When I proposed the idea, I should have known it would get away from me. Amanda taking charge had been expected. The residents of Firefly pitching in, I should have seen that coming. The rest of the world? Everybody but mefound magic in this tiny community. Tyler held a puppy against his chest, its tongue lapping at his cheek.
Maybe it wasn’t Firefly that held magic? Maybe it was the people. Or at least one person in particular.
FIRST STEPS ARE HARDEST
“Are you sure you don’t have a strip tease for an Animal Rescue planned? Maybe pimping for the needy?”
“Technically, I’d be hooking, not pimping.”
“Not the argument you think it is.”
Evie dropped a box on the bed, kicking dust into the air. My nose crinkled as I fought off another sneezing fit. Since we started cleaning, I had already plowed through a box of tissues. Mimi had saved everything, including dust. I couldn’t tell if she had been in this room for years. It took days to empty out the furniture and sort through old trunks filled with keepsakes. Gladys walked away like a pirate, ready to peddle her booty.
“I can’t believe you…” I had no idea where Evie’s line of thinking went. She turned from the closet, head cocked to the side. “Full frontal?”
I plopped down on the bed, opening the top of the box. “Full frontal. The ladies of Firefly went home hot and bothered. Who knew I’d be flashing the elderly?”
Evie rolled her eyes while swiping at dust particles. It already clung to her shirt, making the bright purple dull. We had been at this for a week. I thought the dinner at Jason’s had given us a path forward, but ever since, we remained distant. There were moments when I thought things might go back to normal, but then one of us would pull away. I wanted to blame Evie for the rift, but we both had a hand in making it weird.
“Evie.” I lifted an ornate frame out of the box. It seemed every time we opened a new box, the mystery of our grandmother took a sharp turn. “Look at this.” I handed her the photograph.
“Is she ’n a chef's jacket?”
“Mimi couldn’t cook to save her life. Right?”
“Oh, she could cook. She loved her venison. You always thought she cooked you steak? Nope. Bambi.” Two years my senior, she had a slightly different perspective of our grandmother. “Is that… Chicago?”
She took a seat next to me, pointing at the giant ‘Navy Pier’ sign. I took the picture, squinting as I pulled it close. “Gianni’s Pizzeria? Our grandmother worked at a pizza joint?”
“Huh.”
“What, huh?”
“She made us pizza once. I think it was the summer going into my freshman year. I only remember it because the kitchen had flour everywhere.”
“Oh, yeah… she made me clean it up!”
Each time we unearthed a secret, we stopped and processed. At these moments, I felt close to Evie. We were learning about our grandmother together. That’s what families did, I think. I didn’t exactly have role models outside of the Romance Channel. In those movies, this is where the goofy sidekick would come in and interrupt the tension. I glanced at the door, willing Amanda to appear.
“Evie.”
“Jon.”
We spoke at the same time. We had spent more of our lives apart. I always said I wouldn’t know how to be a good brother. The lie let me overcome the uncomfortable guilt that bubbled every time I thought of us in a situation like this.
“I need to say something.” Did I? I spoke the words, but I don’t remember making my mouth move.
Mimi’s cheek had something red streaked down her jaw. Tomato sauce, maybe? It only made her toothy smile stand out even more. Her hair had long since turned white, and this was during her ‘bun’ phase. It was hard to mourn a woman who lived such a full life. Her bucket list had been completed, and then some. I couldn’t keep going without checking off at least one item.
“I’m sorry.”
“You’ll need to be more?—”
“For Mom and Dad.”
“Jonny…” It had been the conversation we never discussed. I still didn’t want to talk about it, not with her, of all people. Mimi didn’t leave a letter or make any requests before she passed. She never talked about our distance, but I could tell every time she looked at a photo of us as kids. It hurt her heart. I considered it an unspoken request.
“When Mom and Dad died, I didn’t know how to cope.”
