Blazing Trails

Chapter 13

About 10 minutes later we were on our way to Melbourne, it's an hours drive from here give or take a few minutes. It was a nice day and the sun was shining so I had the windows down and was singing all the way until we pulled up in front of my aunt's house. Lucas walked in ahead of me and shouted out for his mom and stepmom.

"We're in the kitchen, Lucas! How's Ari? Did she tell you when she's coming over?" my aunt Bea asked.

"I'm right here!" I shouted, making her head pop up from whatever vegetable she was chopping up.

My other aunt was on the sectional sofa, she popped up too and together, they made their way over to me. Squeezing me between them in what the kids have dubbed, the "double trouble" hug.

"Oh, sweetie look at you. Good as new, pumpkin. So, how the hell are ya?" my aunt Bea asked with her big smile.

"I'm doing good titi."

"You're too skinny mija, are you eating enough?"

"Leave the girl alone Bea, she looks just fine. You know she's always been this thin since she lives in the gym." My aunt Hannah argued.

"Yea, what your wife said." I agreed.

"Look at you, already ganging up on little old me. Abusadoras." (abusers)

"Me and titi Hannah got this." I said, fist bumping her.

"Ari!" my youngest cousin shouted as she came running down the stairs.

"Anna!" I shouted back, she's aunt Hannah's daughter from a previous relationship.

When she stood in front of me we did our handshake, one that we've been doing for the past six years since my aunt and her mom got together. They make each other happy and I can't be happier for them.

"God, when the hell did you get so big? You're in freaking high school." I asked her.

"It happened a while ago." she chuckled in response, wrapping her arms around my waist.

"You were seven yesterday." I argued.

"Hush, let's not even go there." Hannah said.

"What's wrong titi, you feeling some type of way cause your baby girl's getting old?"

"You might be a wrestler but I can still whoop that ass kid. Neither your mother or your father would say a damn word too." she threatened.

"If there's anyone I would be afraid of titi, it's you. Put the chancla down." I told her, raising my hands. (Sandal)

"Yeah, that's what I thought." she replied, putting her sandal back on.

"Where's Marie and the baby?" I asked them.

"It's about damn time. I thought I was gonna be witness to a WWE wrestler getting her ass handed to her by an old lady before you asked for us." the woman in question said from the staircase.

"Screw you, let me have him!"

"Hey cuz." Marie said, hugging me before handing over the most precious little boy ever.

"Pero que bello este primito mio." (So cute my little cousin)

"He's quite the cutie, isn't he . . . my little grandprince." My titi Bea cooed from behind me.

"Hey, Marie, I've got something for you in the trunk of my car."

"What?" she asked.

"Well it's really for him but there's something in the backseat for you. Anna too!" I shouted when the girls ran outside.