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“My darling girl, I have some food.. Oh!” Sunshine said, coming to a stop right outside of the door that led to the kitchen. “Nino! What a lovely surprise,” she said, beaming at me.
“Nino has offered to help a little bit, so I can sit for a few.”
“You are just the kindest man,” Sunshine declared, coming over to press a kiss to my cheek. Like we were the oldest of friends. “Can I get you something to eat as well?” she asked as she put a plate in front of her daughter, kissing her on the top of her head. “Eat, baby,” she said softly.
And it was clear right then that even free-loving hippie moms were, well, moms, first and foremost. It was probably killing her that she couldn’t give her daughter more time to heal.
“Say yes,” Savannah demanded. “She will just keep asking until you agree to let her feed you.”
“Sounds like my Ma,” I said, smiling. “I’d love something. Anything,” I added.
“Are you in the mood for sweet or savory?” she asked as Savannah started to eat her food.
“Both. Say both,” Savannah urged.
“Both sounds good,” I agreed.
“I will be back in just a few,” Sunshine said, grabbing both of my arms, giving them a squeeze, then heading into the kitchen.
“She would have made you both anyway,” Savannah explained. “She shows her love with food.”
“My Ma is the same way. Woke up the other day to her in my kitchen. With my sister,” I said, shaking my head.
“Was she making you breakfast?”
“Yes. With a side of scolding. Which, apparently, I am never too old for,” I said, watching as she shot me a smile.
“It sounds like you’re close.”
“We are,” I agreed.
“Is your sister older, younger?”
“Younger. I’m the oldest. Of six.”
“Six!” she said, brows shooting up.
“Yeah, guess my parents really liked each other,” I said, listening to that sweet laugh of hers again.
“So do you have mostly brothers, sisters, equal?”
“Valley is the only girl.”
“Oh, you boys must have kept your mother busy,” she decided.
“You have no idea,” I said, shaking my head. We’d never made it easy for her, that was sure.
“I’ve always wondered what a big family is like,” Savannah admitted, giving me a smile of gratitude when I topped off her coffee to warm it up.
“It’s… loud,” I decided, since that came to mind first. “And it can be frustrating. No one can keep a secret or mind their business.”
“But it’s done in love,” Savannah interjected.
“It is,” I agreed. “And the support system is unreal,” I added. “Broke my leg the month I moved into my house. Being an idiot up on a ladder with no spotter. Every day was a different aunt or cousin, cleaning, cooking. And when I needed to go to an appointment, one of my brothers would show up to take me.”
“That sounds really nice,” she said, and there was a hint of wistfulness to her voice.
I’d found that most people who were only children, or ones from small families, often wondered or even yearned for the craziness of a larger family.
