“That and Mommy was sad again.”
“Again?” I ask.
“When you left, Mommy cried every night.” Her little voice is soft. “Even Daddy couldn’t make her stop.”
“She cried?”
“Yes.” She nods, her curls brushing my face. “Don’t leave and make her sad again.”
“Okay, Flower.” I pull her in close. “I promise.”
“Ivy.” Dahlia’s voice filters through my sleep. “Ivy!”
“Flower, is the house burning down?”
“No!” She giggles and bounces on the bed. “You haven’t opened your eyes yet.”
“Because I don’t want to wake up yet.”
“I want pancakes,” she whispers in my ear and I snort. “And Uncle Emmett is here!”
My eyes pop open and I stare into her bright green eyes. Dahlia looks like Dad with her deep golden skin and bright green eyes. She even has his deep dimples in both cheeks.
“He is?”
“Yup!” She squeals and jumps off the bed. “I’m gonna make him make me pancakes.”
Uncle Emmett being here is slightly unsettling, he’s the chief of police, and I detest any fucking cop. I do love him, though. I just hope he’s not here because of me.
I roll out of bed and cringe when I see I still have on the clothes I wore last night. I change quickly and leave my room, heading in the direction of a squealing Dahlia.
I enter the kitchen and see not just Uncle Emmett, but Uncle Travis, too. They have a strange relationship. See? There’s that word again. Uncle Emmett, Uncle Travis, and Aunt Adri are all together. Yes, all three of them. And they have kids, too.
Uncle Emmett tosses Dahlia in the air and Uncle Travis chuckles, both not noticing me right away. They look happy and stress free, something I’m sure I’ll disrupt again.
“Ivy!” Uncle Emmett exclaims and dumps Dahlia in Uncle Travis’ lap. “Can you get any more gorgeous?”
“Hi Uncle Em.” I grin as he picks me up and twirls me around.
“It’s good to have you home, Ivy.” Uncle Travis comes over with Dahlia in his arms and hugs me.
“Everything is better now that Ivy is home!” Dahlia’s little arms strangle me.
“Thanks guys.” I grin shyly.
“Uncle Em!” Dahlia screeches and I screw up my face at the noise. “Pancakes!”
“You’re lucky your auntie Adri isn’t here to make you some.” He says and we all chuckle.
It’s no secret Aunt Adri is a terrible cook, but Uncle Emmett pokes the most fun at her for it.
“What’s going on here?” Dad’s croaky morning voice has us all giggling.
“Uncle Em and Uncle Travis are here!” Dahlia runs to him so he can swoop her up in his arms.
“I see that.” He smothers his face into her curls, much like I do.
“Ma is home from Italy tomorrow,” Uncle Travis says to him. “Rock, paper, scissors who picks her up.”
“No way, bro.” Dad exclaims. “I picked her up last time.”
“Nana Sharla is coming home?” I can’t help the sound of dismay that filters through my words.
Nana Sharla is a great woman, don’t get me wrong, but she’s tough, and likes everything her way. All of us except one lets her have it, all except Mother. She never lets Nana Sharla bowl her over and if the woman tries, Mother just shuts her down with a few words. They love each other, you can see that, but I believe Nana has that much more respect for our mother because she doesn’t back down.
The last time I saw her was this past summer when they came to visit me for my birthday. Nana Sharla bought a box of condoms and lectured me about the temptation of vile high school boys that would want to impregnate me and then leave me.
Dad had to sit me down after and explain that him and Uncle Travis shared the same father and he wasn’t a good man. There’s not much resemblance between Uncle Travis and Dad besides the green eyes. Dad is dark where Uncle Travis is light.
Thankfully, I never had to witness how terrible their father was because he died a long time ago from cancer.
“Where’s my sister?” Uncle Emmett asks.
“She’s coming.” Dad says and sits Dahlia at the table.
“E should pick up Ma.” Uncle Travis says and Dad laughs.
Uncle Travis calls Nana Sharla Ma even though she’s not because his mother died in a terrible accident when he was in high school. Nana Sharla took him in after that. My family is all twisted and somehow interconnected, I still haven’t figured it all out. I don’t think I ever will.
“What do we owe the visit, assholes?” Mother says as she walks in the kitchen.
“Mommy said a bad word.” Dahlia chastises and points to the swear jar by the fridge.
Mother is the only one that ends up filling it and I can’t help the grin that comes over my face at her dismay.
“Shit.” She whispers.
“Heard that one, too.” Dahlia whispers back and I can’t help the laugh that escapes my belly.
Mother looks at me with surprise at first but it quickly morphs into amusement.
“I’m never going to learn.” She sighs. “How much do I owe the bank of Dahlia this time?”
“Five dollars.” Dahlia rubs her hands together.
“Five dollars?!” Mother exclaims.
“And Daddy wants you to pick up Nana Sharla from the airport.” Dahlia throws in and I am once again laughing at the look on my mother’s face.
“Like Hell.” She says and Dahlia is wiggling in her seat.
“Mommy has a potty mouth, but it makes me rich.”
Everyone laughs and Uncle Emmett begins to stack up the pancakes.
“Ivy, how does it feel to be back?” Uncle Travis asks.
That’s what I love about my family, they don’t judge, and even though I came home under undesirable circumstances, they would never rub it in my face.
“Not hanging out with teachers I hope.” Uncle Emmett chimes in.
Nevermind, I take it back, they will totally rub it in my face.
“That teacher is lucky he was just fired.” Mother snarls. “I had bigger plans.”
“I can’t believe he’s still breathing.” Uncle Emmett snorts.
“The verdict is still out, he took advantage of a
