Things End, Deal With It

ten

"Lily!" I shout when I see the two year old playing on the floor. She looks up from the singing toy in front of her.

"Kee! Kee!" She lifts her arms up and makes grabby hands at me. I drop my bag and rush over to her.

"Aw, I've missed you, baby." I hug her to my chest, and she places her small hands on my shoulders.

"Miss ew." I kiss her cheek then put her down. She runs into the kitchen and grabs onto her mother's dress. "Mom, mom." She tugs at the loose fitting fabric, and Krysta picks her up.

"You guys finally made it." She walks over to us and hugs my mom and I. "And who's this?" She smiles and gestures to Aaron.

"This is Aaron, my boyfriend." Lily reaches out for him, and he looks over to me. I nod, and he takes her from her mother. She smacks his cheek and giggles. "Okay, babe. My boyfriend is not a play toy." Aaron puts her on the ground, and she runs into the living room. I glance over and notice, for the first time, my unlce Moe sleeping on the couch. "so, where's Aunt Pinky?"

"At the grocery store. She should be here any minute." She looks behind us, out the door, and looks into the driveway.

"I'm gonna get something to eat," my mom says from behind me and sets the bags she has on the floor.

"Oh, I can cook up something if you'd like." Krysta points to the kitchen, but my mother politely shakes her head.

"No, it's fine. Aaron, Cheyenne, are you coming?" I nod. Aaron's just awkwardly standing beside me. He's biting his lip and playing with his hands. I take his hand and squeeze it. He smiles at me. We look away from each other when the door in the living room opens. Erica, my cousin, shuts the door behind her.

"I thought I heard people. Who's this?" She hugs me and my mom.

"This is Aaron, my boyfriend. Aaron, this is Erica." Erica goes in for a hug, but Aaron is hesitant at first. He slips his arms around her, eventually, and squeezes.

"Well, we're going to go get-" My mother is cut off by Erica.

"Where are you guys going?"

"Food," Mom continues. "We're going to the KFC down the street. Let's go." Aaron and I follow my mom out the door and to her car.

"Pinky will be back soon," Erica says, standing in the door frame.

"I know," I say as I get into the backseat and roll down the window. "We'll be back." I wave to her as Mom pulls out of the driveway.

"Well, they're nice," Aaron announces as we drive down the highway. "Quite.. touchy also."

"Wait until you meet Aunt Pinky."

*

When we make it back to the house, there's tons of food laid out on the table. Aunt Pinky comes from the hallway, and when she sees us, she starts freaking out.

"You guys made it! I've missed you so much!" She hugs and kisses each of us, even Aaron. Uncle Moe is still lounging on the couch, awake now, and Lily and Krysta aren't here. She takes Aaron by the shoulders and smiles even wider. "You're Aaron. Aw, you're so handsome."

"Um, thank you ma'am."

"Ah, just call me Aunt Pinky. I'm just Aunt Pinky." She pulls him in for another hug then sits down at the table. "Eat." She start loading her plate with chicken and mashed potatoes.

"Oh, we already ate. That's where we just came from actually." Mom takes a seat on the love seat in the living room.

"Is Uncle Moe still asleep?" I ask.

"Yeah," Pinky answers then drops her voice. "He's been kind of depressed. His friend from high school died yesterday."

"Oh. I think I'm gonna take a nap myself."

"You can use Violet's room. Both of you can, if you'd like."

"Yeah, that's fine. She's coming next week, right?"

"Actually in two days."

"Well then we're in for an adventure."

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