my aunts were already here. Lydia loved lavender and lilac and she always smelled like fresh-cut flowers and summertime. It was both her and my father’s favorite season, and my father always admitted he loved lilac which was why I’d give him candles in that scent every year for his birthday even when people poked fun of him because of it.
I saw Sophie before my absentee aunt, her body rigid in the seat, one leg crossed over the other like how she always sat. When I walked further into the room, Lydia came into view. She was the opposite of Sophie and my father—light hair like mine, light eyes like her brother, and a fuller face unlike Sophie and my father’s defined jawlines. She didn’t sit with as much tightness, but casually with her hands resting on the arms of the chair whereas Sophie’s were on her lap.
“You’re late,” Sophie stated, standing up and flattening out her dress. “The food was ready fifteen minutes ago.”
Lydia looked from her sister to me, a kind smile on her face. She didn’t wear much makeup, usually some light lipstick and mascara. “Hello, Della.”
I walked over to her as she stood and gave her a tight hug. It was like the one she’d given me before dropping me off at home after my father’s funeral. Her arms had held me as our tears soaked into the other’s shoulders. I absorbed her warmth, her floral scent, and the memories we shared as I grew up. She was around a lot more when I was younger, always bringing me presents and telling me stories about my father when they were my age.
“Hi, Aunt Lydia.” I drew back first, squeezing her hands. “I was so happy when Sophie told me you were coming. I’m sorry I’m late.” Looking at Sophie, I nodded once. “I was a bit…out of it this morning.”
Out of it. Hungover. It was all the same. Tiffany made Ren and I do two rounds of lemon drop shots at the bar before ordering our own drinks. After Kat, Sam, and Gina walked into Divers and made a point to stare at me the entire night, that turned into two more drinks, one more round of tequila shots, and one glass of water that barely helped when I woke up this morning. I was tempted to go to Denny’s for something greasy. I wasn’t sure why, but the way Kat and Sam looked at me had me uneasy the entire night, like they were talking, plotting. I debated on saying something to Kat, asking how she was, but the last encounter we had didn’t go very well and I didn’t want her bringing up her departing gift. That gift that was still buried in the inside pocket of my purse.
“I heard about your outing from Monica Anderson this morning. She just loved telling me about how close you seemed with her daughter these days.”
Tiffany’s mother? “I wasn’t aware you two talked.” Last I knew, Monica and Sophie couldn’t stand each other. Then again, Sophie didn’t get along with most of the dance moms. Or other women. I believed my father liked to describe her as ‘catty’.
“About important things.”
Lydia cleared her throat. “How about we eat before the food gets cold?”
“Colder,” Sophie corrected, directing her focus on me with arched brows. Disapproval was a look tattooed on her face when it came to me. It made me itch.
I followed my aunts into the dining room where food was resting in its normal spots. The selection was larger today considering Lydia was vegan, something I was sure Sophie complained about to the people preparing the menu.
After grabbing what we wanted, Lydia turned to me. “I bet you’re excited to be almost done with school. How much longer do you have?”
I sipped my water. “A couple weeks of classes then a week of finals. Some of my courses are allowing students to be exempt from the exams if we have an A before finals week though.”
“Then you should be set,” Sophie commented.
Shifting in my seat, I admitted, “A few of my grades have dropped since…things have happened.” As soon as the words left my lips, I could see Sophie’s eyes widen. “But they’re not bad. I’m still well over a 3.0 grade point average which is what I need to keep my scholarship.”
“You mean the scholarship the school awarded you following the one you lost for dropping dance?”
Heat raised up the back of my neck like tiny pinpricks.
Lydia