Like He Never Left

The End

"...I'll send your stuff over to you? Save you a trip?"

"Are you sure?" I ask. "I have no problem coming and getting it myself."

"I am. I mean no offense, but I kinda don't wanna see you in our apartment packing your stuff."

Ouch. "I totally understand. I do hope I get to see you again though, buddy. You were so good to me. I can't thank you enough for being there for me when I needed you."

"No worries."

"Till next time then?" I say, unsure of what else to say to fill the silence. 

"You bet."

I nod and then we say our goodbyes and hang up. 

Closing my eyes and breathing deeply, I feel a weight being lifted off my chest. 

--

A few days later, I'm helping Sue with her kids at the doctor, and we're on our way back to her house. The sun's rays peek through the branches of the canopy over the street, and I let my hand float through the breeze out the window as we drive. 

"Aunt Josie!" Alan whines in her car seat. I immediately twist around in the chair, searching for possible danger, and sigh when I find nothing. "I missed you so much!" he continues, spreading his hands in a dramatic gesture. 

The corners of my lips quirk up in a small smile, and I see SueEllen smile at my out the corner of my eye. 

"Not more than I missed you," I tell Alan back. Then to SueEllen with a smile, "That's random."

She just shrugs, like 'That's my life for ya.'

"That's debatable," Alan says very matter-of-factly, crossing his arms, and my jaw drops.

"Where did you learn that word?" I gawk.

He wipes his silky hair out of his face. "Mommy tells Daddy that all the time. Like when he tells her that his grilled cheese sandwiches are the best. Don't you, Mommy?"

Sue chuckles and nods. "Yes, I do. You're so smart, and that's not debatable. Now hush before you wake your sibs."

We pull into her driveway, and I get out of the car to get Ben's infant car seat after helping Alan hop down. 

Once inside, Alan rushes to play with his dinosaurs and takes them outside, while Sue and I take Jean and Ben upstairs to lay them down for their naps. 

"Thank you," she mouthes, closing the nursery door gently.

I beam at her. "No problem," I mouth back.

We join Alan outside in the front yard after grabbing ourselves some glasses of sweet tea, and I relish the cold drink as it slides down my throat on this hot day. 

"Goddamn," I groan, "It's hotter'n the six shades of hell let me tell you what."

Normally around here, it doesn't get up past 90 till July, but on this June day, it's about 94 degrees out.

"My tits are gonna sweat off," I tell her again, matter-of-factly. 

"Fucking toddler," she grumbles under her breath, "If you don't like it then go back inside. Some of us are trying to relax." SueEllen is a professional sun-basker. Reminds me almost of a gopher tortoise on a rock, the way she'll set back in the lawn chair. Even though she's a ginger and has a better chance of burning—well, she always burns—she doesn't care. She loves the feel of the sun on her skin.

"I wasn't complaining that time," I mutter under my breath, amused. "Just stating the facts."

After a few minutes of feeling the uncomfortable sensation of single beads of sweat rolling down my back, I can't take it anymore. I lean forward in my chair and toss my shirt off, folding it and setting it down next to me.