Page 61 of Counting the Stars

“Alex!” I begin to laugh, and my nerves start to calm.

“I’m not joking,” he says as we reach the last set of stairs. “I bet I’d be their best customer if I lived here.”

His words fall by the wayside as we reach a light blue door with a white screen door in front of it. The mailbox attached to the siding reads, “312.”

“It didn’t dawn on me until now that we have the same home numbers.” I’ll take that as a good sign. The uneasiness in my stomach settles even more. “Here we go.” I press the doorbell.

“Coming!” a woman’s muffled voice combined with a dog barking comes from inside. A moment later, a chain lock rattles and the door eases open.

“Oh my!” The woman gasps and pulls me into a hug. From my periphery, I see a large German shepherd come up beside me. He takes a sniff of my shoes, then does the same to Alex. The dog looks friendly, but I refrain from making any sudden movements just in case. Alex does the same.

“Rex. Kennel,” Lucia says as she loosens our embrace. Rex obediently leaves to presumably go lie in his crate. She turns her attention back to me as soon as Rex is quiet. “He’s my security guard. He can immediately tell whether someone is here for good or has ill intentions. That’s why I wanted you to come to my house. I trust his intuition. If you had been an imposter, he would’ve eaten you.”

“Really?” Alex pipes up from behind me.

“I would’ve called him off before he did any damage. I’m getting too old to be scrubbing blood out of the carpet.”

“I like her.” Alex leans down and whispers in my ear. The feeling is mutual, and I immediately take a step closer to the woman who bears a resemblance to my father. Wearing gray slacks and a soft pink sweater, she appears younger than I expected. Her dark hair is pulled into a low bun. It’s her eyes that captivate me the most. She has the same deep brown eyes as my dad, and for a moment, I feel like I’m looking right at him.

“I didn’t think it was true. I couldn’t believe it when I received the message.” She lovingly runs a hand through myhair. “I feel like I’m standing in front of your mother.”

“Y-you knew my mom?” I gasp as fresh tears rise to the surface. I feel so connected to this woman, though we’ve just met.

“I did. I have so much to tell you.”

“So you’re okay with talking to us? I mean, uh…Gabby?” Alex asks. On our way over, we came up with a plan. If I felt comfortable with Lucia, Alex would make himself scarce for a bit to give us a chance to talk. He figured he’d go check out the local firehouses as some of them are deemed historic landmarks. I could text him when I felt ready, or he’d eventually mosey his way back over when he was finished.

“You must be Alex.” Lucia sizes him up. She’s got quite the height difference on me, but nothing compared to him. “Gabby said she was bringing a male friend, but I never imagined you’d be this handsome.”

“Oh, now I really like you.” He walks over to my aunt and gives her a hug.

“Come on in.” She ushers us into a cozy living room. I immediately notice a wall covered entirely in bookshelves and the plushest reading chair I’ve ever seen. To the side are more bookshelves and Rex relaxing in his crate. Milk-glass vases filled with silk flowers and ornate picture frames with various inspirational quotes are perfectly tucked within every nook and cranny. The space exudes pure femininity, and I love it.

“I only have the one chair in here to sit, but there’s more room in the kitchen. It’s only Rex and me here. I never married or had any kids. I was too busy looking after my parents. They were both ill for quite some time,” Lucia explains as I drool over the serene space.

“It’s perfect.” I walk over to admire some of the books up close. “I’m a reader too.”

“So was your mother, but I think I’ll say you inherited that from me.” She winks.

“I didn’t expect you to say you knew her too.” I have so much hope for this visit now.

“I have a lot to tell you. I didn’t want to do it over the phone. It’s too impersonal. Plus, I wanted Rex to check you out. Not that I needed him to. One look at you and I just knew.”

At the sound of Rex’s name, the well-behaved dog pops out from his kennel in the corner and makes a beeline for Alex.

“This guy is so cool.” Alex kneels down to show Rex some affection. “I always wanted a dog.”

“It’s just about the time I take him for a walk. Would you like to take him for me? That would give Gabby and me a chance to chat.”

“Sure!” Alex replies way too enthusiastically, then stops and turns to me. “I mean…if you’re okay with me leaving now.”

“Go on.” I make a shooing motion with my hand. I love how protective he is of me without being overbearing. Even though I’ve just met my aunt, I feel completely comfortable being alone with her.

“I was thinking about checking out the old firehouses around here. Is it okay if I take Rex too?” Alex asks with adorable pleading eyes.

“Of course! It’s a beautiful day. Take your time and have fun exploring the area.” Lucia hands the leash over to Alex, who looks like he just received the best Christmas present of his life. “Don’t worry about getting lost. Just tell Rex you’re ready to go home and he’ll lead the way.”

“Really?” Alex’s eyes widen with excitement.

---