How to Bake the Perfect Apple Pie (8 page)

I follow the throngs of passengers off the plane and into the tunnel. I timed my flight as best I could to meet up with Megan and Brian, although they have a short wait. I’m flying out on Sunday at noon. Given this I have only brought my backpack, no checked bags. I stalk down the escalator and scan the crowd below me.

I can see shiny blonde waves tumbling over a creamy sweater followed by pair of skinny jeans. Standing next to Megan is Brian. He is wearing his perpetual five o’clock shadow followed by…I can’t believe it. He’s wearing the same New Year’s sweater my mom sent home with me. It’s about as flashy as any typical ugly Christmas sweater except it reads Happy New Year! Two flutes of champagne are dancing with each other while sequined bubbles are spread out across the girth of the chest.

There was no way I was going to wear it. I roll my eyes. It’s actually not a surprise he is wearing this. Brian always seems to go along with my mom’s eccentric clothing and happily dons whatever odd ensemble she comes up with.

My foot lands on the linoleum floor and I pace to where they are standing. Megan spins around almost as if she senses my presence. Her hair swings over her shoulder. She is the epitome of glamour. Brian looks like an extra standing next to her.

“Lauren!” She charges towards me and encloses me in a deep sisterly hug. It’s only been a few weeks, but it’s so great to be hugged by her. Her scent of Poppy perfume invades my nostrils. I probably should find my own signature scent. I use fruit-scented shower gels and lotion, but maybe I need to find a perfume that will put people immediately at ease when they smell it. Or better yet, immediately enamored. I sigh. Jack said he was enamored with me. For a quick moment I wish I that I was in Austin, not San Diego, and the arms wrapped around me were his and not Megan’s. I shake off the thought. I need to focus on being a good family member.

Megan releases me and Brian leans in and gives me a big bear hug. I pat him on the back. Thankfully, he doesn’t opt for a long hug.

“So how are things? Have you and Jack been talking every day? Have you figured out a wedding date yet? Is he going to move to Baltimore?” Megan’s eyes are bugging out like she is going to burst if I don’t fill her in with answers to all her questions in great detail.

“Whoa…” I rub my lips together. “It’s good to see you too. I didn’t check a bag. Why don’t we head for the house?” I blink.

Megan runs her eyes over my face. “Is everything all right?” She grabs on to my arm. “Are you and Jack okay?” Her eyes are wide and full of concern.

“Yes, Megan, everything’s fine. I just don’t want to stand in the airport and chitchat.”

“Chitchat? I would hardly think wedding details are chitchat, but that’s fine.” She glances at Brian. “You’ve got our luggage, right?”

Brian motions his head to a pile of luggage. “Got it covered, babe.” He unwinds a thick cord and begins lacing all of the suitcases together. “Check this out, Lauren, it’s a new project I’ve been working on. This cord can hold a thousand pounds. I just loop all the bags together and…” One of the bags falls over. He reaches down and straightens it out. Brian circles the pile of suitcases. How long are they staying? The amount of luggage is enough for a month-long cruise for a family of four, not two people for a weekend visit.

“How long are y’all staying?” I turn to Megan.

“Just the weekend.” She tosses her hair over her shoulder.

Brian pulls on the cord and the suitcases pull taut together. “See, it’s perfect. Now I can carry all of our bags together without having to rent one of those pulleys.” His face is beaming.

“Wow, Brian, that’s really…impressive.” I turn back around. I can’t imagine why renting a pulley wouldn’t be a million times better than this
Beverly Hillbillies
cart and caboodle, but Brian is always trying to tweak things. Why should an airport visit be any different?

***

“Is there enough room for us all to stay with Luke and Aurora?” I stare at the one-story bungalow Megan has parked in front of. The siding is grey and the trim is purple. I’d bet anything this is Aurora’s touch. The house has the cozy familial appeal, but I’m beginning to get claustrophobic from the idea of my entire family fitting into this small space for a whole weekend. I’m guessing there is a max of four rooms and that would be pushing it.

Megan laughs. “Don’t be silly, Lauren, of course we are all staying here. The point of the trip is to help out. How can we do that from a hotel?” She shakes her head and steps out of the car.

The temperature is not as cool as Baltimore, where I left the low thirties. It’s got to be over fifty degrees here. I’m glad I didn’t pack my heavy coat. I step out onto the grass. It crunches underneath my heels. I wish I was wearing jeans like Megan. I can remedy this once we get inside and I find out where I’m staying. I imagine I’ll be bunking up with someone.

We head for the door, and it swings open. It’s Luke. My brother is wearing his running shorts and tank top.
Is he working out?

“Hey, look who decided to show up.” He reaches in for a hug before I can get myself positioned without having my face near his sweaty, hairy armpits.
Yuck.
I swear he deliberately works out before seeing me just so that he can hug me with his sweatiness. It’s really gross.

I pat his back. “Congratulations, Luke, how are Aurora and the babies?” I lean back so I am not in direct line of his armpit and stink.

“She’s good already—being a good mom of all four kids…four freaking kids. Can you believe it?” He throws up his hands and then runs them through his hair. Brian and Megan file up the sidewalk. Brian must have given up on his cord contraption as he is bringing their luggage to the steps two at time.

“Hey, Megs, let me help your husband with these.” He rushes towards the trunk and grabs out the last of the bags. He raises his eyebrows. “I might have got things messed up, but are you planning on staying past the weekend?”

Brian laughs. “Yeah…you know your sister likes to make sure she plans for every occasion.”

Luke opens the door to his house and Winter and River run to the door. They hug my legs.

“Aunt Lauren, you came!” Winter says.

I lean down and hug and kiss each of them. “Of course I came.”

“Winter, come give your Aunt Megan a hug.” Megan waves Winter to her. Winter releases me and stumbles towards Megan.

Inside the entryway is a small office room with a teal Buddha painted on the wall and mosaic tiles covering the entire back wall. On the floor is what I believe to be a yoga mat and there is a small desk with a sewing machine. There is no door to the room and no curtains on the front bay window.

“This is where you’ll be staying.” Luke takes my book bag from me and places it next to the desk.

I force my eyes not to bulge out further and try to remain calm.

“Okay.” I nod.

No other words fall from my mouth. My head is spinning with the discomfort of this room, if it can even technically be called a room. There is a huge window. No bed. And no door. I let out a deep breath.
This is going to be a long weekend.

Something rubs against my leg. I glance down. It’s a black cat. It claws at my leg. I jump. It grabs onto my other leg with all four legs and bites at my calf. I scream and fling the cat off my leg.

“Hey, whoa, Lauren, be chill with our cats. Okay?” Luke jerks his head back and glares at me as if I have done something wrong.

“Your cat just bit my leg.” I lean down and rub my calf. There are small teeth marks, but my skin was not cut.

“Uh okay. Lauren, we’ve had Baba for over two years, and he has never hurt anyone.” Luke shakes his head. “Come on, Megs, I’ll show you your room.” Megan stares at me for a second and then follows behind him.

I’m tempted to follow. But I’m not sure where
Baba
went and I need to stay away from him. I exit my
room
and search the house for my mom. She must be with the babies. I can just imagine her sitting in a rocking chair holding one or both of them.

I pass through a living room and my dad is sitting in a big recliner. It resembles the one he has at my parents’ house in Texas.

“Hey Dad.” A smile forms on my face. Seeing my dad can always turn a bad day into a good one.

“It’s the bird. Come give your pops a hug.” He stands up and motions for me to come to him.

I stride to him and we embrace. My dad’s Old Spice cologne is comforting. I wish I could tell my dad about Baba and have him stand watch at my
room
to make sure when I close my eyes that cat doesn’t strike again.

“How are things going with you and Jack?” My dad inspects my face.

“Good, I was supposed to see him this weekend, but obviously I came here instead.” I pout.

“Listen, you need to pick a date, before your mother drives me off the deep end. I can only hear about the wedding theme choices so many times.” My dad’s hands tighten and he stuffs them into his pockets.

“I know…we will…things have just been really busy.” I bite my lip. “I’ve got my team sorted now and I think Jack might be hiring someone to help him out with Vintage Estates.” I sit down on the rattan and wicker couch.
Did Aurora make this?

“Vintage Estates…he did hire someone, some gal…with a great résumé. Your grandmother seems to like her.” My dad picks up the remote and begins flipping through the channels.

I jerk my head back. Jack never mentioned that he had hired anyone. “He already hired someone?” I study my dad’s face. I need to be sure I heard this correctly.

“Yes, some gal with a great résumé.” My dad turns towards me. “He didn’t tell you? Do you two not talk? Lauren, good communication is one of the reasons your mom and I have been married for over thirty years.” He points a finger at me. “Remember that.” He taps the side of his head.

“I totally agree.” I stand up and scurry back to my
room
. I can’t believe Jack didn’t tell me he’d hired someone…and a girl. My shoulders drop. I’m not a jealous person, or I hope not to be, but it is odd that he didn’t tell me any of this.
Your grandmother seems to like her
…rings over and over in my head. My eyes fill with tears. I blink them away.

I find my phone in my purse and hit Brianna’s contact number. This conversation requires a voice, not a text message.

She picks up almost immediately. Brianna sings a line from “Going Back to Cali” into my ear.

I can’t help but laugh. “Hey, listen, I need your advice.”

“Yes, go for it.” Brianna giggles.

I roll my eyes. “I’m serious, listen, Jack hired some woman with an impressive résumé to help out at Vintage Estates.”

“Okay, and why am I hearing such an odd edge in your voice? Lauren, you’re not going all eee eee eee—” she makes a slasher movie noise “—and looking for knives or anything?”

I roll my eyes. “No, but he hired some woman and didn’t tell me. Don’t you think that’s weird?”

There is a silence. Brianna is actually considering this situation. Which makes me believe that I’m not out of line to be bothered.

“Well, it is a bit odd, but do you share every detail about your work with him?”

I twist my lips to the side. I didn’t tell him about the lunch with Trent. “No…not everything.” I bite my inner cheek. “But this is different, hiring someone…someone that my grandmother is impressed with, it just seems like something he should have shared with me.”

“Lauren Hauser, you’re jealous.” Brianna tsks.

“I am not.” My eyes bulge out.

“Yes, you are. It’s so silly. Why are you jealous? Is it just that Jack hired a woman or is it that your grandmother is impressed by her?”

“Neither.”

“Oh, okay…take it easy. You don’t want to sound like a wacky, crazy girlfriend. Be happy that another woman has gotten a good job. Hopefully he pays her well and maybe she will be impressive enough that he will leave the place for her to run and come to Baltimore to live with you.”

I can imagine Brianna high fiving herself in front of her mirror.

“Maybe.” I purse my lips, considering this.

“Not maybe. Remember, as women we have to raise each other up, not push each other down.”

I roll my eyes. But she’s right. “Okay, all right, I’ll be cool.”

“Exactly. Be like Fonzie. I’ve got to go. Owen’s taking me to Fiona’s.”

“Fiona’s…che-ching, that’s nice.”

“Exactly, so I’ve got to finish creating my masterpiece of a face before he arrives. Ciao.”

The dial tone sounds in my ear. She never says goodbye. Ciao is an upgrade from her normal phone conversation ending where there is silence and I realize our chat is over.

I put my phone back in my purse. I’ll call Jack after I’ve seen the babies. From my room there is a narrow hallway and the sounds of babies crying leads me to the door closest to me.

“Here, Aurora, I can hold Terra.” My mother’s voice is soft.

“No, I can hold both of them. They are both my babies.”

“I know, sweetie, but you must be exhausted. You’ve hardly slept.”

I stand in the doorway of what I assume is the nursery. It’s like a woodland forest. There are two cribs made out of wood. Not wood like a standard wood crib bought from Babies ’R’ Us. No, these are curved branches smoothed down and varnished and each one has a branch leaning over the top with a whimsical star mobile hanging above. It’s really beautiful. The walls are painted a light mossy green with dandelions delicately positioned, some with their petals blowing over the walls. It’s so light and airy. I feel an immediate sense of calm.

“Wow,” escapes from my lips.

Both my mom and Aurora’s eyes focus on me.

Silence fills the room, countered by the tension of my mom and Aurora. One of the babies cries. Aurora is sitting in a wooden rocking chair with both babies in her arms. One is nursing and the other is fumbling around and crying.

“Ah…congratulations, Aurora, the babies are beautiful.” I sidestep into the room and lean down to hug her and kiss the baby that is crying. I’m assuming it’s Clay. Terra seems to be happily nursing and is wearing a pink onesie. I can’t imagine even with their different parenting styles that Luke and Aurora would put Clay in a pink outfit.