[29]

| may 9, 2018 | 11:23 am est | L e a h.

My walk out of school was short. School had not ended yet, but with no more classes today I could leave. As I got into my car I check my phone.

Notifications:

iMessage...

Momma bear 💜: Am I meeting you at Angie's or are you coming home first?

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Sis 👯‍♀️: working with me tonight :)

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to: Momma bear 💜

Me:

i'm leaving school now, so i can just meet you there

love you

11:29 am

Placing my phone down, I turn the key in the ignition. The music on my phone fills the car as the engine roars to life and I soon find myself pulling out of the school parking lot.

I turn into her street after the forty-minute drive, with a grin on my face. It had been months since I had last seen her. I park and turn off the car quickly wanting to see her as soon as possible.

I knock on the mahogany door, my feet shifting from excitement. As the door opens, I beam at my aunt. "Aunt Angie!" I say with a smile as I hug her tightly.

"Leah," her laugh reaches my ears and it sends a warm feeling through me. It was so distinctive, her laugh, and filled with this happy tone that seemed to hold all the light in the world. Her embrace is warm as she squeezes the life out of me, something we've always done in greeting.

"Mom's in the kitchen," she nodded her head in the direction. "We put some tea on the stove for you," Her smile never left her face as she pulled into her home. It looked the same as it always has, pictures of family all over the walls and the mantel. The house was quaint and cozy.

I follow her through the kitchen doorway and to the island table where mom was sat. Angie walked around to the other side of the island, leaning against it across from us. The kettle on the stove sings and she pulls it off the stove brings it to rest in front of us, pulling out some mugs and a jar of honey to rest next to it.

"Hi Momma," my arms wrap around her shoulders in a short embrace before I sit down next to her. She smiles at me and grabs a mug for herself.

"How was your day, lady bug?" Aunt Angie's voice sings melodically from the opposite side of the island.

I hum at her use of my childhood nickname, a softly laugh leaving my lips. "It was alright, school is school."

She chuckles as she turns back to us, "Yeah school was shit when I was in it. I can't imagine how it is now." She feigned a gag with a grimace.

A laugh escapes me as I look at my mother, who's eyes were narrowed in a glare pointed towards her younger sister. She grabs a mug and places it in front of me, pouring the contents of the kettle into it, the camomile tea bag steeping in the hot liquid.

Angie clears her throat, "School is important, lady bug-"

"Still sucks though," I finished for her with a shrug. I grab the honey jar and pour a decent amount into my tea; I've always like my tea sweet.

"Almost over too, your graduation's coming up soon." I look up to see her excited expression, if I'd known any better I'd say she's more excited than I am about it. "You're gonna be walking across the stage in your cap-n-gown in no time."

I match her beaming smile with one of my own. "One month left."

"One month left..." She grins, "Gosh, how'd you grow up so fast?"

"Honestly," mom sighs, "I ask that everyday. Go back to being small." It's quiet for a moment, us all reminiscing on how it used to be. "Ang, you'll still be able to make it right?"

Silence fills the room once again, the two sisters staring meaningfully at each other. Why would she not be able to go?

"Wait, you might not be able to come?" I look to her, brows furrowed and frown evident.

Aunt Angie finally meets my gaze with sad eyes and a smile the doesn't quite meet her eyes. "Of course I'll be there, lady bug."

I nod hesitantly, "Okay, but why wouldn't you be able to?" I give her a pointed look but she shows no sign responding, her lips in a fine line. "What are you guys not telling me?" I look between them both.

Mom sighs impatiently, "Angie has a.. doctors appointment the day before your graduation. I want her to be sure she's up for it."

"Aunt Angie, I want you to be comfortable. If you can't make it that's fine," I tell her with a smile. Of course, I want her there, but her health will always come first for me.

"Aw Lee," She looks at me with a frown, moving around the counter dividing us to wrap me up in her arms. "It's just a little Chemo. I wouldn't miss your graduation for the world."

"But-"

"Now don't you worry your little head, Lee," she smiled. "I'm gonna be just fine." She kisses the top of my head softly before pulling away completely. I sigh with a nod, knowing that's the last of the conversation. "Now tell me, who's this Taehyung I've been hearing about?"

She was always good at switching the topic of conversation, reflecting it to something else. And I've learned it's best to just go with it.

A grin finds its way upon my lips as I turn my head to my mom. "I'm surprised you remembered his name." She rolls her eyes, a contrast to the small smile on her lips.

"He's all you talk about, how could I forget?"

My eyes widened, "I don't talk about him that much..." Do I? She hums with a knowing lift to her lips.

Angie's grin doesn't disappear as she looks at me, excited and happy to hear about my "boy troubles." Which I had never had until now. "So, what's he like?"

My eyes find my hands that are nervously playing with the mug in front of me. A small smile blooms on my face as I think about where to start.

"You really like this boy huh?" I look up to meet her beaming gaze, the grin on her face.

"I do," looking down at the mug. "Well, you know his name is Taehyung. Um, he lives in Korea and he's a dancer—"

"—And how old is he?"

"He's uh, older..." I was nervous, simply because mom had no idea how old he was and I have no idea what her reaction is gonna be.

"Older, huh? This is the first I'm hearing of this," Mom says with a quirk of her eyebrow, lips pulled into a smirk.

"How much older," Angie adds, a playful, teasing smile on her face as well.

I kept my eyes on my cups as I answer them. "About, five years...?" I dare to look at them as I lift the cup to my lips, the warm liquid tingling my throat as it goes down.

Mom sits there with a blank face, a stark difference to her sister's amused face, grinning at me with her brows raised.

"Have you lost your mind?" Mom's calm voice cuts through the silence.

"We're just friends, mom. You know that..." I nervously look at her. The calmness of her stature is chilling to say the least.

"Aera, come on. It's not that big a deal, Leah's gonna be eighteen soon anyways. And from how you were telling me about him earlier, he doesn't seem like a bad guy."

We meet eyes and I silently thank her with a smile. "Yeah, mom, Taehyung is amazing and you've talked to him before. You even told me how much you liked him and how he was a sweet, handsome boy."

"Yes, I did. But that was before I found out he is, in fact, not a boy." She glared at me with meaningful eyes and I just pout at her.

"We're just friends, mom. Plus, I doubt he even likes me like that. He hasn't exactly shown or told me otherwise."

"Because he is a twenty-two year old man, and you're a seventeen year old girl. He knows right from wrong—at least he should." She sets her mug down and turns to fully look at me. "I do like him though, and I know how much you like him too so I won't stop you from talking. I wouldn't do that anyways. But, tell me if either of you want to advance romantically—I'm still your mother and I'll want to know. And, I will only approve once you turn eighteen."

I nod and grin at her, "Thank you, mom." She waves me off as her pursed lips curl into a smile and she lifts her cup to her lips once more.

"Well that was easier than I thought," Aunt Angie smirks, eyes looking amusedly at us. "I didn't think you'd approve, Aera. I figured I'd have to convince you more, but it seems I have no use here." She finishes with a laugh, pulling us both into laughter with her.

My phone buzzes on the counter beside me and I lift it to read the notification.

A smile pulls on my face, "Do you wanna see a picture, Auntie?"