sisters several days before. Now, it was time to tell Emily goodbye.
It was a true Indian-summer day. White clouds scuttled across the blue sky above the Hudson and private planes buzzed down the river corridor in enthusiastic confusion. The mournful toot of a liner pulling away from the dock signaled the hour before noon. The assembled mourners shifted on the front steps of St. Barnabas, unwilling to leave the bright day behind.
Among them were T.S. and Auntie Lil. They scanned the arrivals, looking for friends. As they waited, a small man dressed in tan with a huge bulbous nose hurried up the steps toward them. He tipped his hat to Auntie Lil and hurried by.
"Wait," she called after him. "I owe you a thank-you."
He shook his head, bowed deeply and disappeared inside.
"Who's that?" Auntie Lil asked, pointing to Eighth Avenue.
"If I didn't know better, I'd think it was Little Pete."
Nellie was hustling the small boy down the sidewalk, lecturing into his ear. She wore a voluminous flowered dress that flapped in the wind and she was desperately trying to keep her hat on with one hand while subduing her skirt with the other. Suddenly, a gust of wind sent her dress flying up to her waist and her hat tumbling down the sidewalk. Little Pete dashed forward and rescued the hat inches from the gutter. He ran back with his prize and they laughed together, heads thrown back, before slapping their palms in a gleeful high five.
"It's going to work," T.S. predicted.
"Thank God," Auntie Lil agreed.
Nellie and Little Pete stopped to shake hands with them before entering the church.
"You look exceptionally beautiful today," T.S. told her. "And Pete, my man, I have to say that you're absolutely stunning."
Little Pete eyed him carefully, trying to decide if he was being teased or not.
"He ought to look stunning," Nellie interrupted. "I figure this suit took me 843 meat pies worth of profit. Of course, Granny here ate about half of them." She looped an arm over Little Pete's shoulders and smiled at Auntie Lil. "You come in next week for my goat curry, okay?"
Auntie Lil agreed enthusiastically.
T.S. and Auntie Lil watched them enter the church together. "It's gonna work," T.S. predicted again. "Hey," T.S. elbowed Auntie Lil, but when she saw why, she didn't mind a bit. Detective Santos was trying to sneak in the far door of the church and it looked like he had Margo McGregor with him. "Is that a romantic first date or what?" T.S. asked. "He's taking her to a funeral."
"I don't think it's their first date, Theodore, dear. And let's just be grateful he didn't take her to the Westsider."
"That's funny. He looks like he's avoiding us."
"What's funny about that?" Auntie Lil admitted. "I find it quite sensible."
"I knew I'd see you here!" Billy Finnegan was the next to arrive and he had his entire family in tow. Megan looked like a miniature version of her mother, but clearly hated the full skirt of her dress. Billy's son, Michael, looked like a miniature version of his father, down to the hair still wet from a water combing.
"Don't you look like quite the little man," Auntie Lil ventured in a burst of goodwill toward the child.
Michael scowled and grabbed at his collar with a chubby fist. "Aarghh," he gargled as if he were choking.
His mother slapped his hand away from his collar with the speed of a rattlesnake striking. "Michael," she warned slowly. The single word was enough. The small boy stole a peek at Auntie Lil and stuck out his tongue.
"I'm going to be a detective when I grow up," Megan announced to Auntie Lil, unexpectedly slipping her tiny hand into hers. Auntie Lil found herself deeply touched. It was such a small and warm and trusting hand. My goodness, children were innocent.
"A detective?" Auntie Lil echoed.
Megan nodded. "Yes. I'm going to grow up and be just like you." She beamed up at Auntie Lil. Auntie Lil beamed back.
"Let's go, Megan," her mother ordered, and the small girl dutifully followed her family inside.
T.S. was staring at Auntie Lil strangely. "You were nice to that child," he said incredulously.
"She's an unusual child with unusually good taste for someone so young," Auntie Lil defended herself. "She wants to grow up to be me."
"Here comes Franklin." T.S. pointed out a huge figure headed up Eighth Avenue. "And it looks like he has someone with him."
Auntie Lil burst out laughing. "It has to be his brother."