cheekbones, her eyes dark and smudged. I look like a refugee. I hardly look as though I’m recovering.
She undressed and crawled naked between the sheets. CJ liked sleeping nude, and Alex had grown accustomed to the pleasure of it. She turned off the bedside light and lay still, staring into the darkness.
Some nights the memories were of good times, the best moments of her relationship to CJ playing out before her mind’s eye. In some ways, those were the worst, because Alex always remembered the sadness coming underneath the joy. Other nights she replayed other, more terrible moments.
This night, she remembered every moment of the afternoon of last July Fourth.
“How many people are we feeding?” Alex had complained as she hauled the cooler across the grass to the picnic pavilion.
“Oh, come on now,” CJ had responded, her arms full of paper plates, napkins, utensils and cups. “My favorite nephew is a growing boy.”
“He’s nine years old.”
“And this is the time to make sure he grows up nice, strong and tall.”
“Honey, have you checked out his gene pool lately? If he finishes taller than five seven, it’ll be a miracle.”
CJ drew herself up to her full height. “I’m hoping to contribute by osmosis.”
Alex laughed at her and murmured, “Always the optimist, my treetop lover.”
CJ laughed too as they were met by Charlie, running jubilantly across the grass. “Aunt Alex!” he yelled. “Aunt CJ! Mom says you have watermelon!”
Alex grinned at CJ and said, “We sure do. Want to take a peek?”
“Yeah!”
Alex showed him the big slices wrapped in clear plastic wrap and tucked into the cooler. He helped her drag the wheeled cooler the rest of the way to the table.
“Hey, guys,” Nicole greeted them, kissing Alex and then CJ. “Glad you got here. The chef was getting ready to throw the burgers on.”
David, standing by the grill, rolled his eyes. “Dear, I keep telling you that you can’t put the food on as soon as you light the coals.” He made eye contact with CJ and added, “It’s a genetic defect in the Ryans. High intelligence coupled with a complete lack of cooking acumen.”
CJ went over to hug him and said, “Well, thank goodness they have us, then.”
“Yep. I’m pretty sure they married us for our kitchen skills.”
Mindful of Charlie a few feet away helping to unload plastic containers of food, CJ merely lifted her eyebrows and murmured, “Well, in your case maybe.”
David gave a hearty laugh. Nicole said suspiciously, “What are you two cooking up over there?”
“I’m not cooking anything, dear,” David said mildly. “The coals aren’t ready yet. We need about five more minutes.”
CJ looked at Nicole and said, “Would it be okay if Charlie and I went over to the play area for a bit? We promise to be back for lunch.”
Charlie jumped off the picnic table bench and said, “Yeah!”
“You want to come, Aunt Alex?” CJ asked.
“I think I’ll stay here and supervise,” Alex said. “Maybe later we can walk down to the pond and look at the ducks before fireworks.”
“Fireworks!” Charlie yelled happily and took off at a run toward the slide and swings.
Nicole said, “Do you remember when we used to run everywhere?”
CJ, trotting after Charlie, said over her shoulder, “Talk to your sister. She still does that.”
Alex and Nicole finished setting up the table, then Nicole fixed lemonade, asking David every sixty seconds if it was time to put the meat on. Finally David asked Alex, “Are you like this with CJ?”
“Like what?” Alex asked innocently.
“Annoyingly compulsive.”
Nicole said with asperity, “I’d like to point out that it’s people like us who get things done in the world.”
David wandered back over to give her a kiss. “And people like CJ and me that make sure people like you have fun,” he responded mildly.
Nicole reached up and brushed a leaf from his apron, which featured Uncle Sam and read “With
She undressed and crawled naked between the sheets. CJ liked sleeping nude, and Alex had grown accustomed to the pleasure of it. She turned off the bedside light and lay still, staring into the darkness.
Some nights the memories were of good times, the best moments of her relationship to CJ playing out before her mind’s eye. In some ways, those were the worst, because Alex always remembered the sadness coming underneath the joy. Other nights she replayed other, more terrible moments.
This night, she remembered every moment of the afternoon of last July Fourth.
“How many people are we feeding?” Alex had complained as she hauled the cooler across the grass to the picnic pavilion.
“Oh, come on now,” CJ had responded, her arms full of paper plates, napkins, utensils and cups. “My favorite nephew is a growing boy.”
“He’s nine years old.”
“And this is the time to make sure he grows up nice, strong and tall.”
“Honey, have you checked out his gene pool lately? If he finishes taller than five seven, it’ll be a miracle.”
CJ drew herself up to her full height. “I’m hoping to contribute by osmosis.”
Alex laughed at her and murmured, “Always the optimist, my treetop lover.”
CJ laughed too as they were met by Charlie, running jubilantly across the grass. “Aunt Alex!” he yelled. “Aunt CJ! Mom says you have watermelon!”
Alex grinned at CJ and said, “We sure do. Want to take a peek?”
“Yeah!”
Alex showed him the big slices wrapped in clear plastic wrap and tucked into the cooler. He helped her drag the wheeled cooler the rest of the way to the table.
“Hey, guys,” Nicole greeted them, kissing Alex and then CJ. “Glad you got here. The chef was getting ready to throw the burgers on.”
David, standing by the grill, rolled his eyes. “Dear, I keep telling you that you can’t put the food on as soon as you light the coals.” He made eye contact with CJ and added, “It’s a genetic defect in the Ryans. High intelligence coupled with a complete lack of cooking acumen.”
CJ went over to hug him and said, “Well, thank goodness they have us, then.”
“Yep. I’m pretty sure they married us for our kitchen skills.”
Mindful of Charlie a few feet away helping to unload plastic containers of food, CJ merely lifted her eyebrows and murmured, “Well, in your case maybe.”
David gave a hearty laugh. Nicole said suspiciously, “What are you two cooking up over there?”
“I’m not cooking anything, dear,” David said mildly. “The coals aren’t ready yet. We need about five more minutes.”
CJ looked at Nicole and said, “Would it be okay if Charlie and I went over to the play area for a bit? We promise to be back for lunch.”
Charlie jumped off the picnic table bench and said, “Yeah!”
“You want to come, Aunt Alex?” CJ asked.
“I think I’ll stay here and supervise,” Alex said. “Maybe later we can walk down to the pond and look at the ducks before fireworks.”
“Fireworks!” Charlie yelled happily and took off at a run toward the slide and swings.
Nicole said, “Do you remember when we used to run everywhere?”
CJ, trotting after Charlie, said over her shoulder, “Talk to your sister. She still does that.”
Alex and Nicole finished setting up the table, then Nicole fixed lemonade, asking David every sixty seconds if it was time to put the meat on. Finally David asked Alex, “Are you like this with CJ?”
“Like what?” Alex asked innocently.
“Annoyingly compulsive.”
Nicole said with asperity, “I’d like to point out that it’s people like us who get things done in the world.”
David wandered back over to give her a kiss. “And people like CJ and me that make sure people like you have fun,” he responded mildly.
Nicole reached up and brushed a leaf from his apron, which featured Uncle Sam and read “With
Similar Books
