Grandma claps her hands over her mouth. “Been so long since we had family in the house with us!”
Grandpa smiles at her. “What d’ya think, Lily?”
She bounces on the sofa. “That would make me so happy! Please say yes, Peter, please say it!”
“Easy now,” Grandpa laughs, “Don’t make me think you’re bored of me.”
Leaning into him, head coming to rest on his shoulder, tears brim. “He’s right, Tempest, I am bored of him.”
Chapter 5
Two nights later I’m out with my sister and Zia at O’Nieals on Grand Street, the restaurant bar-lounge made famous as Steve and Aidan’s bar “Scout” in the TV show Sex & The City.
The food is out of this world, every recipe on the menu created by the owner himself, cooked by a talented kitchen staff. I’ve never had a bad meal here, it’s not ridiculously priced and the bar — where we are right now — is very cool, that’s why I picked it to break the news.
Christina places her virgin daiquiri onto a small gold table set between velvet chairs and cries out, “You’re what?!”
Zia blinks at me, lips twisted in confusion.
“I’m going to live with Grandma and Grandpa for a while.”
My sister has a habit of touching her pregnant belly now that it’s growing more by the day, and she does this, leaning back against the red velvet booth. “I don’t understand. I’m still paying half the rent.”
I wave a french fry at her, “You’re never there anymore, Christina. You’ve all but moved in with Bennett,” and pop it into my mouth.
“But I wasn’t ever going to leave you high and dry!”
“First of all, it makes no sense for you to be paying half the rent to store your furniture.”
“And most of my clothes.”
“I need the rent for my new business.”
Zia grabs a fry and tosses it at me. “What?!”
It’s Christina’s turn to be speechless. Knowing my sister I count down, three, two, one.
She explodes, “What Tucking business?! How is this the first I’m hearing about it?”
I point at her belly. “You’ve been busy.”
“Not that busy!”
“Yes, you have. I haven’t seen you in almost a month. No, more than that.”
Christina is one year older than me, and many people think we’re twins. We’ve always been that close, even moving in together as soon as we left home. Everything I’ve ever considered doing — much less actioned into reality — I’ve passed by her for support or advice. To see her deflate like I’ve broken her heart, breaks mine a little bit, too. “I’m sorry, Chris, but you’ve been really absent for a while now. You’re starting your new life — your own family — and I get it, but I’ve been feeling a little left out. It’s okay, though. That’s what gave me this idea.”
She reaches across the mini table, bar crowd growing louder as the place fills up with the after-work crowd. “I have been absent, haven’t I? I’m sorry, Temp.”
Feeling the loneliness more now that we’re talking about it, I shrug, “This is the cycle of life.”
Zia agrees, “Those subway rides all the way to bum-Tuck Egypt just to stay in an apartment all by yourself can’t be any fun.”
Chris yells, “Gawd, Zia, really? Now I feel terrible!”
Our cousin shrugs one bare shoulder, “I’m just saying,” in a silver dress that would turn heads if Christina’s loud voice hadn’t already done that. “But staying with Grandma and Grandpa? Won’t that be weird?”
My sister grabs a fry, “You can’t stay with Mom now that they downsized. She uses the spare room as an office.”
“You think I want Mom managing me? Because she would, you know.” Lifting my frozen margarita, I take a sip. “I was being more tactical when I asked them if I could move in for a bit. At least I thought I was, but now I know the loneliness was an underlying incentive. It felt really good to share my dream with them. I know they’ll be supportive. They won’t hover. And Grandma burst into tears. She’s been missing having children in the house. Not that I’m a child…”
Christina blinks at me. “What dream? What business!”
I launch in with everything I told our grandparents. By the time I’m done we all need another drink, even if Christina’s doesn’t have alcohol. And the french fries are so gone there aren’t even the crispy bits. I glance around for a server to bring us menus.
“Tempest, look at me.”
I lock eyes with my sister. “Don’t tell me it’s a bad idea. I’m going through with it no matter what anyone says.”
“I think it’s a wonderful idea.”
“You do?” I glance over to see Zia nodding. “You guys really think I can do it?”
Zia throws up her arms. “Of course you can do it!”
Christina plants her hand on the table between us, the other hand on her belly. “I don’t know how I missed the business gene like you and Evan got, because what you just told us was so well thought out, and so obviously geared toward success, I can’t even wrap my head around how awesome you are right now.”
I cover my grinning shock with one hand. “Really?”
“The way your brain works, Tempest! Mine does not work like that! If it weren’t for Josh I would have no idea how to launch my charity. Every single thing he says about building its foundation, business plans, filing with the government — it’s like someone is teaching me a different language!” She sits back, and glances to Zia, rolling her eyes. “Thank God Josh is so patient. I feel terrible enough as it is.”
Looking for our server I mutter, “Yeah, he’s a gem alright,” and
