“I’m good with that,” Amanda grumbled, leaning back in the chair.
***
“Amanda.” Sallie bounced around her, touching her hair. Amanda’s thick hair had been tamed and trimmed up into a cute pixie bob. It flowed around her head and framed her face. Beautiful streaks of rose gold and purple highlighted her brown hair. It gave off a pleasant glowing effect. “It’s so beautiful. I’ve never seen you with such a cute hairstyle!”
“Blame Dunc.” Amanda frowned.
“You’re not happy about it?” Sallie walked around to Amanda’s front, smiling as she ran her fingers through her big sister’s hair. “Why don’t you like it? It looks so good on you.”
“He paid for it.” Amanda sighed. She looked at her sister sadly. “I’m tired of being broke all the time because of Joseph. I’m so tired of him continually messing up my life.”
“How much do you owe him? Dew and I could help. You know we would.” Sallie bit her lower lip, looking at Amanda thoughtfully. She hated seeing her sister so sad.
“No, that money is for your future.” Amanda didn’t hesitate to turn it down. “Besides, I still owe him ten grand. You don’t have that.”
“That’s a lot of money.” Sallie reached up to move a stray strand of hair out of Amanda’s eyes. “You look beautiful, Amanda.” She repeated, knowing her sister needed to hear it. “I hope Dunc told you the same thing.”
“He did.” Amanda sighed. “He’ll be over in a little bit. He told me to get you and tell you to get Dew and go to Lola’s van and get a haircut while she’s here. He’s paying.”
“Really?” Sallie bounced in place, clasping her hands together. Dew!” She ran off to find her husband.
Amanda went up the stairs to get dressed. She didn’t have a lot to work with, but she figured Dunc wouldn’t mind. Amanda was going to wear the dress he had bought her and the sandals. Sallie had a pair of small purple fairy wings she was going to borrow along with a tiara to serve as a crown. Amanda was going to strap the sword Dunc had given her around her waist and go as a fairy princess warrior.
***
People began coming into the neighborhood and stopping at Dunc’s house after lunch. He told Amanda that there were times set up, and the younger kids would be coming in first. Amanda, Dew, and Sallie helped Dunc set up tables on the porch. It was still drizzling off and. The sky was overcast. Amanda was dressed up in her costume, which Dunc liked. Dew was dressed up like Aquaman, and Sallie was Mera. They had both taken advantage of Lola’s services to get the right look. Sallie’s short blond hair had red highlights in it. Lola had added long red hair extensions to Sallie’s hair. Dew’s hair had similar lengthening done, so it fell behind his shoulders in a mane.
Amanda watched in amazement as people parked up and down the street. Then they brought their children up to Dunc’s house. The children were mostly toddlers and younger. Everyone dressed up in cute little outfits. Dunc took the time to kneel, where he talked to each child on their level. Amanda watched and thought to herself that Dunc would be a great father.
This was the most bizarre thing Amanda had ever seen out of him. Dunc would carry on brief conversations with a genuine smile on his face and play with the kids. He was mostly asking them for their scary face and snarling at them. The kids all did what he asked and then ran squealing from him. Then a bag was handed off, and they left.
Bill and his brothers came up. Amanda was astonished to see that all three of them came with short petite wives. They had half a dozen children between them. Bill had a very tiny baby cradled in one of his massive tattooed arms. Amanda smiled when he offered to let her hold the baby. Amanda didn’t have a lot of experience with babies. After a little instruction, she looked into the blue eyes of an adorable baby girl with a scrunched-up face. All their kids were chubby and cheerful as they interacted with ‘Uncle’ Dunc together.
Dunc sat on the porch as the group of children mobbed him with hugs. Amanda stood nearby, talking to the baby’s mother, glancing up occasionally. This was Bill’s third child, a little girl named Grace.
“Expecting another one, Bruno?” Dunc grinned as he got a hug from one of the older kids hanging over his shoulder. “You aren’t making your own football team, are you?”
One of the younger brothers laughed and looked at Amanda. “You better get to work if your kids want to compete with ours.”
“Don’t.” Dunc turned serious for a brief moment tilting his head in Amanda’s direction. Then he went back to smiling. “You have cute kids.” Amanda didn’t miss the comment and handed the baby back to her mother, who then brought her to Dunc.
“Grace?” Dunc smiled, getting to his feet to hold her. “I haven’t met you yet.” Dunc reached out to touch the baby’s cheek, and she made a gurgling sound. “First girl. May you grow up into your name and keep your big brothers in line.” Then he leaned forward and kissed the baby on the forehead. Bill and his wife grinned at each other, then took a step back and bowed.
Amanda stared. Things were beginning to click, but they did not fit together at all. That looked like a blessing of some sort. She watched as the other brothers bowed, and so did their wives and children, then they turned and left.
Everyone bowed to Dunc. He did not bow to anyone. It was a barely perceptible lowering of the head and shoulders, but it was a bow. Amanda observed that everyone who came
