Page 38 of No Summer Hotter than You

Her face immediately turned bright red, embarrassed by her mom’s comment. “Mom,” she hissed in a low whisper. “You don’t need to say it like that.”

“It’s about time you make friends, Evelyn,” Aunt Sue continued sternly.

Jonathan, Shoua, and me awkwardly glanced at each other as the tension became thick between Evelyn and her mom. It quickly dampened the lighthearted mood we were in. I was shocked at the way Aunt Sue was treating Evelyn. I had always assumed Aunt Sue was the understanding and easy-going type of mom since that was the type of person she was around my parents, Andy, and me.

“Sue, I’m sure she has plenty of friends,” my mom jumped in.

Evelyn sat by her mom with her brows furrowed and lips formed into a thin line as her face continued to flush red. She was clearly furious at Aunt Sue.

Auntie Yee also spoke up. “Besides, a night at home is always better than a night out. Right, Evelyn? Who needs to go to bars when a cozy night with a good show is all you need?” She smiled politely at Aunt Sue and then at her daughter. “Antisocial or not, bar hopping with Anthony, Shoua, and Jonathan will be fun. You’re in a new city with new friends. Take the opportunity to let loose a little bit, Evelyn.”

“Not too loose, though. You can have all the fun you want as long as you don’t come back home drunk in a mess,” Aunt Sue said quickly. She let out a laugh, and I think she meant it as a joke, but it sounded more like a threat.

Evelyn scoffed sharply. “Why are you even worried about that?” she asked quickly. “I don’t even live at home anymore. Whether I have friends, go out, and get drunk out of my fucking mind is no concern of yours. My life is mine. Not yours.”

Aunt Sue turned to her with a vicious smirk. “Who helps you pay for that apartment you live in?”

Evelyn sighed heavily as she looked her mom right in the eye. I expected her to say something, but she never did. She averted her gaze and looked down at her lap with a deep frown.

From my side, I could hear Shoua let out a wobbly exhale. I took her hand in mine as the tension between mother and daughter continued to grow thicker and heavier. Then, suddenly, she spoke up.

“Aunt Sue, your concerns for Evelyn are understandable. But she’s smart. She knows what’s best for her in her own ways,” Shoua said. Everyone’s eyes were now on her. “She’s just living her life the way she sees fit.”

Her sudden intrusion into the mother-daughter argument drew their attention to her. Aunt Sue narrowed her eyes at her immediately. Evelyn’s eyes widened in shock. Shoua’s hand trembled in mine, and I started rubbing calming circles into the back of her hand. She was scared but made no notion of it in her firm voice.

“Sue, it’s all right. Evelyn’s not a kid anymore. She’s an adult,” my mom said softly as she patted Aunt Sue’s shoulder. “She should be able to have fun in whatever ways she wants. You don’t have to worry about her like that.”

“Who knows? She might even meet someone cute. Right, Evelyn?” Auntie Yee said.

That comment seemed to tickle Aunt Sue, and she laughed. My mom swiftly eased them into another topic before Aunt Sue could say anything else about her daughter. The three women started laughing and talking again.

“Your aunt is right, Evelyn. Just go out on Saturday and have fun. I know your mom can be a bit—” my dad started, and then he lowered his voice to a whisper, “overbearing. But live a little. You deserve it for being such a good daughter.”

She gave my dad a rigid nod as he patted her shoulder. Without saying anything else, she got up and left the dining room. From across the table, I could see Aunt Sue cast her a glance and that was it. No one stopped her. We all knew she headed straight to her bedroom, which was confirmed after a loud slam from the back hallway.

We let Evelyn’s departure settle for a bit. Aunt Sue continued to smile and laugh as if what just happened was nothing, and it made me felt worse for Evelyn. Her mom embarrassed her in front of us and saw no wrong in what she did.

My dad turned to me with a curious look. “So, Jackie and Tyson will both be going to your outing on Saturday? They used to date, didn’t they?”

“Dad, that was in high school,” I quickly answered. My dad nodded with a knowing smile as he looked between Shoua and me. “What?”

“Nothing,” he said and smiled. “I’m just surprised by the turn of events thinking back to when you all were just kids, I guess. Who would’ve thought that you two would end up being together?”

“Exactly. Who would’ve thought?” said Jonathan. He wiggled his eyebrow at me, teasingly.

I held back the urge to roll my eyes. Instead, I turned to glance at Shoua, thinking I would see her warm, coffee-colored gaze. But instead, I saw her plump, now-pink lips just like earlier. Flustered, I quickly looked back at Jonathan.

“When it comes to Shoua, definitely,” I said as I laughed.

Once we were all finished with dinner, I helped clear the table with Shoua and Jonathan as our parents continued their conversation in the living room. I was about to suggest that Jonathan, Kelvin, Shoua, and me sit in the kitchen and talk over a beer or two. But when I walked into the kitchen ready to help Shoua with the dishes, Kelvin was already there next to her by the sink.

“So, you and Anthony used to be friends even all the way back in high school?” Kelvin asked as he rinsed the soapy dishes she handed to him.

“Yes,” she replied.

They didn’t know I was there with their backs turned to me, but I could see everything going on between the two of them. While Shoua’s focus was on the dishes, Kelvin was looking at her with a heated stare.

“You two were still friends even when I got your number last year?” he asked.

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