Page 57 of Her Alien Neighbor

Ethan, Willa’s husband, comes in carrying two plastic plates with Disney characters on them, and puts one in front of Jordan, and one in front of Jane. “Here you go, nuggets.”

“Ethan, how’s work going?” I ask my brother-in-law as he sits across from Willa and next to Jane. A wave of guilt washes over me at how I’ve been in town for days and only asking this now.

“Eh, it’s accounting at a law firm,” he says with a half-shrug. “It’s not thrilling work, but it pays the bills, and I’m home by five thirty every night, in time to have dinner with these hooligans,” he says, leaning his face next to Jane and pretending to bite her cheek. She giggles, the sound like a tiny, tinkling bell. Willa smiles at him, her gaze lingering in a way that feels too intimate for my eyes.

He’s a good man. I’m glad she married him.

“How are things at Aunt Franny’s place?” he says after taking a bite of spaghetti. “You still planning on selling?”

“Uh, yeah,” I reply, deciding to continue using this as my standard response until something, or someone, changes my mind. “I think so. I just need to get enough money together to make all the necessary repairs first. But after that…” I trail off, using my fork to cut the meatballs into smaller pieces. “After that, I’m outta here.” I huff a breath, not totally believing my own words anymore.

I notice Willa and Ethan sharing a look filled with skepticism, and I don’t have it in me to deliver a witty retort.

“Will you come see my play, Auntie Nessa?” Jordan asks.

That certainly gets my attention. “Play? What play is this?”

“Peter Pan!” he shouts with glee, then gives me a smile like he’s about to reveal a secret. “I’m gonna be Captain Hook.”

“Wow! That’s so great, Jordy! Excellent casting too. I can see you being a stellar pirate.”

He puts a hand over his heart, flattered. “You mean it?” It’s so cute I want to cry.

“Indeed,” I reply.

“Yup, he’s wicked excited about it,” Willa says in a cautious tone.

I wait for her to explain further, but she doesn’t. “What is it?”

Ethan chuckles. “Well, Wil here has volunteered to direct the play, and she’s…uh, not so thrilled.”

“You’re directing? Oh my god, how fun!” I cheer. I’m sure trying to keep a group of seven-year-olds focused long enough to memorize lines would be a headache, sure, but also unbelievably cute. They’re bound to go off-script, or just stand there frozen in place, but since it’s children, any screw-up will be seen as adorable. It’s a win-win.

“You offering to help?” Willa asks, handing me a piece of garlic bread.

“I didn’t say that,” I reply, putting the slice on the side of my plate and keeping my eyes on it. “I’m just excited for you.”

“Listen, I have no friggin’ clue what I’m doing directing this play, okay?” she says, taking a big sip of red wine. “I agreed to do it with one of the other moms, but she backed out last week. Now it’s just me.” I can feel her eyes burning into the side of my head. “I could use your help.”

“Okay,” I say, after sitting silently and twirling my noodles, which doesn’t seem to work. “I’ll help you with the play while I’m still in town. How long do you have to prepare?”

“We have two months,” Willa says, lifting her chin and closing her eyes as if trying to remember the date. “It’s the spring play, so end of May is when we’ll put it on for the whole school.”

“Hmm,” I grunt, regretting what I just agreed to. “That’s not bad. We should be able to get the kids ready by then.”

“The roles have already been assigned, and scripts have been sent home with the kids so they can practice.”

“And I’m Captain Hook!” Jordan says again.

“That’s great, kiddo,” I tell him.

“I’m Tinkerbell!” Jane shouts with a piece of spaghetti hanging out of her mouth.

“Really? You’re in it too?” I ask, surprised.

“Yeah, Janey has a very important role,” Ethan says, shooting me a wink. “She’s going to play Tinkerbell at home to help Jordan practice his lines. Isn’t that right, princess?”

Jane nods proudly, as she shoves the end of the noodle into her mouth with a single, sauce-covered finger.

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