With the flaming bracelet burning next to my nuts—seriously, I think my pubes might have just incinerated cleanly off my balls because the bracelet is burning so fiercely—I head back upstairs. Luna needs to work, and Milo will be up soon.
And there’s a wall between Luna and me that I have no right to even start trying to break down.
CHAPTER 10
Luna
Sundays are normally reserved for quality time with Milo. It’s the one day the store is closed since there aren’t often estate sales or auctions on a Sunday. I save my errands for after work during the week so that Sunday can be a day where I don’t have to worry about menial things, work things, or anything in general. As a consequence, I find that I very much enjoy Sundays.
But this Sunday is different. This Sunday, I find myself sitting in the front seat of a very low, very fast sports car—when did Toren start driving this thing and not the sensible sedans he used to prefer—worrying about Milo in the backseat. Yes, the thing has a backseat, but Milo’s booster seat barely fits back there. As it is, he has to sit with his head tilted sideways, and he’s four. Why even put a back seat into a car if it’s designed so no one can sit in it?
“Don’t worry. They’ll love you.” Toren swerves another corner, and I regret telling him a few days ago that he could pick us up for this afternoon.
I grip the handle on the door and hang on for holy shit’s worth of holy shit. “You forget that I’ve already met them. Many, many times.”
By them, I mean Toren’s cousins. There’s Ash, the oldest cousin, who is an artist. Then there’s Kirian, Ash’s younger brother, who is almost the same age as Toren. As for Toren’s siblings, there’s Taylen, Toren’s younger brother, who looks very much like him since they are twins, and Leandra, Toren’s younger sister. Kirian works in security, I think, and Leandra…well, she always loved clothes. I know she was talking about design and fashion school back when I was with Toren, so maybe she followed through with that. Honestly, I don’t know what Taylen does now either, so for all I know, maybe none of the cousins and Toren’s siblings are still doing the same thing. It’s been a long time.
The brood can get a bit out of hand when they’re all together. They are too much for one person to handle, but I always loved them all. I felt like I was part of a family—a family that partied hard no matter the occasion without partying hard at all. They could turn a family dinner into a rip-roaring occasion without a single drink being served. Food would go flying, feathers would be ruffled, and laughter and insults and more laughter would ring out in turn. Honestly, I’ve heard people say they should bring popcorn to Cromwell family affairs, and yes, they should indeed.
Oh, and both of the Cromwell moms are going to be there—Toren’s mom, Amelia, and his aunt, Belinda. His grandma, Helen, is also going to be there. I can’t imagine the shenanigans that are going to break out.
At least they already know about Milo. Toren primed them, which is why they’re having a meeting. Ash was kind enough to host. I suppose he doesn’t mind his home being ripped apart. Toren tells me that Ash is newly engaged. I pity the poor girl. Ha, I’m kidding. I think.
Toren takes another corner at the speed of light. Milo cheers while my hold tightens on the door handle, and no one says anything. Ash lives in the French Quarter, so I don’t know how this ride takes so long to go just a short distance. I swear Toren is taking us the long way around just so he can drive his ridiculous car for a few more minutes. It might be fun for him and Milo, but meeting his family again while introducing Milo to them is a little nauseating for me, and I just want to get it over with.
Our talk mid-week went something like this:
Milo: “So, Toren The Terrific is my nanny, and he’s my dad. Hmm, that’s…cool. I guess.”
Toren: “You don’t mind that I’m your dad then?”
Milo: “No, I don’t mind. I wish mom told me sooner, but it’s okay. You’re here now.”
Toren: “I’m here, and I’m so, so happy to be here. You’ll have to cut your mom some slack. Unfortunately, adults sometimes don’t have everything figured out, and we don’t have all the answers. I had my head on backward, and—”
Milo: “Whoa! Is that possible? To put your head on backward?”
Toren: “It’s just an expression, meaning someone is being very, very silly. Only owls can turn their heads all the way around. At least I think they can. I better ask my phone.”