AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“No I haven’t! I’ve just been…”
“Enjoying him? I bet you have,” she said, cutting me off.
Vann chuckled. “Well, I’m glad to meet you, too. Brooklyn loves you. She’s made that clear.”
“Oh, she loves you too, honey. And I can tell you love her.”
“I do,” Vann said. “Have for a long time. I was just slow about claiming her, but now that I have her, I ain’t letting go, no matter what.”
“No matter what, huh?” Britta crooned, resting a heavily adorned hand on her cheek gracefully. “Sounds like my Vell, short for Harvell. Lord knows I’ve given that man a whole litany of ‘whats,’ but nevertheless, his love for me perseveres. I’m happy to know my dear Brooklyn has found the same in you.”
“And I’m thankful I found my way back to her and that she accepted me.”
“Of course she did, she has my blood in her veins. She is far from stupid.”
“Damn, y’all, I’m right here,” I said.
“And not an ill word has been said about you, my dear,” Britta said. “Now, Vann—I love your name by the way, it’s so…cinematic.”
Through a chuckle, Vann said, “Thank you. Evidently, I’m named after my great-grandfather on my mom’s side.”
“Really?” I asked.
Vann nodded.
“Well, I love it. Now, Brooklyn tells me you’ve been quite the globetrotter. I was a bit of a world traveler in my day, too…”
And so went the evening, with my boisterous aunt holding court, Vann, me, and eventually Bailey, her captive audience.
By the timewe left Britta’s house, a well-kept relic located in Romey’s historic district, Bailey was asleep and had to be carried to my truck. Once Vann got her settled and secure in the backseat, I heard him say, “There you go, Boss Lady,” before closing the door and walking around the front of the vehicle to the driver’s side.
We were on our way to my place when I said, “Did you have a good time?”
He glanced at me, a smile on his handsome face. “I did. Your aunt is dope. Beautiful, too. So she owns Geneva’s? I can see that. It reminds me of her now that I have that knowledge.”
“How so?”
“It’s extravagant, almost too big and bold for that little building. Kind of like I imagine she was for this town and the people who knew her back in the day. That’s probably why she became a runner like me.”
“Yeah. Uh, Vann, she’s—”
“Transgender? Yeah, I peeped that.”
“Yes, she is. She’s also my father. Years ago, she requested that I call her my aunt rather than misgender her as ‘Dad,’” I divulged, bracing myself for his reaction.
“Hmm, I knew you had to be closely related; father never crossed my mind, though.”
I fell silent, not sure how to take his reaction. He was acting so damn nonchalant, it was unnerving.
Glancing over at me, he asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I mean, you don’t have anything else to say about it?”
“What did my sister or Nadia say when they found out?”
“They didn’t care. I love Britta so that was enough for them.”
“Then why would you expect my reaction to be any different?”
