, too?”
Sabrina says, “Sure. You can never have too much family.”
Enzo looks skeptical, but I couldn’t agree more.
“Everybody, get out of this kitchen unless you want to help cook dinner,” Eva says. “I’m baking a chocolate cake, too. With my homemade strawberry frosting. Do you have strawberries or does Enzo need to go to the store?” She’s already opening the fridge to see for herself.
“She’s going to be here for hours,” Enzo says. “You have no idea what you’ve done.”
I whisper in his ear, “But when everyone leaves, and we’re all alone again, I’m going to lick homemade strawberry frosting off your dick.”
“I will kick every one of these people out of here right now.”
“But we don’t have any frosting yet, so the offer won’t be valid until much, much later.”
“You’re getting way too good at being evil. I think you like it.”
“And I know you love it.”
Thank you so much for reading Joni and Enzo's story.