around in time to see everyone at the table momentarily frozen, their expressions caught between shock and amusement. I watched as Kathleen set half a grapefruit down in front of Julie.
“So we’re all speaking finally?” Gareth asked from the head of the table.
Kathleen gave her husband a swat on his balding head and the table erupted in laughter. “Gareth McHugh, don’t borrow trouble,” Kathleen chided in a teasing tone. “Eat your breakfast.” She set a plate of eggs down in front of him.
7
It was cold the day we were to fly home. Actually, it was cold every day we were in Vail, but the wind that morning was particularly bitter despite the brilliant sunshine. Julie and I had packed the night before, so while she busied herself with farewells to her various family members, I played anti-social in favor of sipping some coffee and looking out the enormous windows one more time at the magnificent view.
Andrew was sitting with me, playing some handheld video game; an X-2 or a Gamebox or something. Ever since we’d bonded over our love of ‘boobies’ on Christmas Day, he’d been spending most of his time wherever I was in the house. I guess he felt more comfortable with us than with his grandparents. Every so often he would talk back to the game, but he hadn’t said a word to me in close to an hour, so when he finally spoke up he startled me.
“So, Aunt Gail…”
I blinked. “Aunt?” God, that made me sound so fucking old. “Oh God, Andrew, just ‘Gail’.
Please.”
“Mother said—”
I was sure he was going to leap into a long admonishment from his mother about respect for one’s elders that was going to make me feel ancient instead of just old so I interrupted him. “Just Gail. Okay?”
Andrew’s brow furrowed thoughtfully, as if he was a having a hard time fitting my request in with his upbringing, and then he finally spoke again. “Gail,” he repeated. “Gail, are you seriously in love with Aunt Julie?”
“Yeah,” I answered easily. “I am seriously in love with Aunt Julie.”
“Aunt Julie is seriously in love with Aunt Gail, too.”
Julie’s voice startled the hell out of me and I jumped off the couch, nearly sending my coffee cup flying. My heart was pounding. “Christ, Julie, you need to make more noise when you’re eavesdropping.”
“She said just ‘Gail’,” Andrew chimed in, apparently not nearly as startled by Julie’s sudden entrance as I had been.
“Well, ‘just Gail’, come out and say goodbye to my parents.”
The whole goodbye scene was not something I’d been looking forward to. Shaking hands, being polite, smiling, thank you’s, none of it was my thing. I decided to play it cool. “I’m kind of busy right now.”
“What?”
“You know, my buddy Andrew and I were just having a little guy talk.”
Julie arched one fine eyebrow. “Gail.”
“Oooh. Fight!” Andrew climbed up to sit on the back of his chair and left his electronic widget on the table. It beeped and chattered annoyingly.
I bristled. “We’re not fighting.”
Julie put her hands on her hips and flashed mock-threatening eyes at me. “Gail Anne Pietrowski, if you—”
“Pietrowski?” Andrew parroted.
“Shh!” I waved a hand at Andrew. “For Christ’s sake Julie, let’s not let your mother find out I’m a Polack, too, she might burst something.”
Julie stepped into the room so it was harder to ignore her. Then she came around in front of me and sat beside me on the couch and there was no escaping those green eyes. “If you’re going to make them wait, let’s at least have a good excuse. How about you start with the part where you are seriously in love with ‘Aunt Julie’?”
I looked at her and smiled. I thought about throwing back something sarcastic, but there was no point in trying to deny her anything. “I am seriously in love with Aunt Julie.” I repeated, holding her gaze. Julie was so beautiful with the sunlight in her hair. I licked my lips as my