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Twenty years was a long time, but Annette hadn’t changed much. Her blonde hair, which she’d dyed for as long as I could remember, was cut short in a bob. Her blue eyes were a shade darker than Greg’s, whose had always reminded me of a cloudless sky. Given Annette’s line of work, she’d always been very conscientious about her figure. If anything, she looked thinner than I remembered.
The last time I’d seen my sister-in-law was at Darcy’s first birthday party. She’d seemed bored and disinterested that day, which was the norm for her, and spent most of it talking on the phone with her boyfriend Todd. I distinctly remember how Helen had followed her daughter outside after she had said her goodbyes. Their voices escalated so quickly that guests inside my house were able to hear the entire conversation. Three days later, Helen had announced to us that Annette and Todd had relocated to the Utica area. Annette never even called Greg to say goodbye.
Annette rose quickly from the table and threw her arms around me. “Oh, my goodness. How wonderful to see you, hon! It’s been way too long.”
I made a visible attempt not to stiffen under her grip. “It’s—good to see you, too.”
Darcy remained sitting in her chair, watching us intently. Her hazel eyes, which she’d inherited from me, moved sharply from mine to Annette’s face and then back again. She raised her brows in question when our gazes met. The arrival of her long-lost aunt must have been a total shock.
Annette patted my arm, and my eyes shifted to the artificial nails she wore. Two were missing, and the rest had each been painted a different obnoxious color. She released me and smiled over at Darcy. “I’ve been catching up with your gorgeous daughter here. She told me she’s finished her third year of college and is going to be a teacher! What a noble profession!”
Darcy smiled shyly. “Thanks. I love kids.”
“And you’re getting married next spring! I can’t believe how you’re all grown up.” Annette turned to me. “Why, I remember when she started walking in this very room. And to think that she answered the door as if she didn’t even know who I was!”
I struggled not to roll my eyes. Darcy was no actress, and I was sure she hadn’t known. Annette was not a household name. “Would you like some coffee?” I asked.
Annette sat back down and pulled Grace onto her lap. “Oh, no thanks. Coffee is terrible for your complexion.” She shook her finger at Darcy. “Always remember that.”
It was obvious that Annette’s personality, like her looks, hadn’t changed much. I turned my back on her so she couldn’t see me muttering under my breath and waited impatiently for the Keurig to heat up. “So, what brings you to town?”
“Why, Greg’s party of course!” Annette bounced Grace on her lap. “Hey, you only turn fifty once, right? Thank goodness I still have a few years, but you’ll be next!”
The empty coffee cup slipped between my hands and shattered to the floor in several pieces. Darcy jumped to her feet and immediately helped me to pick up the mess. “Careful, sweetheart,” I managed to say. “Don’t cut yourself.”
Darcy placed the pieces in the garbage pail and got out the broom to collect any remaining chards while I addressed Annette. “How did you know about Greg’s party?” I already knew the answer but wanted to hear it from her lips.
“Mom told me.” Annette tickled Grace’s side until she exploded into a fit of giggles. “I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”
Heat rose through my face. When I saw my mother-in-law, I was going to murder her. She didn’t even have the decency to tell me earlier on the phone that she’d gone ahead and invited Annette. I hated the liberties Helen took in my life without bothering to consult me first. Well, what’s done is done. Still, I had my doubts of why Annette had returned to town. She always seemed to have an angle. Did she need money, or was she in trouble?
Grace put a finger to her lips. “It’s a secret. Daddy doesn’t know.”
Annette squeezed her and laughed. “Don’t worry, honey. Aunty Annette is very good at keeping secrets.”
She wasn’t kidding. Annette had been fooling around with a married man for over two years before anyone caught on.
“Where are you staying?” I busied myself with grabbing a new mug from the cupboard and stuck a pod in the Keurig. Please, please, don’t ask to stay here.
“I’m at the local Motel Eight,” Annette’s voice took on a dismal tone. “It’s all I can afford right now.”
Uh oh. My stomach twisted as I added cream and sugar to the mug then set it on the table. My worst fear had been confirmed. She was waiting for me to invite her to stay here. Sorry, not gonna happen.
I sat down between Annette and Darcy’s chairs, and Grace immediately hopped off Annette’s lap and onto mine. “What about Helen?” I couldn’t help asking.
Annette shook her head. “We can’t live together again. It would be a disaster. I mean, we only talk a couple of times a year. She can’t seem to forgive me for what I did.”
“What did you do?” Grace asked innocently.
“It’s boring grownup stuff,” Annette told her. “Your grandma and I had an argument a long time ago over my boyfriend. She didn’t like him.”
She didn’t like him because he already belonged to someone else.
Grace wrinkled her nose. “I don’t like boys. Except maybe my brothers. They’re okay sometimes.”
“I can’t wait to meet them.” Annette gave me a hopeful look. “I’m free this evening, so I’d love to hang out and see the twins. Greg too, of course.”
Of course. Once Greg saw Annette, I’d be doomed. He’d insist that she stay here and not go back to some cheap motel. “You’re welcome to stay for dinner.” I tried to stress emphasis on the word dinner. “It’s nothing fancy, just fried chicken and mashed potatoes.”
“Sounds wonderful. I haven’t had a home cooked meal in a long time. Now that I’m moving back to the area permanently, maybe I’ll be invited over more. I never did learn to cook.” She giggled.
“You’re moving back here?” So, this wasn’t a visit, as I’d hoped.
“Yes. I want to get to know my nieces and nephews, and even work on my relationship with my mother.” Her voice choked up. “Cindy, I miss my family.”
I said nothing for a long moment. Darcy was leaning across the table, her eyes round as dinner plates, hanging on every word. I hoped my face wouldn’t give me away. Annette was Greg’s sister, and he loved her, but she and trouble traveled together. “That’s wonderful. I’m sure Greg will be thrilled. What did Helen say when you told her?”
Annette tossed her head. “She said something to the effect that if I had finally grown up, it would be nice to have me back home. You know how judgmental she is. I mean, who knows it better than you?”
“Um, this isn’t the time, Annette.” I didn’t want to get into my mother-in-law’s dislike of me while the girls were in the room.
“But it’s true!” Annette wrinkled her nose. “The woman can’t let anything go. She’s never forgiven me for hooking up with Todd.”
“Who’s Todd?” Grace asked, a finger in her mouth.
I picked Grace up from my lap and stood her on the floor. “Honey, why don’t you go show your aunt the new doll you got for your birthday?” I asked. “Aunt Annette used to have a doll collection of her own, so I’m sure she’d love to see it.”
Annette finally caught on and reached for Grace’s hand. “What a great idea. I’d love to see your dollies. And soon your Daddy will be home, and we can all have dinner together!”
Grace skipped away happily alongside her new friend while Darcy edged her chair closer to mine. “How come you didn’t tell me she was coming by?”
“Because I didn’t know.” I drained my coffee cup and stood. “When did she get here?”
Darcy glanced at the wall clock. “About a half hour ago. I was going to call and tell you she was here, but Aunt Annette asked me not to. She wanted to surprise you.”
She’d been successful. “Did she happen to say if she’d talked to your father?”
“No, but I don’t think he knows she’s here,” Darcy said. “I called him about an hour ago, because the man never showed up to service the air conditioner. Dad sounded busy, but like his normal self.”
If Greg knew about Annette’s visit, he would have called me, so I suspected he had no idea. With a sigh, I went to the fridge and pulled out chicken for dinner.
Darcy leaned over the counter next to me. “So, why is she really here?”
I gave her a sharp look. “You don’t think it’s because of Dad’s party?”
She snorted. “Oh, come on, Mom. Don’t treat me like I’m Grace. Sorry, I’m not buying it, and neither are you. She wants something. I didn’t even know who she was when she knocked on the door.”
The remark made me smile. “Then why did you let her in?”
“She told me that she was my long-lost aunt.” Darcy opened a nearby bag of potato chips and stuffed a couple into her mouth. “And she said to call Grandma if I needed proof. She even recited Gram’s number for me, so I let her in.” She lowered her voice. “Is she really an exotic dancer?”
I whipped my head around in surprise. “Did she tell you that?”
Darcy shook her head. “No, but one time when I was at Gram’s—gosh, it must have been like five years ago—I was going through a family album and saw her picture. Then I asked Gram why she never came to visit. And you know how Gram is. She got all red in the face and said that Aunt Annette was too busy dancing around poles for dollar bills to come and see us.”
Leave it to Helen to not mince words. “She must have been in a bad mood that day. Your grandmother doesn’t like for anyone to know about the family’s biggest and sordid secret. Her words, not mine.”
“No big deal.” Darcy shrugged. “A girl I went to high school with dances topless at a local club. Hey, to each their own, right?”
“There’s a lot more to the story that you don’t know.” I mixed breadcrumbs and seasoning together to make a coating for the chicken. “Peel those potatoes for me, please, sweetheart?”
Darcy got a bowl out from the cupboard and stood next to me while I dipped the chicken pieces into the coating. “Come on, Mom,” she said. “I’m old enough to know the vile details. Is this why no one mentions her? Even Dad never talks about her.”
I put the chicken down and turned to face my daughter. “What your aunt does for a living is her own business.” Annette hadn’t bothered to come around for twenty years, so I was suspicious why she was back but didn’t tell this to my daughter. “It’s always bothered your father how she just up and left town. The last time we ever saw her was at your first birthday party.”
“So, why did she take off? There’s something you’re not telling me,” Darcy pointed out.
With a sigh, I glanced towards the doorway, but there was no sign of Grace or Annette. “Your aunt was involved with a married man.”
Darcy waited for me to go on. “And?”
“And.” I hesitated for a moment. “His name is Todd Fine.”
She sucked in a deep breath. “What! Libby’s dad? Why didn’t you ever tell me?”
“Because it was an awkward situation, and to be honest, I hoped you’d never find out,” I said simply.
“Mom!” Darcy set the potato peeler down and stared up at me in horror. “Libby is one of my closet friends. For goodness’ sake, she’s going to be in my wedding! I think I deserve to know that my aunt broke up her parents’ marriage. Can you imagine how Libby must feel?”
“Libby might not even know that Annette is your aunt.” I suspected that like me, Gretchen had probably never told her daughter the truth, not wanting to hurt the girls’ friendship.
“You could be right,” Darcy admitted. “If Libby knew that Annette was my aunt, she would have said something. She never mentions Annette by name. The rare times she does talk about her, she calls her SD.”
“SD?” I asked, confused.
“Slutty dancer,” Darcy said.
How lovely.
Darcy continued. “Last week, she told me that her dad finally broke up with his girlfriend and showed up at her mom’s door. He’s moved back to town and wants to get back together with Libby’s mom.”
“It was a shock to all of us when they left town together.” I simply couldn’t understand how a man would leave his wife and babies for another woman. “Did Libby say why Todd and your aunt broke up?”
“He said that his girlfriend cheated on him.” Darcy wrinkled her nose, as if she smelled something putrid. “Todd said she’d been playing him for a fool for years. Anyway, Libby thinks her mother still loves him, but won’t ever trust him again.”
I sympathized with Gretchen Fine. We’d been good friends at one point, but Annette’s deceit helped to put an end to our relationship. “He was fooling around with your aunt for a couple of years before Gretchen finally found out.”
“No way.” Darcy’s mouth fell open in shock. “That would mean he was cheating on Libby’s mom when she was pregnant. How could you let her in our house?”
I put my hands on her shoulders. “Darcy, I told you this because you’re old enough to handle the truth. Believe me, I hate what Annette did, too. But she’s here, and I can’t kick her out. She wants to see your father, and if he wants to see her, I can’t stop him.”
Darcy looked panic stricken. “You’re–you’re not going to invite her to my wedding? Libby would freak!”
“Let’s not worry about that right now.” It would certainly create an awkward situation for Libby and her mom, but what could I do? “Your wedding isn’t until next summer. A lot can happen in a year.”
“What’s happening in a year?” Greg stood in the doorway, briefcase in hand, smiling at both of us.
“Hi, Dad,” Darcy called out.
Greg walked over and kissed Darcy on the cheek then put his arms around me. “Now, this is what I like to see,” he joked. “Two gorgeous women working hard at preparing my dinner.”
Darcy tried not to laugh. “I already told Ryan he’s sharing kitchen duties with me after we’re married.”
“Good luck with that,” I snickered. “All the men I know are a disaster in the kitchen, including your father.”
Greg reached down and snitched a potato out of the pot. “Hey, I can make a mean steak on the grill.”
“And spaghetti,” Darcy pointed out. “We can’t forget about Dad’s famous spaghetti.”
“So, what’s new and exciting around here?” Greg asked as he helped himself to a glass of iced tea from the fridge. “Where’s Grace and the twins?”
I set a frying pan on the stove. “Grace is upstairs. I forgot that Seth and Stevie had a baseball game after school. They’re coming home on the late bus.”
“Good,” Darcy said with relief. “I was hoping I wouldn’t have to pick them up. They’re already asking me to teach them how to drive.”
Greg shook his head. “Oh, yeah, that’s not scary.”
“They’re only fourteen. We’ve got another two years of sanity left.” I touched Greg’s arm. “Honey, there’s something I need to tell you. We’re having a guest for dinner.”
“Oh?” he said absently and picked up the newspaper from the counter. “Is Ryan coming?”
Darcy washed the bowl she’d been using in the sink. “Dad! Ryan’s family, not a guest. Or at least he will be soon enough.”
“Ryan’s not coming,” I said slowly. “It’s your—”
“Greggy!” Annette squealed like she was Grace’s age, and ran towards him, her arms open wide. “Oh my gosh. It’s so good to see you.”
“Annette!” Greg’s jaw nearly hit the floor. He reached out and threw his arms around his sister, hugging her close. “I don’t believe it! When did you get into town? Why didn’t anyone tell me you were coming?”
“That’s because no one knew, honey.” I struggled to keep the sarcasm out of my voice.
Greg sat down at the table and gestured for Annette to do the same. As she pulled her chair close to his, he reached over and wrapped both his hands around hers.
“This is like a dream. How long can you stay?”
Annette glanced slyly at me. “I’m home for good. Back in the bosom of my family, where I belong. And I’m hoping your wife will help me find a permanent place to live. How about it, Cindy?”
“You mean a house?” This was another shock to my system that I hadn’t expected. I was always on board for another commission but didn’t want to be involved in the process of finding Annette a home. I suspected she wouldn’t be an easy client, and I could do without the extra headache.
She shook her head. “I can’t afford a house, but a small apartment would probably be within my price range. Mom said you’re doing well in real estate and would be happy to help me. Consider it my contribution to Darcy’s wedding.”
“Huh?” Darcy looked confused.
“Well, I’m guessing that’s where the commission will wind up,” Annette giggled. “The price of weddings is so astronomically high these days, and I’m sure your parents want nothing but the best for you. Jeez, I’m so glad Todd and I never decided to—” She broke off. “Never mind. Did you get your gown yet, Darcy?”
Darcy’s face lit up, as it always did whenever she spoke about her big day “Not yet. Mom and I have only started looking. I’m meeting with the florist next week, and at least the venue’s reserved, and it’s the one that I really wanted, too. You’ve got to reserve the place way in advance. They’re so hard to find these days.”
“And I’m going to be the flower girl,” Grace chimed in.
I removed seven plates from the cabinet and turned to watch the scene unfolding before me. Darcy seemed to have forgotten her dislike of Annette—at least for the moment—as she chattered on about her big day. Grace climbed into Annette’s lap with her favorite doll while Greg looked on, a pleased expression on his face.
My chest started to tighten. It was easy to see how thrilled Greg was to have his sister back home. He’d always adored Annette and been crushed when she left. I knew I should be happy for him, but there was a nagging sensation inside of me that could not be ignored. It warned me that Annette had a specific reason for coming back home, and not because she missed her family. I hoped I was wrong.