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“My heavens, she’s all grown up!” I smiled as the polite smiles turned into watering eyes and wobbling lips. It made my chest warm with familiarity and comfort. It was peace in the midst of the chaos that had been the last four years of my life.
“Rae, my goodness, my girl!” Claudia, an older woman that I had known since I was ten, corralled me into a tight hug. I patted her back, embracing her with a smile. Her greeting caused a few more to chorus through the kitchen, until my eyes locked with a pair of warm gray ones, and my heart faltered. Carl was standing there, like an oak tree—just ready to protect me from the world. I thought over how happy he was for me when I had moved to New York—we’d talked about how good it would be for me to spread my wings. He’d even come to visit me a time or two over the years, and of course he was always present when I was home visiting, but he’d been gone the last time I came.
Once Claudia released me, I took careful steps toward the man I knew as a second father, feeling tears well up, and suddenly his arms were around me.
“String bean.”
“Hey Car-Car.” It was a nickname I had used ever since I was a little girl. Feeling a burn behind my eyes, I realized I was going to cry if I didn’t pull away soon.
“I can’t believe you’re back.” He let me go and stared down at me.
Giving him a light punch to the arm, I accused, “I can’t believe you were already hunting when I came home! Dad said you wouldn’t be back until tomorrow.”
Shaking his head, he let out a small laugh and then messed up my hair by rubbing my scalp, like I was seven again.
“Sorry, kiddo. Bad timing. Let me make it up to you—your dad just baked this delicious pie. You came to eat, right?”
I took in the graying hair that filled in all the dark brown he used to have. It hadn’t completely consumed his hair, but it was starting to. Shaking my head, I looked over my shoulder. “I’m here to help with mountain deliveries.”
His bushy brows bunched in confusion right as my dad came up and interrupted us.
“Here, honey…it’s all packed up. I’ll have Carl walk it out and load it into the back.”
Carl grunted, and I tried to decipher the odd look on his face, but I was distracted by the delicious smells all around me.
I eyed the pies, the scones, and the cinnamon rolls, and my stomach let out an audible grumble.
My dad chuckled. “Hungry?”
I watched as my father gently rolled the dough out on the counter and sprinkled flour like it was gold.
I had missed this. All my life, I had sat on a stool and watched him roll out dough and sprinkle flour, magically turning raw ingredients into the most delicious treats.
“No, I ate earlier.”
Lifting his eyes, he smiled. “Well, I packed a sandwich for you just in case, plus water and a bag of chips.”
“You’re the best.” I pulled him into a hug, inhaling the smell of sugar and butter.
He kissed my forehead and led me out of the kitchen. “Best get on the road if you’re going to make it back before dinner.”
The rear hatch to my parent’s SUV was open, so I walked around the car, watching as Carl’s bulking height maneuvered under the hatch that was oddly low.
I tried to push the hatch up a little further, but it wouldn’t budge. “Wow, that doesn’t raise up much at all, does it?”
Carl let out a huff. “It actually has a nickname. We call this car the “goose egg” because so many people who’ve helped load it have hit their head on this piece of junk door.”
I laughed, even though I probably shouldn’t, but the image of person after person falling prey to this car was too much. “Have you told Mom and Dad to take it in to get it checked?”
Slamming it shut, he clicked his tongue. “You know I have, but your dad says it’s fine.”
“Of course he does,” I sighed.
Carl set his large hands on his hips, watching me closely, like he was hesitant to address something he’d been thinking about for a while.
“You sure you’re ready for this?”
I met him with a wide smile. “Yeah, of course I am.”
