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The breeze whispers through the trees as we meander down the gravel path, the scent of lilacs perfuming the air. I glance at Aunt Minnie, her hair wisping out from under her floral hat, a contented smile on her face.
I continue: "You worked double shifts at the bookstore while I pulled a lot of all-nighters at Hope House. It was a difficult summer for everybody in town because the paper mill and shoe factory both shut down. I have such vivid memories of it."
Minnie's steps falter. "Of course I remember. But why dwell on the hard times now?"
I shrug. "I was just making conversation."
"Well, pick a better topic. If I wanted to think about a time when we had no money, I could do that at home. There are so many bad memories to choose from."
Inod sympathetically. "I understand. But sometimes it's helpful to reflect on the past, to see how far we've come."
Minnie lets out a sigh. "I suppose you're right. But let's talk about something more cheerful, shall we?" She hooks her arm through mine.
I stop, taking her hands in mine. Summoning a deep breath, I force a smile.
"I think that it's time that we have a real, serious talk."
Aunt Minnie looks bewildered. "A talk? About what, dear?"
I scrunch up my face. "About money."
"Money?" she echoes. "Money comes, money goes. There will always be more money. I just don't think too hard about it, and eventually the world comes up with more funds."
I drop her hands, my face tightening. Minnie's nonchalant response irritates me. She's always been oblivious to the impact of her frivolous spending.
"I'm serious, Aunt Minnie," I say, halting our stroll. "All those fancy clothes and restaurant meals we couldn't afford put so much pressure on me. I was working every spare minute to keep us afloat while you breezed through life like money grew on trees."
"Well, it basically does."
"That's not true, Aunt Minnie!"
She looks at me like I'm a puzzle she cannot figure out. "No? Why are you so focused on the past, Talia? I thought I raised you better."
It takes me a second to come up with the words to express all the emotions racing around in my chest, filling me up until I'm about to burst.
"Because I never told you how hard it was! Scrimping every penny for groceries, skipping school to work extra hours. Staying up all night with homework and then babysitting all day so that we could afford to eat that day." My voice catches. "I was just a child, but I had to grow up so fast."
Minnie's mouth opens in shock. "Talia, why didn't you tell me? I had no idea you were struggling like that."
"That's because I have always balanced the checkbook and made sure that there was food in the pantry. When I was old enough to count dollar bills, you delegated that responsibility to me. And... and..." My voice is choked up with emotion. "There wasneverenough money. We were always just one missed paycheck away from disaster. And then, when my parents died, I was alone. I had no one to turn to except myself. Do you know how lonely that made me feel?"
Minnie's eyes glisten. She's silent for half a minute as she works to control tears that press at the corners of her eyes.
“Oh, Talia, I had no idea. I thought I was sheltering you from the worst of it." She embraces me tightly. "I'm so sorry you had to shoulder that burden alone. You were always so responsible. I didn't realize..."
"That's right, you didn't realize," I snap. "You didn't think how it stressed me out, how I had to sacrifice my childhood to cover for your spending habits." I rake a hand through my hair. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to attack you. But I need you to understand where I'm coming from."
Minnie is quiet for a moment. "You're absolutely right," she says finally. "I was careless back then. I never meant to burden you, but I can see now the harm I caused." She grasps my hands, eyes glistening. "I'm so very sorry, Talia. Thank you for being honest with me."
I exhale, tension dissipating. "I know you didn't mean it. I just had to get it off my chest."
I cling to her, breathing in her familiar scent. "I didn't want to worry you. But it took a toll, living on the edge like that." I pull back, gazing earnestly into her eyes. "That's why when the chance came to marry into money, I took it. So we'd never risk going back to that life."
I blow out a long breath, cupping my stomach.
"There's one more thing I should tell you," I say after a few moments. I take a deep breath. "Do you remember when you took out that loan from Tony a year ago? The one with fifty percent interest?"
Minnie's face falls. "Oh Talia, I'm so ashamed about that. I don't know what I was thinking."
