Alexandra
It doesn’t take long after I pull into Nic’s driveway before she’s running out the front door. Here we go, Alex. Taking a deep breath, I exit the car where I immediately tackled by my sister. I almost fall onto the lawn with her on top of me.
Nic is giggling like a school girl which makes me smile. “Hey, Nic. I’m happy to see you too,” I say, laughing at her.
“Oh my God. I missed you so much. I can’t believe you’re finally here.”
“Me too. It was a long ass trip.”
I didn’t notice Lucy at my side until I heard a little giggle at my curse. Looking down at her, she reminds me of Nic. Not in looks but in her wonderment. Nic was always like that, big-eyed and full of life.
I kneel down to see Lucy, who suddenly turns shy, hiding behind Nic’s leg.
“Hey, Lucy, I’m Alex. It’s nice to meet you,” I say, holding my hand out for her to shake. To my surprise, she doesn’t shake it, but instead hugs me. God, the feeling of her in my arms makes me melt. I look over at Nic, who is smiling from ear to ear. Maybe a little hug from a little girl will make my demons go away. For now.
“Can I call you Aunt Alex? I have an Aunt Chrissy and I want an Aunt Alex too.” Shit. What do I say to that?
“Honey, you can call me anything you want, as long as it’s OK with my sister and your daddy.”
“Well, my daddy is out on his boat.” She turns to my sister.
“It’s OK, Lucy. Aunt Alex sounds nice,” Nic says as she bops Lucy on the nose.
Lucy grabs my hand. “Come on, Aunt Alex. I want to show you my room.”
Gosh, this kid is cute. Maybe time with her is just what I need.
“Lucy, why don’t we let your Aunt Alex get settled first and then you can show her your room.”
“OK,” she says, as she releases my hand and runs back into the house.
“Jesus, Nic. I can see Lucy will have me wrapped around her little finger in no time.”
“Now you know how I feel. Come on, let’s go in the house and eat some breakfast.” She wraps her arm around my shoulder.
Nicole’s house is cute, and fits her style. It’s small but covered in family photos. I see some of people I don’t recognize, but I gather that one is of Emily and Sean MacAlister. Emily is a friend of Nicole’s. She sold her this house actually, and they’ve been close ever since.
Looking around, I see Lucy’s toys in the living room and Daniel’s fishing magazines on the kitchen table. It’s the perfect picture of the family life Nicole deserves.
“Sit down and I’ll get you some coffee. I want to hear about your trip down.”
I slide the kitchen chair out from the table and take a seat. “There isn’t much to tell. It was a long boring drive.”
“Well, what time did you get in last night? And don’t lie,” she says with a glare.
“I got in about six thirty, got a hotel room, and that’s about it.” Well, sort of. Visions of Beefcake come crashing back to me.
The man is built like a tank, with an ass that is hard and round. He has a tattooed body that I want to trace over every inch with my tongue, and I did. Many times.
Jesus, is it hot in here all of a sudden?
“I’m still pissed that you didn’t tell me you were here, Alex, but I do understand,” Nic says, snapping me out of my daydream.
“I just want to forget the last year of my life, Nic. I hope the move here will help me do that. Normalcy is what I want but I’m not sure I deserve it.” Tears threaten to fall from my eyes. I think about the innocent neighbor who was killed by my very guilty client, Steven Minor.
As my county’s Public Defender, I took the case and did my best. I guess I did it too well. Believing my client was innocent, I pulled out all the stops and got him off. Less than a month later, he killed his neighbor in cold blood and then took his own life.
Two innocent lives lost at his hands, and a guilty one too.
Nic takes my hand in hers. I know what’s coming and I can’t stop it.
“Hey, Alex, stop thinking. I know you feel it’s your fault that your client did what he did, but you are not to blame, Alex. He is.”
I don’t agree, and shake my head, saying, “If I was I shitty lawyer, he would be in prison and Mr. Leon Carlson would be alive. Don’t try to placate me either, Nic. It’s the truth and everyone knows it.”
Just as she’s about to do it anyway, Lucy comes bouncing into the kitchen. Saved by the five-year-old.
“Nicole, can we have pancakes? I’m hungry,” she asks as she jumps up on the chair next to my sister.
My sister looks at me, silently saying she’s not done with this conversation. But I am. I’m tired and hungry. That combination makes for a miserable Alex, and a miserable Alex makes everyone else miserable.
“How many pancakes do you two want?” Nic asks.
My newfound niece answers quickly. “I want two. Can you make them like Daddy does?”
“I don’t know, Lucy, but I can try.”
“How does your daddy make pancakes, Lucy?” I ask her, intrigued.
Lucy giggles. “He makes them into animals like dogs and turkeys.”
My eyebrows shoot up. “Turkeys?”
Lucy nods her head quickly. “We have them for Thanksgiving breakfast.”
My sister is listening to this conversation intently. I would give anything for Nic to have her own daughter but it’s not in the cards for her. I can already feel how much she and Lucy love each other.
“OK, I want to turkey pancakes too,” I say, giving my sister a smirk. My sister is not really known for her cooking, so this should be interesting.
“Great. No pressure, you two.” Nic laughs.
The three of us spend the next few hours eating pancakes that look nothing like turkeys, listening to Lucy sing some of her favorite songs, and checking out my new temporary digs.
“Aunt Alex, do you want to sleep on the top or bottom bunk?” my new roomie asks. I can’t believe I’m sharing a room with a five-year-old but beggars can’t be choosers. I’m grateful that Nic and Daniel—and hell, Lucy for that matter—are letting me stay here for a few weeks until my new place is ready.
“You pick where you want to sleep, sweetie, and I’ll take the other.”
Lucy pretends to think about it for a few seconds. “I’ll sleep on the top bunk.”
“That’s probably a good choice, Lucy. I get up early, and I don’t want to wake you up if I’m crawling down the ladder.”
“Plus, I like to sleep up there so the monsters don’t get me,” she says, giving me the side-eye.
I give her a surprised look. “Monsters? You better keep me safe from the monsters, Lucy.”
Now she giggles. “I have a T-Rex that will keep us both safe.”
Oh, how I wish that were true. I just pray I don’t wake Lucy up with the nightmares of my own monsters.