Page 1 of Old Acquaintances

Chapter One

Today

It’s just days after Christmas, so I expected a busier airport crowd. Maybe with this heavy downpour and delayed flights, less urgent travelers decided to wait a day another day or two.

I’m not such a person. I’ve got places to be.

While knotting my shoelaces on a bench outside of security, my phone rings again in the back pocket of my jeans. I pull it out, seeing Hattie’s face light up the screen, her smile hidden under a fake white beard.

It’s from Halloween ten years ago. She went as Colonel Sanders. I was a chicken.

“Hey!” I say into the phone. “How was Christmas?”

My eldest sister sighs, her voice bumpy. She always paces when she’s on the phone.

“It was fine,” she answers. “The kids got way too much stuff. We told Janet to only give them one gift each but, of course, she wanted to outdo Mom and Dad, so she got Riley an electric Barbie car and Liam a stupid hoverboard thing. On top of about ten other presents. So, there’s that…”

I smile at an elderly couple walking slowly beside me and lift my head in search of a specific orange sign sticking out from the wall.

“I talked to Gracie yesterday,” she continues. “She said Aunt Zoey got black-out drunk at brunch.”

“Ohyeah. That happened.”

“Why?”

“The same shit.” The events of Christmas day come to mind. “She went into a rage about how she’s about to be thrice divorced and then threw Gerry’s grandfather’s World War Two medals into the lake.”

“Oh my God!” Hattie snorts a laugh because this kind of story is only funny when you’re not a witness.

I hike my canvas carry-on bag higher on my shoulder and heeding the warning of a running family wearing matching Disney shirts. Moving out of their way, I fall into the line for coffee. “Dad and Steve had to fish them out.”

“Damn, Gracie didn’t tell me about all of that.”

Not surprised.

“Well, did Gracie say much other than to talk about herself?” I ask.

Our middle sister, at thirty-three-years-old, holding her infant daughter, berated her husband all day because Steven was supposed to get her a spa package at the Ritz Carlton for Christmas, but he bought her an hour-long massage at the cement building off the highway. The one with bars on the windows. The one that used to be a daycare.

Hattie answers, “No. She just gave me the basics. Told me you were leaving early for your trip. When’s your flight?”

I step forward in the line. “It leaves at 10:15.”

“Wow. Twenty minutes, Ella. You wouldn’t be you if you weren’t cutting it close, huh?”

“How do you know I haven’t been here for hours?”

“Because I called you ten minutes ago and you didn’t answer, which meant you were going through TSA.”

“Hold on, Hat.” I pull the phone away from my ear and order a latte at the counter. After handing over my credit card, I say, “Sorry, I’m back.”

“You’ll have to chug that coffee.” She says, “So tell me aboutyour birthday trip! I’m so jealous. I want to come to the Keys. It’s so damn cold in Pennsylvania. Why did I agree to move here? Ugh, anyway…who all is going?”

There’s a group of waiting customers standing against the wall, so I join the pack, setting my bag atop my feet. A hot pink bikini strap sticks out from an opening in the zipper.

“Johnny,” I tell her. “Obviously. And Jen.”

“The fiancée.” She makes a sound. “I bet she’s excited to finally meetyou.”

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