She was always in a good mood.
“It’s so good to hear your voice.” I could hear Caley and Daddy talking in the background. “Caley and your father are playing a game of Uno right now.”
“That sounds like fun,” I said, watching a student attempt a backbend. “Who’s winning?”
“You know… your father,” she said with a laugh. “Even though she’s ten years old, that doesn’t stop his competitive streak.”
“Do I ever,” I replied, remembering how he only occasionally allowed Julianna and me to win a game growing up. “I bet you’re baking cookies for her, too, huh?”
“Well, don’t tell your sister, but she just loves my cakes! Especially my black forest cake. I only let her have a small piece, though.”
Julianna was reasonably strict when it came to eating junk food, a little more so than myself, which was odd since I practiced a holistic lifestyle. “Is that the one that won the local bake-off?”
“It sure is! Your father loves it too, but of course he has to keep his blood sugar down. I suspect that he sneaks in a few extra bites whenever I’m not looking, though.”
I laughed, picturing Daddy hovered over the kitchen island, sneaking an extra slice of cake while glancing over his shoulder with fork in hand.
“Save some for me,” I said, eyeing my protein bar with disgust. “Any chance I could talk to Caley for a few moments?”
My mother put the phone down to go get Caley, and I decided to ditch the protein bar and order some takeout. One junk meal a week wouldn’t be so bad, or at least that’s what I told myself on occasion. I might even see if they have some cake, too.
I wouldn’t eat it in front of anyone at the studio, though. It was like my dirty little secret.
“Hi, Aunt Annie!” My face lit up as soon as I heard my niece’s voice.
“Hi, sweetie. How’s your visit going? How’s Jude?”
“I’m having such a good time! Jude’s taking his morning nap. Guess what?
“What?”
“Grandma and Grandpa let me stay up late the night before last. Plus, I get to have dessert with every meal. Mom would freak out, but I won’t tell her!” Caley and I laughed a little bit.
“That’s great! Do you miss your mom and Jake?”
“Yeah, sure, Aunt Annie. But I know they need to be alone right now. I hope they bring me something back from their honeymoon. Do you think they will?”
“You bet I do,” I told her.
Even though it was their honeymoon, I secretly hoped they'd bring me something as well. Julianna knew how much I loved English tea biscuits, and they were honeymooning in London, England. Jake and I both assumed my sister would want to go someplace tropical, such as the Bahamas, but she said there was enough sun in California and wanted a change.
I was so proud of my sister and happy for her new lifestyle with a billionaire husband and a beautiful daughter and son. Caley and Julianna had always been close, especially after such a nasty divorce from Caley’s father, Cam. Even though she was only seven years old at the time, Caley's intuition told her that her father was far from a decent person. Especially since Cam rarely made any attempt to see her once he left them. And, thankfully, Jake had become the loving father she desperately needed.
While I listened to Caley tell me everything they’d been doing, my mind drifted back to Richard. I hadn’t heard from him since the wedding. On the one hand, I knew it was for the best. It wasn’t like I had time for anything serious, anyway. Even as I sat there drinking herbal tea and listening to Caley, I knew the second we hung up that I’d get buried in paperwork, educating myself further on how to expand my business by adding a line of health food.
Where would I find the time to date?
“Tonight, we’re having barbecue chicken, corn on the cob, roasted potatoes, and sugar cookies!”
“It sounds like you’ve been eating a lot of sugar, honey. Tell grandma that you can't eat it too late in the day, or else you'll be up all night."
Caley didn’t even acknowledge what I had said about the sugar, which meant that she definitely wouldn’t mention it to her grandmother. I can’t say that I blamed her, though. And truth be told, I knew Mom would keep a watchful eye on Caley’s eating habits just like she had when Julianna and I were growing up.
She started telling me about a dollhouse that my father was building for her. As she discussed how she planned on decorating it, my mind began to wander, and I wondered if Richard was already sleeping with someone else.
Of course, he is.
He’s not a relationship kind of guy. In fact, he probably went home with a woman he met at the wedding.
