Total pages in book: 178
Estimated words: 170884 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 854(@200wpm)___ 684(@250wpm)___ 570(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 170884 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 854(@200wpm)___ 684(@250wpm)___ 570(@300wpm)
I know. It was overwhelming sometimes.
“Come here a sec,” I said, and when he approached slowly, I bent at the waist, put my hands to his shoulders, and said, “I want you to meet Manda.”
Polite as he could, A.J. uttered a quietly shy, “Hello.”
Manda knelt down in front of him. “I’ve waited a long time to meet you.”
A.J. squinted up at her, confused. “You have?”
She nodded gently. “Yes. You see, I’m....” She licked her lips, looking mildly unsure of herself.
When it looked like Manda had lost herself, I took over. “You remember when I told you that you didn’t have any real aunts or uncles?”
A.J. nodded.
I put my lips to his ear and mock whispered, “I lied.”
A.J. spun on me. His brows rose so high they almost touched his hairline, and he looked positively dumbstruck. He whispered back, “You lied?”
A soft laugh left me. “Not on purpose, baby. I didn’t know about your aunt Manda.”
A.J. faced her and muttered a disbelieving, “You’re my aunt?”
Manda swallowed hard. “Yes.” Then she gently explained, “I’m your father’s sister,” and A.J.’s head all but imploded.
He stood staring at her, unblinking. He did this a long while, and when he made no move to say or do anything, I snuffled out a soft laugh. “Are you okay, bud?”
He shook his head, and when I laughed, Manda smiled kindly. “I brought you a gift.”
Well, that snapped him out of his stupor.
Typical.
Leaving me, A.J. strolled over to her, and she pulled the handkerchief out of her satchel, unwrapping it carefully before placing the silver pocket watch into A.J.’s hands.
His eyes widened, and he said a hushed, “Wow.”
Manda pressed the top, opening the face of the intricately engraved watch. “This was my father’s. He gave it to me. It’s a family heirloom. See, you’re my family, A.J.” She touched his cheek. “And now I’m giving it to you.”
What she said was so touching I blinked back the sudden sentiment that swept through me.
A.J. leaned into her. “What does that say?” He pointed to the inside of the face.
Manda explained, “It says Con Affetto. In Italian, it means I love you.” She gently took his hand in hers. “My father, your grandfather, would love to meet you someday. Would you like that?”
And A.J.’s mind was blown once again. Turning slowly, he looked at Manda, and murmured, “I have a grandfather?”
Manda tipped her head back and laughed. I couldn’t help the smile that fought to be freed. He really was adorable.
“Yes,” she laughed. “You have a grandfather, sweetie. Although I’m sure he’d like for you to call him Nonno Tony.” At his astonishment, she touched a finger to the tip of his nose. “What do you say? Want to meet your nonno Tony?”
A.J. nodded slowly then more enthusiastically until finally, a sweet little smile stretched his lips.
Manda spent some time with A.J. and I insisted she stay for dinner. We ate at the table, as a family, and when Manda told A.J. she’d never met his father, A.J. responded with, “That’s okay. You can see him another time.” Then he smiled a toothy grin. “I’ll tell him you want to meet him.”
When he said those things, my heart shriveled and died a little more each time.
It was time for A.J. to go to bed, and after I tucked him in, Manda stood. “I should go. I’m afraid of outstaying my welcome.”
But I simply walked over to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of wine. “Let’s sit on the back porch.” Then I smiled at my new sister. “I’m not ready to see you go just yet.”
She looked at me with such unabashed affection in her eyes that I knew this was just the beginning. We were a small family craving more, and now that I had it, I mourned the time we spent apart. She followed me outside, and I sat on the top step leading down into the yard.
Manda joined me, holding out her glass, and I poured. She sipped at the aromatic white and made a sound low in her throat. “There’s nothing quite like Australian wine.” She held the glass up to the moonlight before putting it to her nose and taking in its fruity aroma. “There’s no comparison. Every other one just tastes like swill when put next to a Barossa wine.”
I nodded in agreement, sipping at my glass.
We sat in silence a while, before she said, “Tell me about him.” When I looked over to her, she clarified. “How was it, your relationship with my brother?”
Oh, God. What a loaded question. “How much time do you have?”
She snuffled out a laugh. “As long as it takes.”
“Okay.” I leaned back on one elbow. “You asked for it.”
I told her everything. Well, almost everything. I quietly kept out the fact that I willingly took drugs to prove to Twitch I was serious about him. I also kept out what Twitch enjoyed in the bedroom. Other than that, I let her have it. All of it.