Fallout (Crank 3)

Before we make the welcome mat.

Some sort of chaos, after all?

But no. It’s just a jacked-up Aunt Cora.

Come in! Everyone’s here. She snatches

Grandfather’s elbow, tugs. All right,

he snarls, tugging it back. I’m working on it.

Maybe his suave exterior is nothing more

than a barely disguised case of nerves.

I follow, cradling my cranberry surprise

as if it might jump from my arms. Aunt Cora

leads us into the kitchen, where most

of the celebrators have gathered.

She sidles up to Liam, pulls him over

to meet Grandfather, who has yet to

have actually made his acquaintance.

This is my dad, Leroy. Dad, this is Liam.

Grandfather shakes his hand but looks

uncomfortable. Glad to finally meet you.

This is only the beginning of a long round

of introductions. We meet Liam’s mom and

dad; his brother, Tom; sister, Laurel; two aunts;

three uncles; a cousin or four. And that’s just

the ones in the kitchen. I can hear voices

in some other unidentified room. I don’t think

I made nearly enough cranberry sauce.

Throughout the entire process, Aunt Cora

hangs on to Liam as if letting go might make

some imaginary tower tumble. Finally, all of

us not quite knowing one another’s names,

Aunt Cora’s eyes stop traveling the room