When I finally turned into my own driveway, it was dark and drizzling. Pulling up to the house, I was surprised to see Aunt Gina's car parked out front. It should've been a welcome surprise, but in my current state-of-mind, I wasn't so sure.
As for Joel's car, I didn't see it, and maybe that was a good thing. Until I had something resembling good news, I'd be smart to keep my mouth shut. After all, there was no reason for both of us to suffer while I waited to hear back from Claude.
Distracted beyond belief, I got out of the car and made my way to the front door. When I opened it, I was greeted by the smell of something baking. I paused. It smelled surprisingly delicious.
From somewhere in the kitchen, Aunt Gina called out, "Melody, is that you?"
"Uh, yeah," I said, making my way toward the sound of her voice.
She called back, "Guess what I'm making!"
I stopped and gave the air another sniff. It smelled like pie. Really good pie. This made no sense. This was, after all, Aunt Gina, who wasn't exactly known for her culinary skills.
When I reached the kitchen, she looked up and gave me a big, happy smile. "Well? Aren't you gonna guess?"
I glanced around. I saw flour on the counter and apple peelings off to the side. "Is it apple pie?"
She clapped her hands together. "You got it!"
I didn't know what to say. I gave the oven a nervous glance. "So you made it from scratch?"
She laughed. "Don't look so worried." Her eyes brightened. "I'm taking a class."
"A baking class?"
"Not just baking. Cooking, too." She leaned forward. "I'm thinking of opening a restaurant." She brushed some flour off her dark shirt. "Or maybe a bakery. I mean, we're still on desserts, so I might be rushing it a bit."
In spite of everything, I almost smiled. This was vintage Aunt Gina. She went from zero to sixty in the blink of an eye. If this were any other time, I'd be thrilled to see her.
Now, I was just worried. Trying not to show it, I moved forward to give her a welcoming hug. "Boy, you really surprised me. I thought you weren't coming 'til tomorrow."
"Well yeah, that was the original plan." She pulled back to give me another smile. "But then I thought, 'I've gotta meet this guy of hers.'" She looked around. "So, where is he?"
I tried to smile back. "I don't know. I just got back."
"From work?"
"Sort of."
I'd been working alright, but not at the cookie shop. Mostly, I'd been trying to hammer things out with Claude.
Aunt Gina studied my face. "Is something wrong? You guys aren't fighting or anything, are you?"
"Nope."Not yet, anyway.
"Oh. Well that's good." She hesitated. "Maybe you should shower or something. You look kind of splotchy."
Funny, I felt kind of splotchy, too. And, I wanted some time to think. I agreed instantly, and turned away, with the promise to return after my shower.
Just before I reached the stairway, my aunt called out, "That guy of yours, hedoeslike apple, right?"
I had no idea, so all I said was, "Well, it's everyone's favorite, so I'm sure he'll love it."
After showering, I returned downstairs and found Aunt Gina standing in the front doorway, waving goodbye to an unfamiliar white van.
Coming up behind her, I asked, "Who was that?"
She turned around to reveal an oversized white envelope. She gave it a little wave. "Special courier."
