Call Her Mine

by Melissa Foster

  As Aurelia knocked on her grandmother’s door, she realized that in her love for Bea and Ben, she finally knew the unconditional love it took to say words and truly mean them.

  The door opened, and her grandmother’s crimson lips stretched wide into the closed-mouth smile Aurelia loved. She was dressed in black slacks and a long-sleeve black shirt, with a double strand of faux pearls hanging to her navel and a lemon-yellow shawl that draped to her knees. Her long silver hair was swept up in a braided updo that always looked to Aurelia like her grandmother had spent hours in a salon. But Flossie rarely spent hours doing anything, except maybe cooking. She was energy in motion most of the time, though these days, during visits with Aurelia, she liked to stay in and talk, rather than race around to see gardens, museums, or a show, as they used to.

  “My sweet bubbelah,” her grandmother said. “And Remi, my faraway girl. What a lovely surprise to see you again. Come here, my sweethearts.” She waved her open arms and hugged them both at the same time.

  Aurelia filled her lungs to capacity during their long embrace. She hadn’t realized she’d been living on partial breaths, rushing from one thing to the next, for weeks, probably for the better part of a year. But her grandmother’s warmth had always centered her. Even in the craziest of times, during finals week in college or when she was making the decision to move from the city to Sweetwater, a simple hug, a phone conversation, or one of her grandmother’s beloved handwritten letters would make everything clearer.

  “Come inside, my lovelies,” Flossie said. “I’ve just made a feast!”

  As they followed her in, Aurelia’s heart filled up as she took in the aromas coming from the kitchen. She’d know the scent of her grandmother’s bourekas and meatballs anywhere.

  “Grandma, you didn’t have to go to all this trouble,” Aurelia said.

  Flossie waved dismissively. “Thank goodness I did. Remi needs a good meal before she blows away with the wind.” She wrapped her hand around Remi’s arm and said, “You are going to eat today, aren’t you?”

  “Absolutely,” Remi said. “After the last few weeks, I deserve a home-cooked meal.”

  “Good girl,” Flossie said.

  Aurelia looked over the living room. When her grandfather had passed away, she’d wondered if she’d feel his absence in a smaller way over time, but he was everywhere. His smiling face was proudly displayed in elegant frames on the surface of nearly every piece of furniture, which they’d moved from their home in Sweetwater where Aurelia had grown up. Even the furniture held warm memories. She’d broken the iron-and-glass curio cabinet when, at nine years old, she’d tried to do a cartwheel in the living room. After cleaning up the mess, her grandfather had coaxed her into trying again until she got it right. The intricately carved end tables that had always been piled high with books now held books and photographs. Even the windowsill overlooking the gardens below displayed pictures of her grandfather, of Aurelia’s mother, Abigail, and of Aurelia and a number of her friends. The same blue-tufted sofa where Aurelia had lain when she had the flu as a little girl boasted multicolored pillows, anchoring the cozy room beneath an enormous colorful abstract painting of a wild horse running through water. Its mane and tail flowed behind it, and its powerful body was angled as if leaning into a sharp turn. Her grandmother had always likened the wild horse to Aurelia’s mother. Abby was my free-spirited girl.

  “It smells wonderful,” Remi said as they followed Flossie into the kitchen. She towered over Flossie.

  Flossie took Remi’s hand and said, “I’ve made bourekas, meatballs with tahini and tomatoes, and chicken soup.”

  “What’s a boureka?” Remi asked.

  “Only the world’s best comfort food. They’re buttery, crisp dough stuffed with any number of delicious fillings,” Aurelia said. “Grandma, did you make strawberry-and-cheese bourekas?”

  “Bubbelah, what do you think? I made spinach and cheese and strawberry and cheese. And yes, I made enough for you to take some home.” She began ladling soup into bowls. “Why don’t you girls carry the rest of the food to the table, and then we’ll catch up. I want to hear all about Chapter One. And, Remi, what brings you to the East Coast? A man, perhaps?”

  “I’m trying to escape the men in my life,” Remi said as she carried a dish of meatballs in a creamy sauce to the table. Each meatball had half of a cherry tomato and a sprig of parsley on top. She set the dish beside the platter of bourekas Aurelia had just set down.

  “She’s got an unwanted admirer, Grandma,” Aurelia explained as she set out silverware and drinks and Remi carried the soup bowls to the table.

  “A stalker?” Flossie’s silver brows shot up in surprise above her gray-green eyes. “Goodness, Remi. What does Aiden have to say about all this?”

  As they took their places at the table, Remi said, “If he had his way, he’d keep me under lock and key every second of the day.”

  Flossie’s shoulders sank, and her lips pursed. “Remi, bubbelah, did you run away again?”

  “It’s not like I do it all the time.” She dished meatballs onto her plate. “Just when I feel like I want to scratch my eyes out.”

  “Aiden loves you, sweetheart. He’s been your protector since you were twelve. That’s a long time for a brother to watch over his sister. And he’s helped you grow a magnificent career,” Flossie reminded her.

  “I know. And I love him for all of that,” Remi said. “But is it wrong that sometimes I just want to be a twentysomething girl who nobody knows? Whose brother goes out on dates instead of interrogating everyone who asks me on one?”

  Flossie giggled. She’d always had a high-pitched giggle, not a laugh. Aurelia’s grandfather used to say it was what made him first fall in love with her. “No, baby. That makes you human.”

  “That sounds familiar, doesn’t it?” Aurelia pointed out, reminding Remi of their earlier conversation.

  “This is why I love coming home to see everyone.” Remi sat up straighter and said, “You understand me. You don’t treat me like a celebrity.”

  “You said home,” Flossie pointed out. Remi had a house in Cape Cod and one in Los Angeles, both of which she’d called home before meeting Willow and the rest of the Daltons. “That means you’re right where you’re supposed to be. But don’t make Aiden worry. He’s a good man, like Benjamin.”

  Aurelia exchanged a glance with Remi as she ate her soup. She hadn’t told Flossie about Bea or her relationship with Ben yet. She’d wanted to tell her in person.

  Flossie kept her eyes trained on her spoon as she dipped it into her soup. A knowing smile stretched her lips as she said, “Well, if that’s not the look of a secret, then I don’t know what is.”

  “It’s not a secret, Grandma. I just wanted to tell you something in person. A lot has happened recently.”

  Flossie dabbed at her mouth with her napkin and said, “You’re young, you’re starting a business, and you’ve just moved to a new area. You’re due to have many blessings coming your way.”

  Remi sighed and said, “Can I call you Grandma? I love everything you say.”

  “Bubbelah, you can call me anything you want.” She reached across the table and took Remi’s hand. “But you need to look deep inside yourself and figure out what you’re really running from. Not even a loving grandmother can figure that out for you.”

  Remi’s finely manicured brows knitted. “Okay. I promise.” She took a bite of a spinach-and-cheese boureka and closed her eyes. “Mm. This is scrumptious.”

  “Thank you. And no promises, Remi,” Flossie said. “Life’s too fluid for them. Just do the best you can and know that you’re perfect just as you are. But if you want to make yourself different in some way—less of a worry for your brother, for example—you have the power to do that.”

  “That’s her subtle nag,” Aurelia said with a smile. “Grandma, you know how close Ben and I are.”

  “Two lovebirds standing on separate branches,” Flossie said.

  Aurelia cou
ldn’t mask her surprise. “What? I never knew you thought that about us.”

  “Honey, I might be old, but I’m not blind or deaf. You and Benjamin have been dancing around each other for a long time. And if I hadn’t suspected before, seeing the way he hovered over you at Grandpa’s funeral put it out there for all to see.” Flossie held up her index finger as she rose to her feet. “I’ll be right back.”

  She hurried through the living room and disappeared into the bedroom, returning with two framed photographs. She handed one picture to Aurelia, placing her hand on her shoulder as she asked, “What do you see?”

  Aurelia looked at the picture of Ben standing between Willow and Talia, with his arms around them. They were all smiling, laughing. The picture had been taken during Thanksgiving the fall before her grandfather had suffered his stroke. Their families had celebrated together.

  “Ben and his sisters,” Aurelia said.

  “Mm-hm.” Flossie handed her the other picture, this one of her and Ben, taken the same evening. “And what do you see in this one?”

  Ben had his arm around Aurelia, and they were both smiling for the camera, but there was no mistaking the difference in Ben. He resonated happiness, his fingers curled over her shoulder, holding her flush against his side. Even his smile was different, bigger, more natural, more meaningful.

  “Wow,” Remi whispered. “They always say a picture is worth a thousand words, and that’s proof of it.”

  “Without you, Benjamin is a lovely man with a heart of gold,” Flossie said.

  Aurelia looked at her grandmother and asked, “What do you suppose he is with me?”

  “Fulfilled,” Flossie said.

  That one word stole her breath. “If you saw this between us then, why didn’t you ever say anything?”

  Flossie sat down and placed her napkin on her lap. “Sweetheart, you can’t hurry love any more than you can hurry a soufflé. You know he checks on me, and we talk.”

  Aurelia’s mouth fell open. “He checks on you?”

  “Just since Grandpa died. He calls to see if I need anything. He’s such a sweetheart. I suspect the man we’re seeing now is the real Benjamin. I think he’s been holding back, secretly fearing he’d let you down.”

  Aurelia swallowed hard as her grandmother’s words reiterated Ben’s confession. I was in college, and you were Willow’s best friend, and I knew I couldn’t be the boyfriend you deserved.

  “That’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard,” Remi said.

  “Ben could never let me down,” Aurelia said honestly.

  “He is a real mensch.” Flossie patted Remi’s hand and said, “Just like Aiden. Two of a kind, those boys. Real gentlemen.”

  “Grandma, did he tell you that we’re together now, as a couple?” Aurelia asked.

  “He didn’t have to. I heard something different in his voice, and you just confirmed it.” Flossie placed her hand over her heart and said, “This makes me so very happy, Aurelia.”

  “Thank you. It makes me happy, too, but there’s more.” She told her about Bea and everything she and Ben had been through with her.

  “Bea . . .” Flossie’s eyes dampened. She blinked several times and whispered, “Just perfect.”

  “She is perfect, but I wish I had babysat, or been around more babies, when I was younger. I love her, Grandma, and I feel like I’m failing her.”

  Flossie giggled again. “You’re contradicting yourself. If you truly love her unconditionally, you cannot fail her.”

  “I’m not so sure that’s true,” Aurelia said. “While I had her yesterday, I was so tired, and I tried everything to calm her down, but she cried her little eyes out all afternoon. I had to ask Piper to come and take over.”

  “That’s what love is, honey,” Flossie said. “Failing her would be not asking for help, getting so frustrated you yell at her, or worse. She’s a tiny baby—whom I can’t wait to meet, by the way—all she needs are the essentials: warmth, love, sustenance.”

  “But I don’t understand what she wants sometimes,” Aurelia said.

  “That’s okay, because neither does she. Babies cry, honey. It’s not easy getting up every few hours to eat and learning about this big new world. You said yourself she missed Benjamin. That’s a big thing to a little baby. And babies are intuitive, which means you probably missed him, too. She might have been crying because she wanted both of you together.” She sipped her drink, watching Aurelia, and Aurelia knew she was letting her words sink in before asking, “What do you want now?”

  “Them,” Aurelia said without hesitation.

  “Then you can’t fail either of them, or yourself.” Her eyes moved between Aurelia and Remi, and she said, “Girls, one thing you should learn to do in every aspect of your life is to follow your heart. If you do, you can’t go wrong. Things won’t always be easy or run smoothly. You’ll have mountains to climb, battles to fight, but if you lead with your heart, you’ll both survive and come out as better people on the other side.”

  “You make it sound so easy,” Remi said. “I can’t imagine anything with a baby is easy, considering life is never easy.”

  “Baby, teenager, adult. None of it is easy.” Flossie smiled and said, “Let me tell you both a little story. When Aurelia’s mother was fifteen, she was a sass-mouthed little thing. She never knew when to stop arguing, and she’d push me to my limit every chance she got. One day we were driving home from the shopping center, and she was yelling at me for one thing or another. I can’t remember what, but it was important to her as a teenager. I asked her to speak rather than yell, but she was blinded with anger. So I pulled over six blocks from home, and I let her out of the car and told her to walk the rest of the way.”

  Aurelia and Remi exchanged surprised glances.

  “Some people might think that’s a parental failure,” Flossie said. “But I couldn’t lead with my heart with her yelling at me. If she kept it up, I’d have said things I could not take back. Now, even though Sweetwater was a safe place back then, I still drove to the end of the next block and pulled over. I could barely see her in my rearview mirror, and when I thought she could make out my car, then I drove to the end of the next block. I did that all the way home.”

  Aurelia laughed. “And what happened?”

  “Oh, she was livid when she got home, but I felt better. It enabled me to take the breather I needed, and then I was able to talk while she yelled. Eventually she ran up to her room and slammed the door. But when she got hungry she came downstairs, sullen and pouty. And you know what? That was okay. Because life can be rocky.”

  “What did you do?” Remi asked.

  “I hugged her, and she stood rigid as a wall. But,” Flossie said with a spark of joy in her eyes, “she knew I loved her even though she was being a sass-mouthed brat at that moment.” She looked at Aurelia and said, “If that little one knows you love her, everything else will fall into place. It’s okay to be exhausted and to feel lost. Calling Piper was the right thing to do. You’re learning, baby, and where children are concerned, that learning never ends.”

  “Thanks, Grandma. You’re so good at making me feel better.”

  Flossie reached across the table and patted Aurelia’s and Remi’s hands. “The world is filled with unhappy people trying to bring others down. Family should always try to lift your spirits.”

  “Maybe you can help me,” Remi said.

  “I can try, Remi. Are you doing what you love most?” Flossie asked.

  Remi nodded. “Yes.”

  “And you’re sure of that? Because my first love was music—”

  “Music?” Aurelia asked. “I thought books were your greatest love.”

  “Your grandfather was my greatest love. But my first love was singing. I wanted to be in the opera, but for love, one adapts and changes. When your mother was born, I set aside my affinity for music and nurtured my love of literature, which fit better into my life as a mother.”

  They talked for a long while about love
and life, and Aurelia told her all about the bookstore and the two employees she’d hired: Lazarus, the baby whisperer, and Hollis Marks, an English major with freckles, hair the color of pennies, and a knack for all things literary. She was excited for Flossie to meet her staff and see the bookstore when the renovations were finally complete. She and Remi would both be at the grand opening—if Aiden didn’t lock Remi up after he found out she was in town.

  With a container full of her grandmother’s food, she hugged Flossie goodbye. “I love you, Grandma.”

  “I love you too, bubbelah. This is for you.” She put a key in Aurelia’s hand and covered it with her own.

  “A key? What is this to?”

  “To our storage unit in Sweetwater. You know where it is. The crib you and your mother used is in it. It’s yours, darling, along with anything else you’d like for Bea.”

  Aurelia hugged her. “Thank you. This means the world to me.”

  “And you mean the world to me,” Flossie said sweetly. “You never knew this, but your grandfather and I called your mother Bea.”

  Aurelia blinked several times, trying to understand. “You called her Abby.”

  “To everyone else we referred to her as Abby, because that’s what she preferred when she first went off to kindergarten. But when we spoke of her privately, she was always our little Bea, which means bringer of joy, or she who brings happiness.”