She's astute. I glance at her out of the corner of my eye, but quickly turn back to the road because I know if I look her way for too long then I won't be able to stop staring. I'd told her she looked fine, but at her insistence we'd stopped by her apartment where it had taken her only ten minutes to throw up her hair and slip into a bright blue dress. It's short sleeved, just brushes the top of her knees and the color makes her eyes sparkle. She looks beautiful, like every one of my dreams and fantasies brought to life in vivid color
“Helloo?” she calls, tapping my head with her knuckles. “Anyone in there?”
I realize that I've just been sitting here, stewing in my own thoughts while I keep myself from pulling over so that I can kiss the hell out of her and make her forget she ever met my brother, and I never answered her question. Clearing my throat, I reply, “Yeah, they're pretty awesome. They raised me and Aleix from when we were kids. I got a lot of respect for them.” That was more than I'd meant to reveal, but she has that effect on me.
“I can tell.” When I eye her questioningly, she explains, “I can hear it in your voice when you talk about them. Where were your parents?”
“Dad ran out when I was a baby. Mom bailed when I was twelve.” I swallow hard, pretending that I don't give a shit just like I do whenever Mom and Dad are brought up.
Yet being abandoned by them left scars that will never fully heal. Now that I'm twenty two and older and wiser, I know that them leaving wasn't my fault. It was their deal. The fact that they couldn't be parents to the two children they'd brought into the world was their fault. But as a kid I'd lacked that kind of logic. I'd assumed that it must have been something I'd done. It couldn't have been Aleix, because he'd been the perfect child even back then, so it must have been me. I must have been so fucking awful that even my mom and dad couldn't want me. I'd felt that way for a long time, until Aleix and Grandma and Grandpops had slowly won me around, had shown me love and made me realize that I wasn't to blame.
“Grandma and Grandpops moved out to the city to take care of me and Aleix when Mom left 'cause we didn't want to hafta change schools,” I continue. “Can you imagine a sweet little old couple trying to navigate the shittiest parts of the city where we lived? But they never complained. They just. . .dropped everything for us, dropped their whole fuckin' lives. We'd spend the week up in the city, then drive back down to their house on weekends.”
“And now they live there again?”
“Yeah, they moved back when Aleix and I branched out on our own.”
I don't even know why I'm telling her any of this. I don't ever really talk about this stuff. Maybe to Reid and Christen, but I've known the pair of them since middle school and they lived through that shit with me. But Ibbie. . .I just want her to know this. It's the first time we've ever really been alone together and I find myself spilling everything because. . .because I guess I hope that if I do then maybe she'll understand me. Maybe she'll understand why I can be a dick sometimes.
Okay, a lot of the times.
And. . .and I just want her to know me. That's all.
“That's so sad,” she breathes. This time I don't look at her. I can't. “Your mom and dad, I mean. They suck. They suck so bad. It's okay for me to say that, right? I don't care, I'm saying it anyway. They're the king and queen of Suckville. But your grandparents sound super sweet.”
Sweet isn't exactly the word to describe my Grandma. She looks sweet on the outside, but she's tough as nails, that woman. The kind of woman even a guy like me wouldn't dare to disrespect. “They are.”
“Are they on your mom or your dad's side of the family?”
“Mom's. My dad's folks are from Mexico. Never met 'em.”
“Huh.”
I wiggle my eyebrows at her. “See, aren't you glad you came? Now you get to hear all these fun little facts to rip into me for later.”
“Yes,” she replies solemnly. “To be honest, this is the bestest sadventire I've ever been on.”
“Hey, there's nothing sad about it. Did I mention the pot pie?”
+++
GRANDMA OPENS THE front door before I've even turned off the car engine. I open Ibbie's car door for her, and she stares at me in surprise as she climbs out. If I could take back time, this would be how I treated her from the minute I met her. I hate that it's too late to change her opinion of me now.
I lead her down the pathway, turning back to watch her smile at all the garden ornaments my Grandpops has been obsessed with collecting ever since I can remember. They range from tiny little gnomes and faeries and woodland creatures, to larger water features and dragons and life sized animals, to bigger than life statues of humans and mythical beings. Ibbie grins in particular at huge stone centaur saluting her as she passes by. When Aleix and I were kids, we'd get lost in this garden for hours and hours. It's a kid's paradise.
The second we reach the front door Grandma reaches up and pinches my cheeks, yanking me down for a kiss. “Walt,” she greets lovingly, as if it's been months since she last saw me and not merely a week. She looks back and forth between Ibbie and I with a barely contained glee, and I can practically see the cogs whirring in her mind.
Honestly, I'm not sure why I was so determined to bring Ibbie down here. She was right, I could have just come myself and made Aleix call her, or found out what he had to say and told Ibbie myself. But I just. . .wanted her in my space. I wanted her around my family, around the part of my life I don't share with many other people. I don't know, I guess I just had this overwhelming urge to introduce her to Grandma and Grandpops, and once the idea clawed its way inside my head it was stuck there and I couldn't shake it.
I don't know what the hell my deal is. The girl's dating my brother, for fuck's sake.
“And who is this fine peach?” Grandma asks.
“This is Ibbie.” Suddenly a shot of nerves swamps me as I introduce them. I want them to like each other. I need them to like each other. “She's-”
“Grandma, was that the door? Is it Walt?” a voice calls from behind her, and then Aleix appears by her shoulder. When he spots Ibbie standing next to me, his face pales. The reason for this becomes apparent when I see who's holding his hand.
“Fauna,” I exclaim, glancing between her and my brother. As I see the two of them standing there, very clearly together, I begin to understand why Aleix has gone and screwed Ibbie over.
“Hey, Walt,” Fauna says with a sweet smile. She brushes her long, dark hair back from her face and leans forward to kiss my cheek. “Long time, no see.”
I nod. “It's good to see you.”
An intense urge to protect Ibbie wells up inside me and I take a step back, my hand searching hers out. It's small and soft and warm wrapped up in mine. She doesn't pull away. I risk a glance back at her to see her taking in the happy couple in front of us with round eyes.
“Fauna is Aleix's ex fiancee,” I tell her quietly.
“Actually, we're back together again,” Aleix informs us. He's managed to successfully hide his earlier panic at the sight of Ibbie, and now has that big smile back out. Fauna gazes up at him lovingly.
“Isn't it wonderful,” Grandma gushes. She always did love Fauna, but so does everyone. She's one of the nicest women I've ever met. It's why I always thought she and Aleix were so great together – they were both awesome, goodhearted people. When they broke up six months ago it came as a shock, but Aleix said that he'd been working so much they'd just grown apart. It happens.
“Who's your friend, Walt?” Aleix asks pointedly.
My mouth drops open and I just shake my head at him in disbelief. He's going to pretend he's never even met Ibbie?
For the first time in my entire life, I've lost some of the respect I've always had for my big brother.
“What are we all doing on the doorstep?” Grandma demands, ushering Ibbie and I inside. “Poor Ibbie must be freezing in that beautiful dress. Come on inside, honey pie, and we can have introductions in the nice warm kitchen.”