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There was no denying it. He was handsome in a rough sense. Bearded, tatted, with an angry scowl aimed at the camera. But I see you, Grain. Vada knew better than to buy into the facade.
“So, is there anything else I can do?” Marissa asked. “Oh, if you give me the list for the caterer, I can drop it off tomorrow morning. Save you a trip to Turnersville.”
Perfect.
Vada walked around the table toward the counter and tripped over the large cardboard box. Thankfully, she steadied herself in time before slamming her face into the countertop.
Trista and Marissa sprung up from the table. “Are you okay?”
Vada straightened and glared down at the box. It was a miracle she hadn’t blushed knowing the contents. Oh damn, Aunt Gloria.
“Yes.”
Trista bent down, lifted the box, and put it on the table. Vada felt the heat rise in her face but kept silent. She’d opened it earlier, and much to her mortification, she closed it and hid it from Allie’s sight. How Aunt Gloria and Vada’s mother were from the same parents was one of life’s great mysteries.
“What’s in it?”
She could’ve lied, but Trista would’ve seen through it.
“My Aunt Gloria sent favors. They’re um…” Vada cleared her throat. “Interesting?”
“What are they?”
Vada flattened her lips as the heat rose from her chest to her cheeks.
Trista widened her eyes and raised her brows. “If it makes you blush in five seconds flat, then it must be good. Show us.”
Vada shook her head. “No.”
“Vada.” Trista smirked.
“Who’s Aunt Gloria?” Marissa asked.
“Aunt Gloria is my mother’s sister. She’s a bit, um,” —Vada paused— “eccentric.”
That was putting it mildly. Her Aunt Gloria wasn’t around much for her childhood. In fact, Vada could only think of a few times she’d been at any family gatherings. She was her mother’s only sibling and her polar opposite. It was hard to imagine them growing up together.
“That’s sweet of her to send you something. Are you close?” Marissa asked.
Vada glanced down at the box. “Not really. She’s always been very kind to me and my brothers and sister, but we didn’t really see her a lot. She didn’t quite fit in with the family. An oddball.” Vada smiled. Aunt Gloria was the adult version of me.
“I haven’t seen her in years, but I sent her a wedding invitation. She was the first one to respond. All three times. And as of right now, the only member of my family that will be attending, so…” Vada’s voice faded into a now awkward silence among the small group.
Any mention of her family always changed the dynamic of the conversation. And not for the better. Vada glanced down at the box. This would be the perfect way to shift the tension.
“Do you want to see what she sent?”
Before she even finished her sentence, Trista blurted, “Yes!”
Vada slowly lifted the folds of the box. Trista and Marissa leaned over, looking inside. The room was silent. Briefly.
Marrisa and Trista both burst out laughing and dug into the box. The card, along with the contents, explained that her aunt’s side business was making homemade edible gifts. This particular one had an unexpected shape.
“Holy shit.” Trista snickered. “Aunt Gloria makes homemade dick pops!”
Yes, she does. There were over a hundred in varying colors, shapes, and sizes. Vada had yet to reach out and thank her. She was still trying to find appropriate wording. “Thank you for the penis lollipops.” Vada blushed just thinking of that conversation.
Marissa’s phone pinged, and she muttered a curse. “I’m sorry, I have to run.”
