Susan waited on pins and needles for a call to come from school but the entire month of September passed without incident. They were all settling into a nice routine. Her job was challenging and Chuck loved his work. Cosmo was doing well in daycare and Susie made a friend.
They were two peas in a pod except for the fact that Heather attended the public middle school. Susie tutored her in Math and Heather taught Susie to ride a bike. They were both voracious readers and would hole up in Susie's room with a stack of books and the radio blaring. Usually Cosmo was stretched out on the floor as well, with his own books to look at. There were sleep over weekends and visits to the mall. Then they started a tutoring business together. Heather drew in the neighborhood kids and Susie banked their money. Heather's mother loved the friendship as much as Susan did.
In October, Cosmo was invited to his very first birthday party. It was a fiasco from the start. First he refused to eat the clown cupcake because it 'had a face'. Then he punched another little boy in the stomach for refusing 'to use his words'. Susan was mortified but the other moms there laughed it off. They called him a 'charmer' and Susan finally had to agree. At least he hadn't bitten anyone.
His admiration of Susie continued and Susan loved the fact that they got along so well. He never seemed to ruffle Susie until one Saturday afternoon in late October. Susie was working on physics project with Susan at the kitchen table when he climbed into a chair next to her.
Susie stared at the old Barbie doll in Cosmos' hands.
"Where did you get that?" she demanded angrily. Cosmos' face fell and he dropped the doll to the floor.
"In a box," he said. Susie picked the doll up and shook it in his face.
"That's my private stuff, Cosmo," she said sternly. "Don't ever touch that box again." Cosmo's big eyes filled with tears and he grabbed Susan around the neck in panic. Susie stared at him angrily and then stood up and stomped off to her room. Cosmo started to wail and Susan picked him up in her arms and hugged him.
"Where was the box?" she asked him. Cosmo continued to wail and hugged Susan tight. She sat in the chair and held him close until he calmed down. She gave him a juice box and sat him in front of his favorite video before going up the stairs to Susie's room.
Susan peeked in and then stepped inside when she didn't see Susie. She looked into the open closet doors. Susie was seated against the back wall with her legs tucked up in front of her. She looked up at Susan for a long moment.
"Want some company?" Susan asked. Susie shrugged and scooted over a bit. Susan sighed and crawled into the closet with her. She peeked into the open box on the other side of Susie.
"He didn't know what he was doing, honey," she said. "He is just a little boy." Susie nodded.
"I know." She took the Barbie from Susie and smiled slightly as she fingered the long ratty tresses. She'dsent it to her for Christmas a long time ago.
"I can't believe you saved this," Susan said.
"They're my things," Susie said.
"Can I look?" Susan asked. Susie looked at her warily for a long moment and then nodded. She moved the box so it was in front of Susan. Susan smiled softly and sifted through the items inside. There was the yellow pacifier Susan had used when Susie was a baby...the baby blanket Susan had quilted for her...a little bear Susan remembered tucking next to her when she was napping...a story book about a caterpillar she used to read to her...a stack of letters in her own handwriting that had been tied with a ribbon...a polo shirt Susan had 'lost'...a bead necklace that Susan remembered giving her for her 5th birthday...a musical jewelry box and a little plastic purse that had held play makeup at one time...again, gifts from Susan. There were a number of photographs... all of Susan and Susie...or Susan alone. There was nothing of Chloe or Joe in the box.
"A shrink would probably tell you that I have a very unhealthy fixation on my aunt," Susie said finally. Susan laughed and carefully placed the pictures back into the box.
"I don't think so," Susan said. She reached over and slipped her arm across Susie's shoulders and hugged her.
"I think a counselor would probably say that you knew you could depend on your aunt to come to the rescue if you ever really needed her," she said. "And that's what I always wanted you to know. I am glad that you did." Susan sat still with her arm around Susie for a long while.
"If my Mom ever came back, would I have to go with her?" Susie asked finally. Susan sighed heavily.
"Not unless it was the right place for you. You're twelve. I think the courts would have to listen to what you wanted to do." Susie nodded. Susan squeezed her tightly and then crawled out of the closet. She hitched herself up again and started to leave the room.
"Aunt Susan?" She turned around and looked at Susie.
"I'll talk to Cosmo about the face thing. I'm not really vegan," Susie said. "Maybe vegetarian most of the time...but not vegan." Susan smiled and shrugged.
"Thank you. It wouldn't matter a bit what you are, you know," she said . "As long as you are you." Susie smiled slightly and nodded. Susan grinned and turned to leave the room. She stopped at the bedroom door.
"Oh," Susan said. 'My birthday is coming up and Uncle Chuck and I are talking about taking a weekend to visit Grandpa in Chicago. Maybe you, Abby and I could spend a day shopping. Would you like that?" Susie sat up straight and grinned.
"Yeah..." she said enthusiastically. Susan smiled.
"I'll tell Uncle Chuck it's a go then!"