Chapter 80

       Aaron followed his sister Ariel to her car. There was no way he could gracefully excuse himself from this impromptu dinner. He wondered what her husband was like. He wondered what she was like. He wondered if his parents would be there.

      She drove through the city, babbling away about something or other. He tuned her out. It was the longest car ride of his life.

      She pulled up next to a nice little house. Aaron slowly got out of the car. His phone was buzzing.  He quickly thumbed it off. He knew his lovers would not be happy about it, but he wasn’t ready to introduce his past to his present just yet.

      “Hurry up, slowpoke,” Ariel called. Aaron went up the walk and followed into her house.

      A purple man was sprawled on the couch watching the game. At a nearby table two girls were busily working on their homework. A little boy played happily with his stuffed doll on the floor. A cozy little domestic scene. Aaron had never felt so isolated in his life.

      “Hi, honey. Guess who I ran into today? This is my older brother, Aaron! I was just taking a walk in the park when I spotted him. Doesn’t he look just like Father? Oh, Aaron, this is my husband, Matthew Renfrews. Our daughters, Meghann and Chantel and our son, Julius.”

      “Nice to meet you, Aaron. Sit down and have a beer.”

      “No, thank you,” Aaron answered as he sat next to his brother-in-law. That was a weird idea. His baby sister was all grown up and married with three children.

      “Who do you think will win?” Matthew asked.

      Aaron shrugged. “I don’t care. I don’t follow sports much.”

      “You’re kidding me! Then what do you watch?”
      Aaron thought over his answer. “Gardening shows mainly.” Work was always a safe topic. Ice preferred romantic stories, Blade liked horror and Onyx favored comedy.

      “You garden? What do you grow? Silver bells and cockle shells?”

      Aaron ignored his mockery. “No. I grow apples and grapes and turn them into cider and wine.”

      “That explains you turning your nose up at a humble beer.”

      “Who’s winning?” he asked, gesturing to the TV.

      “Why do you care? You said you didn’t follow sports.” 

      “Why do you hate me? You don’t even know me.”

      “Who said I hate you?”

      Aaron sighed and got up to talk to his nieces. “Hi. What are you working on?”

      “Homework,” the older one replied, “Duh.”

      “School doesn’t start until next week.”

      “Mother insists we do problems during the summer so we don’t forget over the break,” the younger one explained.

      “Ah. So how old are you?”

      “How old are you?” the elder challenged.

      He laughed, “I suppose it is rude. I was told that a gentleman never asks a lady her age. You have my most abject apologies for committing such a breach of etiquette.”

      “What?” the younger said, wrinkling her brow in confusion.     

      “I’m thirty-four.”

      “I’m eight and Meghann’s twelve. Julius is four.” The younger girl announced.

      “If she’s Meghann, than you must be Chantel.”

      “Yes. I’m starting the third grade. We’ll be learning multiplication this year.”

      “That sounds like fun.”

      “It is,” she lowered her voice, “but I’m not supposed to like math. I’m a girl.”

      “There’s nothing wrong with liking math. Personally I hated it.”

      “Really?”

      “Yes, really.”

      “What do you do?”

      “Girls, stop pestering your uncle and go wash up for dinner.”

      The children were silent during dinner as Ariel monopolized the conversation. Aaron deftly deflected questions about his personal life. He had been thrown out because of it. He had to know his sister’s views on the subject before mentioning his complicated love life. Finally the interminable dinner was over and Aaron caught a cab home. Matthew had offered to give him a lift, but Aaron refused.