She giggled lou
dly until I stopped spinning. “I missed you, too, Aunt Hannah. Mommy's right over there. We were building a castle in the sand box. Do you want to help?”
“Yes, I definitely do,” I said. “Give me a few minutes, though, okay? I just got here and want to say hi to my mom and dad.”
“Okay, that sounds good,” she said, her face beaming with happiness.
I set her back on the ground and watched her scurry across the grass, making her way back toward the group of kids who had gathered at the sandbox.
I only made it a few more steps before my mom saw me.
“Hannah!” she said, waving me over. “There you are. Come over here.”
I kicked off my sandals, letting the cool grass slide between my toes. Then I jogged across the yard toward where my mom.
“Alright, kids, I'm taking a quick break,” Mom told them. “Zachary, you're It!”
She tagged a little boy near her and he instantly turned and began chasing the other kids.
“Who's winning?” I asked with a smirk.
My mom caught her breath and pulled me in for a hug. We were the same height and similar build. I got my curly hair from her, but my eyes from my dad. “They are. I've got forty years on them, though. Doesn't seem quite fair.”
I laughed and squeezed her tight. “How are things going, Mom?”
“Things are slow,” she said, releasing me from the hug. “Slow and uneventful. Just the way your father and I like it around here. How about you? How's work going at the clinic? You settling in okay?”
“It's great,” I said, as we both started walking toward the other side of the yard where my father and his friends were hanging out. “I'm keeping busy over there, that's for sure. The time goes by quick when I'm at work. How's dad?”
Mom glanced around, making sure that no one could hear us. The kids were too busy playing tag and the other guests were crowded around the grill or near the music.
“He nearly fell this morning.” Mom's voice was quiet. “He's fine. He told me not to tell you, but...”
I wrapped my arm around my mother's shoulders. “Thanks for telling me. I'll make sure to check him over. I'm sure it's something simple.”
Mom nodded, her eyes going to her husband. There was a quiet sadness to her that I'd never seen before. She took a deep breath and then shook herself. Suddenly, she was back to the bright cheerful woman everyone knew my mother to be. I admired her strength in the face of losing her partner.
“Have you said hello to your father yet?” she asked, taking my arm and guiding me toward the grill. “He is trying this new marinade and it sounds absolutely amazing.”
Everyone rotated through various picnic tables and chairs positioned in the yard. There were too many families for everyone to eat all at once, so we took turns. I chose to eat with my parents and we all sat at the large picnic table under a sycamore tree. My mom was to my left and my dad was across from me. My best friend, Karina, was on my right. I decided I would stay close to family, rather than risk having to eat with Abigail St. James or some of the other popular girls that never left our town. I didn't need to be reminded of what I didn't have.
“It's nice to see you again, Hannah,” Dad said, settling into his seat. “You should come by more often. You know we only live five minutes from you.”
The sun reflected off of his bald head and lit up his red beard. He smiled and I knew I would hear that phrase from him many more times.
“Sorry, Dad,” I said, as I buttered up my grilled corn. “I'll try to be better about it. You know how it is, though. If you're busy, you're busy.”
“That's true,” he said. “We're happy to have you here. What's new on your side of town? Dating anyone?”
I forced a smile and looked around the table. All of our family and friends were listening in on the conversation. They were staring at me, waiting for a response. I felt my cheeks heat and I knew that I was blushing.
“No, Dad,” I said, through gritted teeth. “Still single.”
My mom's good friend, Cynthia, decided to speak up. She was a nice enough lady, but didn't seem to have the mental filter, the one that separated her brain from her mouth, that most people did. She said whatever was on her mind and lacked a little thing called 'tact'. She was a top member of the Ladies' Bridge Club.
“When are you going to have a kid, Hannah?” Cynthia asked, pushing her sunglasses up on top of her head to get a better look at me. “You know, time waits for no one.”
“Thanks, Cynthia,” I said, with a bit of sarcasm. I was now regretting my choice of seating. I would have been better sitting next to Abigail.