Page 31 of The Good, the Bad, and the Aunties

Minutes later, we arrive at Annabelle’s house. I have never seen anyone climb out of a car so fast; she basically jumps out before the car’s even stopped moving, and dashes away while shouting, “Thank you,bye.” My heart goes out to her. She reminds me of myself when I was her age. Or maybe by the time I was her age, I was used to my mom and aunts and knew it was futile to try to fight them?

I turn my attention back to our task at hand as we roll back onto the road. What happened today was awful, no doubt about that, but I can’t undo it, and to be honest, Ma and the aunties do have a point: Rochelle was an immensely horrible kid, and though she didn’t deserve to be attacked by them like that, I can’t see any other way we could have gotten the title deed from her. And now, we have it in our hands and we’re on our way to Julia Child’s house to rescue Nathan. The knot around my stomach eases a little at the thought. Despite all of the mishaps, we have made actual progress. In just minutes, an hour max, I would be reunited with my sweet, long-suffering, loving husband.

Julia Child’s estate is just as imposing in the daytime as it was last night. Maybe even more so, because in daylight, it becomes clear just how awe-inspiring it is, so expansive, and the walls around it so impossibly high that it looks like the embassy of a country that’s invested all of its GDP into the defense sector. My eyes are riveted to the walls as we drive through the front gates. Truly, I have never seen such high walls around a private residence. They look about fifty feet tall and at least three feet thick, and at the very top of the walls are coils of literal barbed wire. Law-abiding businesswoman, my ass.

The car creeps forward up the driveway and we alight at the front door. We climb out warily. For once my mom and aunts are quiet, their usual confidence muted by the imposing mansion that looms before us. Abi smooths down his shirt and hair as he strides to the front door. It clicks open and we all jump a little. A man dressed in an impeccable suit stands before us.

“Welcome back, we’ve been expecting you.”

Abi nods, and we all follow the man as he leads us through the beautiful foyer and into the living room, where Julia Child awaits in all her glory. Today, she is dressed in an expensive-looking pantsuit, and her makeup is 100 percent on point, down to the perfectly painted lips. Next to her are two men dressed in black suits, and next to them is Nathan.

“Nathan,” I cry out, taking a step toward him. The two men stand up. They are very, very tall. I stop in my tracks, all of my instincts suddenly screaming.

“Oh, for goodness’ sake,” Julia Child mutters, rolling her eyes. “Boys, just—calm down, will you? You know what? Actually, just leave us, please.” She waves the two men away.

They hesitate. One of them leans down and murmurs, “Ma’am, are you sure? This is a sensitive situation, and—”

“Do I need to repeat myself?” The casual tone that had graced her voice just a moment ago is gone, replaced by icy sharpness. The man straightens up immediately, gives a short shake of the head, and strides out with his companion. Julia Child turns back to face us and smiles. “I’m sorry about that. It’s so hard to get good help nowadays, don’t you think?”

“I wouldn’t know, I’ve never had to hire bodyguards,” I blurt out.

“Oh, they’re not bodyguards,” she laughs. “They’re my personal assistants.”

“Uh huh...” I nod, not at all buying it, not even for a second. I shift my attention back to Nathan. My heart swells at the sight of him. “Uh, can I... go to my husband?”

“Of course. Goodness me, why would you ever think that you can’t?”

Because your bodyguards literally almost jumped me when I tried to? But I don’t bother replying before Nathan and I cross the distance between us. I fall into his arms, and he embraces me so tight that he lifts me off my feet.

“Are you okay?” we say to each other at the same time. I pause, laughing, and we say it again. “I’m okay, are you okay?”

“Oh, isn’t this touching?” Julia Child smiles at everyone, putting her palms together under her chin. “There is truly nothing I love seeing more than young love. It’s just so inspiring, don’t you think? Is there anything you wouldn’t do for your husband, my dear girl?”

I turn to her, my fingers weaving through Nathan’s, and I say, without a single doubt, “No.”

Nathan and I gaze into each other’s eyes and he gives me asmall nod. It’s a tiny gesture, but behind it is all our history, and the knowledge that despite everything—all of the crap that I’ve put him through—we are okay.

“Ah, I knew it.” She sighs happily, before turning back to face the rest of the group. “So.” With that single word, she has suddenly morphed back into business mode, all the motherly warmth replaced in a snap with cold efficiency. She levels a serious gaze at them. “I assume that since you have returned here, you have the title deed with you?”

Abi comes forward and takes the title deed from his inner jacket pocket but doesn’t hand it to her. He pauses very dramatically, knowing that all of our eyes are drawn to the piece of paper in his hand. He doesn’t take his eyes off Julia Child’s. “Before I give this to you, I need your reassurance that our agreement is still intact. Despite all of the mishaps that have occurred, it was never my intention to cause offense or mistrust. Are we still okay going forward with our business arrangements?”

Not a single breath is drawn in the time it takes Julia Child to respond. Then she sniffs. “Yes, it’s obvious that this has all stemmed from incompetence rather than malice.”

Abi’s shoulders stiffen, and fear shoots down my spine. I take a step forward, my thoughts racing to say something, anything, that would break the tension before Abi’s temper gets the better of him. But before I can think of anything, Nathan says, “You must forgive us, Tante Julia, it really was my fault, because I’m not accustomed to the traditions here. I was the one who made the mistake. It was my incompetence and no one else’s.”

Julia Child spares him a small smile. “He’s a very charming young man, isn’t he, your husband? I can see why you like himso much.” She turns her attention back to Abi, and her gaze flattens as she holds out her hand. “Yes, Abraham, our agreement is still in effect. I shall forget all of this debacle.”

Abi cracks a smile. “You forget nothing.”

They share a laugh and the title deed is passed into Julia Child’s hands. The moment the piece of paper lands on her upturned palm, the grip that was caught around my chest releases and I exhale, all of the breath deflating out of me. So. Much. Relief! I sag against Nathan. Ma and the aunties are grinning at one another.

Julia Child scans the piece of paper and nods, satisfied. As she struts behind her desk and slides the title deed into a drawer, she says, “Well, I hope you gave the poor kid you took this from a sizable red packet in exchange.”

The uncomfortable silence that greets her words makes her glance up. She frowns, straightening up and locking the drawer. “What is it?”

Images of my mother and aunts slamming into Rochelle like a group of overeager linebackers crash through my mind.

“What’s wrong?” Nathan whispers.

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