Dani wasn’t sure what she was supposed to say. “Maybe through the evening? That’s a guess. I don’t know anything either.”
“I can do an evening. Bryant and Amalia are still with Bubba’s parents. Thank goodness they live a half hour away. I called to check in this morning. I think I’ll have them stay another night, at least. Oh!” Her gaze zeroed in on Dani. “Jonah let it slip you were heading to the nursing home this morning. Was Kathryn in a good mood?”
Dani repeated the same response Kate got, but Bubba came over with a donut in hand. She was saved. Nothing bested the taste of the fried pastry.
Aiden cried out. “They have donuts! I’m over thirty, and my metabolism can’t take that, and I really hate this flood even more.”
Bubba wrapped an arm around his wife, but Aiden shoved him off. “Oh, no. You’re a man. You can eat that donut and not have to spend an hour in the gym. I’m not feeling the warm fuzzies for you right now.”
“Chimp Two has been rejected from his first mate. Chimp Two shall maybe look elsewhere for another chimp.”
“Chimp Two is welcome to do just that.” They were passing the box of donuts at that moment. Aiden moved her head closer, inhaling the greasy smell of them. “Their aroma is just heavenly.” Her face tightened up, and she pressed a hand over her stomach. “And I am ridiculously hungry right now.” She frowned at her husband. “Chimps probably have great metabolism.”
He winked back, popping the last of his donut into his mouth. “I bet chimps could eat an entire box of donuts.”
“Maybe donuts are for chimps how chocolate is for dogs.”
Bubba shrugged. “You can dream, honey.” He smacked her on the butt and motioned behind them. “Come on. I’m sure we can find a weight loss donut somewhere. They’re magical donuts. The calories disappear during natural disasters.”
They moved off, and Aiden groaned. “Now, I’m the one dreaming.”
Dani felt like she was standing at the head of some line. First Kate. Aiden was second. Then Bubba, and they were gone now. She was laughing at her own joke when she looked up, wondering who would be next. The joke faded fast.
Mae came inside the room, the two saw each other.
“Oh.” Dani straightened, pressing a hand to her forehead. It was ridiculous, but she had this instant urge to make sure her hair looked okay. That was done before dates, or job interviews, not a talk with the aunt who secretly adopted you years ago. She knew Mae loved her, yet she still felt nervous flutters inside. They increased when Mae walked over, a guarded expression on her face.
Dani murmured, “Hey.”
Mae nodded. “Jonah said you slept at the water station?” Bags were under her eyes, and her face looked void of make-up. Her wrinkles showed more, but Mae still looked flawless to Dani.
“Yeah.”
Mae watched her.
Dani watched her back.
There was a big topic that needed to be discussed, and Dani was ready to hear the answers, but for the life of her, she was racking her brain how to bring it up. Finally, she blurted out, “I saw Kathryn today.”
Mae’s eyes rounded. “Really? How’d that go?” She ran an appraising eye up and down Dani. “You still look in one piece. She must not have filleted you alive.”
Dani hid a smile. “No, but she told me to respect the dying.”
Mae snorted, shoving a hand through her hair. “Please. I don’t like to speak ill of the sick or those passed, but Kathryn and loving are two words that don’t mix.”
There it was. Her opening.
Dani took it. She almost rushed the words out. “Is that why you adopted me?”
Mae’s slight smirk fell away. A sudden seriousness replaced it, and her hand slowly lowered from her hair. It went back to her side. “Your mother came to me when I wasn’t doing too good.” Her jaw clenched, and she looked away. “I… I can’t have children, and I wasn’t handling it the best way. Then your momma comes along, and here she is. She handed me what I couldn’t do myself. She said to get my life right, and I could have you.” A tear formed on the underside of her right eyelid. “I never thought I was right enough. That’s why I never said anything to you. The adoption was legal on February 26, 2002. I just never felt like I was ready for you, like I was good enough for you to come live with me and then…”
Dani had left Craigstown on February 25, 2002.
She was adopted one day later. One day.
“I was already an adult.”
“Like I said, I never thought it was enough. I was enough, but it still meant something to me. Kathryn told me long ago that she’d take care of you until I was ready. I think that’s why she was mean to you, because she knew I wanted you.”
“Kathryn loved Julia and Erica because she understood them. She didn’t understand me. I was different because I kept to myself and I stayed in the background. Erica and Julia demanded her attention, but—” She was repeating what Julia said. It got in her head.
“It shouldn’t have mattered,” Mae interrupted her. “Kathryn should’ve loved you equally.”
“Like you do?” Dani met her aunt’s gaze head-on. “You hardly talk to Julia, but you dote on me. You and Kathryn are both aunts to us and yet, you both take favorites.”
Mae paled, but looked away. “I’d like to know Julia. And it ain’t right, that I didn’t love her. I do love her. We, just, we just stayed apart out of respect to you and Kathryn.”