Page 10 of Tangled Up

Pain tightens my chest, and I straighten, putting my hand on her shoulder. “Maybe life just plays out the way it’s supposed to.”

“That sounds like New Age nonsense to me.” She shuffles to the elevated chair waiting to lower her again, and I think she is acting a bit more feeble than usual.

Aunt Viv’s gray hair is always styled in a thick, single braid over her shoulder with little frizzy curls framing her oval face. She wears thin, cotton sundresses and flip-flops, and when I was a teenager, her relentless pessimism drove me absolutely bananas.

Now, I’m sure with the help of distance and time, I’m able to see her in the light of what she did for Henry and me. She was a single woman of a certain age, and when her brother died suddenly followed closely by his wife, she took us in, no questions asked.

She was kind to us if not overly affectionate, and hell, maybe she’s smart to watch for danger everywhere.

“What brings you home at this time of year, Caroline? It’s not a holiday.”

“October is a nice time of year to be at the beach. It’s a little cooler, less humid…”

“But you’re always so busy with your work. Did something happen?” Her eyes go to Jessica. “Or did somebody tell you something? Something they didn’t tell me?”

Her pointed tone gets my attention. I blink between my aunt and my best friend a few times, waiting for an explanation.

Jessica finally breaks. “I didn’t tell her anything, but she needs to know. She’s going to be pissed when she finds out we didn’t tell her.”

My eyebrows shoot up. “What don’t I know?”

“I knew it!” Aunt Viv cries as her power chair slowly lowers her to a sitting position. “It was a mini-stroke.”

“Mini-stroke?” I glare at Jessica.

My bestie shakes her head, a few choice words slipping out on her breath. “Your aunt took a spill outside the dollar store a few days back. The doctor said it was probably nothing, low blood sugar or poor circulation.”

“It was a mini stroke, and you’re all keeping it from me.” Aunt Viv’s voice cracks, and she turns her face to the wall as she presses her fingers to her mouth.

It’s a rare show of emotion, and I rush to her side. “I would never keep something like that from you, Aunt Viv. I promise.” Swallowing the tightness in my throat, I hold her arm. “I really came home because I had an unexpected break, and it’s been so long since I’ve seen you. I didn’t know anything about this.”

“You didn’t have a stroke, Miss Vivienne.” Jessica’s voice is loud and firm.

My eyes are fixed on my aunt’s until she relents. She pats my forearm and nods. “It’s late. I’m sure you’re tired.”

“I am, and I’m sure you are, too.” I hug her again. “Let’s all get some rest. We can talk tomorrow. Okay?”

The chair slowly rises again, and my aunt shuffles to her bedroom. “You girls don’t stay up too late talking.”

Turning to Jessica, my eyes are wide. “Dude, you didn’t tell me she fell!”

“I told you she was fine, and sheisfine. She’s got this stroke thing in her head, but the doc said all her vitals were normal. She doesn’t even have high blood pressure.”

I exhale slowly. My suitcase is still in the entrance, and I walk over to roll it to my room. “I guess I’ll turn in.”

“It's only 8:30. Let’s run up to Goliath’s and grab a beer.”

Chewing my lip, I briefly look in the direction of my aunt’s bedroom. “I don’t think she’ll care if we go out.”

“She’s down for the night.” Jess grabs my arm. “Come on. We have some catching up to do.”

A breeze pushes my dark hair off my shoulders as we walk the short distance to the beach bar. The street is lit by tin-topped lamp posts, and I remember reading once Eden is “one of the Gulf Coast’s best kept secrets.” Residents were pissed, afraid it would attract more tourists.

We stroll past a newish resort all lit up with white lights in the palm trees, and I try to remember what was in the space before it. Looks like the article worked.

“This is nice,” I observe absently.

“They tore down the old Barefoot Beach Club to build it.”

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