Light Of Darkness

Chapter 3-Halloween

"Can I ask you a question?" Pietro asked the second I came into the the living room.

    "Um . . . Sure?"

    "Why do the twins call you Aunt Violet?"

    "Oh. Well, I guess because I have always been there for them. I'm the closest thing they have to an aunt." I replied, sitting across from him.

    "That's cute."

    ". . . The boys calling me their aunt? I guess so." I replied.

    He chuckled. "No, no. Well, yes, that is cute. But I meant that I like your outfit."

    "Huh? Oh. Thanks." I looked down at my purple-and-silver armor-like suit. "My brother gave it to me. At least I think."

    "You can't remember?"

    "To be honest, I haven't really been able to remember a lot of things since I've got here. I only remember bits and pieces." I replied.

    ". . . So how do you know I'm not your boyfriend?"

    "Oh no, not this again." I said, rubbing my hands over my face.

    "Think about it. You don't remember certain things but—"

    "Pietro. I know that you're not my boyfriend. Okay? I don't know how, I just know." I replied, cutting him off.

    ". . . You sure?"

    "Yes. I'm sure. If I somehow remember ever having a dorky boyfriend, I'll let you know. But until then, just stop nagging at me for something that was never there." I said in annoyance.

    ". . . Okay. I'm sorry."

    I sighed. "No. No, I get it. I shouldn't have snapped. I'm just . . . I'm under a lot of pressure."

    "What do you mean?"

    "Oh, where to begin"—I leaned forward and placed my elbows on my knees—"my boss hates my guts. I'm about to be evicted from my house. And on top of that, I still need to play the role of the "good and happy" aunt. It's frustrating."

    "Yikes. That's a lot to deal with."

    "You think?" I replied.

    "You guys ready?" Wanda asked, coming down the stairs in a red outfit with a sort of W curved helmet on her head.

    "Yup," Pietro zoomed out of the house and coming back a minute later in a blue suit with a lightning bolt stamped across it, his hair in a sort of U shape.

    "Woah. The hair drier blow up in your face, Pietro?" Wanda asked with a smile.

    "Ha ha. No, this is my costume."

    "Mmhm, sure. Vis, you almost done up there?" Wanda shouted up to her husband.

    "Coming, darling!" Vision shouted down, coming downstairs in a green jumper that stretched around his face, and topped with a yellow cape.

    ". . . Do I even want to know?" I asked.

    "Oh! I know! You're going as a traffic-light. No? Um . . . A booger!" Pietro shouted out guesses.

    "Yes, because Vision is totally going to be walking around Westview dressed as a booger." I replied sarcastically.

    "It's okay, Dad. I like your costume." Billy said with a smile at his father.

———

I walked out of the movie theater lastly as I watched the boys running around in excitement. Wanda sighed and ran up to stop them before they broke something, or lost control of their powers.

Pietro looked back at me and his brows furrowed in confusion, slowing his pace and walking beside me. "You okay?"

"Yeah. Just thinking."

"About?"

"My brother, actually. I know he's busy with . . . Whatever he does. But he could at least call or visit once in a while." I replied.

"You must miss him a lot, huh?"

"Yeah," I nodded.

"Come on," he took my arm and we walked through a small maze lined by small hay bales, sitting us both down on one of them. "Why don't you talk to me about him? He sounds like a great guy."

"He is. His name is Clint. As I said, I don't know what he does. But he was overly protective of me and was super fun to hang around with. He was my best friend, until he got married and spent less and less time with me. But I get it, because he has three children." I said.

"Well, maybe that's the reason you don't see him as much." Pietro said.

"Yeah, but a phone call wouldn't kill him." I replied.

    ". . . Violet?"

"Yeah?"

"I—"

"Auntie Violet!" Tommy shouted, jumping onto my back and cutting Pietro off.

    "Woah there, kiddo." I laughed, picking him up and setting him down in my lap. "What were you saying, Pietro?"

    ". . . Nothing. It doesn't matter." He replied.

    "You sure?"

    "Yeah."

    "Uncle Pietro, are you married to Auntie Violet?" Tommy asked, looking at us.

    "What? No, we're not. Why would you think that?" Pietro asked.

    "Mom said that aunts and uncles had to be married." He replied.

    "Your mom is right, but not in this case." I replied, brushing his hair from his eyes. "You see, Pietro is your sister's brother, so that makes him your uncle. And I am your aunt because you and Billy choose to call me that. But we're not married. We're just friends." I explained to him.

    Tommy frowned. "But I want you to be my real Auntie!"

    "Oh, Tommy. I need to tell you a secret, okay? But you have to keep it just between us, okay?"

    "Okay!" Tommy nodded eagerly.

    I smiled and whispered near his ear. "Keep that up and you might just get your wish."

    Tommy bounced around and flung his arms around me. "Yay!"

    "Top secret, got it?"

    "Got it!" He agreed and ran off to find his mother and brother.

    "What did you tell Tommy?" Pietro asked with a smile.

    I looked at him and smiled. "You'll have to wait and see, Pietro."