The Storm In Their Hearts - Aching Hearts Series #3

Let's start over

CHAPTER 14 - LET'S START OVER

REBECCA'S POV

I soon found out that Al's relatives are all a bunch of goofballs. Really. Must be that I'm not really used to people, and less than less am I used to them being so kind with me, but I was really taken off guard. 

They were all so happy to talk to me, that I had no idea where to turn first, everybody seemed to seek me, and I soon understood why when I heard Helena – Mrs. Barrow, she demanded I call her that – loudly mentioning my name when speaking French with her sister-in-law. I didn't understand what she was saying, but if I had to judge by her enthusiastic tone, I'd say she's convinced her beloved son has finally settled down...

The neighbors were a bit more ... ordinary, while the friends where average. All in all, I was having much fun.

The Simards – Helena's family – weren't that many, but enough to confuse me: let alone the various relatives, but aside from Helena, her parents had two sons and one other daughter, all of them were married, of course, all of them with kids.

In particular, Al's youngest cousins took me in as their favorite playmate, so I spent a quarter of my time there playing with a 3-years-old and a 5-years-old – both girls – and there was also a little boy, who was 7, but he soon jogged away to grab a hold of his favorite cousin – Al, of course – so I was left with the two princesses. They were just so adorable, especially the youngest one, and for a while we took our corner of the place and played. I left them when they started yawning and their moms came to take them for a nap.

As for Mr. Barrow's family, there was nobody, sadly. It's obvious that, having had to change name, he had to break contacts with them as well, although, Al kinda let me perceive that his father came here mostly because the relationship with his family wasn't all that great since his father died and he fought with his sister over the inheritance.

Mr. Barrow was barely 18 when he came to live in the USA, he was welcomed by a far uncle of his that, sadly, passed away a few years ago. So ... well, he's got no family left aside from the one he created here. 

The Simards welcomed him in as their own, either way, therefore he feels no nostalgia. Besides, he's a goofball of his own, just like his son, so he's easy to laugh, other than wallow in misery.

Either way, there were a lot of people at this barbecue, because the Barrows held great friendships with all of their neighbors and some colleagues, and they all brought their families, so you can imagine what a mess that was. 

The teenagers obviously stuck to themselves, the adults barely entered the pool, there were also people my age or around it, four of them were Al's cousins, some others belonged to the either neighbors or friends, in any case I was too busy mingling with the family to meet the others.

Like I said, I was pulled here and there, it looked like Al's relatives were all eager to meet me. I guess Helena spread voice about Al bringing "the famous Rebecca" at this reunion. Each of them I was introduced to called me that, and it's obvious why: Al tells his mom, his mom tells the whole world. She's a very talkative person.

Now, because I didn't know about a pool – where the barbecue was being hosted – I didn't bring anything that would be good for it, so I only wore denim shorts and a striped tank top, along with flats, so I had to refuse every single offer I got to take a bath, lying about not knowing how to swim, which I guess was embarrassing at my age, but better than saying 'I really would, but I'd have to bathe naked, and there are too many kids here'. In truth, bikini or underwear, the difference really isn't that big, but still.

Besides, I was at a family reunion, I ought to behave impeccably. The pool was pretty crowded anyway, with kids and teenagers and even a German Sheppard – the Barrow's dog, who I met this morning, his name is Buck, and he's been Al's best friend ever since he entered elementary school.