Don’t Let Go

6. Aurora

6

Aurora

After dinner, Carmen and I cleared the table and washed the dishes. When I returned to the dining room, everyone else was still seated. We weren’t having dessert, so I didn’t understand why Mamma hadn’t dismissed everyone.

Mamma looked over at Carmen and me. “Please sit down.”

I followed directions. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong with me or the family. Don’t worry.” She folded her hands in front of her, sitting a little straighter. “I do have news.”

Out of habit, I reached for my water glass, but it was in the kitchen. Whatever this news was made me feel parched.

“Is it about us?” Franco asked, exchanging a look with Lorenzo. “We’re doing our best, but today was slow, so we didn’t think it would hurt to play some video games. I thought—”

Mamma held up her hand. “This isn’t about you. Please let me speak.” She licked her lips and took the time to look at each of us in the eye. “It hasn’t been announced to the public yet, but Senator James Winston died today.”

“Was he murdered?” Carmen piped in, her eyes wide.

“Do we need to clean up the scene?” Lorenzo asked, pushing himself back in his chair.

Mamma slammed her fist on the table. “Silence! Let me finish.”

We all froze, afraid to even breathe.

She leaned back in her chair, rubbing her fingers over the creases in her forehead. “Senator Winston has a son, Tyler. If something happens to both his parents, I am to take guardianship over him.”

“Did his mamma die too?” Lizzy had to add her five cents.

Mamma pressed her lips together for a moment. “Yes. His mamma died last year. It’s been a rough time for him.”

“How old is he?” Carmen queried, picking at a piece of skin on the side of her thumbnail.

“He’s seventeen and a senior like Aurora.” Mamma nodded toward me.

The mention of my name forces me to sit straighter than an arrow. “What does this mean? Didn’t the senator live somewhere fancy like Paradise Valley or Scottsdale?”

Mamma wrung her hands over the table. “Yes, Scottsdale. Since Tyler is still legally a minor, he’ll move in with us.”

Lorenzo pursed his lips. “How long is he going to crash?”

“Where is he going to sleep?” Franco added.

“I know this is a lot to take in. Carmen and Lizzy will have to share a room while he’s here.” Mamma stood, giving a sharp eye to Carmen, anticipating she was seconds away from having a meltdown.

“That’s so unfair!” Carmen huffed, sinking into her chair with her arms crossed.

“He lost his parents, and your life is unfair,” I muttered, rolling my eyes.

Carmen shot daggers at me. “Zip it.”

“Phoenix will be a big change for Tyler. I want us to be welcoming.” Mamma motioned to me. “Aurora, I want you to show him around South Ridge and try to ease him into his new school. He’s going to be upset enough as it is.”

I forced a smile to my lips. “Of course, Mamma.”

“When is he coming?” Franco asked, eyeing the doorway like Tyler would appear out of thin air.

“In a few days, a week at most. Winston needs to have a funeral, and a few other things need to be ironed out. I wanted to give you a heads up.” She clapped her hands. “That is all.”

My brothers grumbled as they walked to the living room to watch the game. Lizzy skipped upstairs, delighted to share a room with Carmen. As for Carmen, she continued to sulk in her chair, refusing to move. She stared at the red and white checkered tablecloth so intensely I was surprised it didn’t burst into flames.

Mamma retreated into the kitchen, most likely preparing her lunch for work tomorrow. I still had so many questions, but I didn’t feel like having Mamma look at me like I was being defiant. I wanted to know how long until Tyler was eighteen or if he would stay until he graduated high school, no matter when his birthday was.

I ran up to my room and called Chloe. She always answered on the first ring.

“Hey, girl! I was about to call you. I’m confused about the science homework. Do you know the answer to number six?”

I dug out my textbook and notebook from my backpack. “Give me a second.” I opened the notebook and flipped to the back, where the homework sheet lay safely hidden, tucked in half. “I picked C. The tectonic plates are pieces of Earth's crust and uppermost mantle, together referred to as the lithosphere.”

“Right! Maybe I should pay more attention to class and less attention to the guys inside it, huh?” She giggled. I heard clicking on the other line like she was typing on her laptop.

“You’re boy crazy, is all,” I teased, laughing.

“Girl, you have no idea.” She sighed. “You called me. What’s up?”

I kicked off my shoes and jumped horizontally on my bed, dangling my feet and left arm off the mattress. “This is still a secret, so please don’t share it with anyone.”

“Okay. Secrets are always safe with me,” her voice gushed excitedly.

“Senator Winston died today,” I said in a rush.

Chloe let out a breath. I could only imagine her face scrunched in confusion. “I’m sorry? I didn’t know you were close to—”

“There’s more. He has a son our age named Tyler. Turns out my mamma is somehow connected to the family, and she has guardianship over him since both of his parents are gone.”

Chloe blew a raspberry into the phone. “Wait. What happened?”

“I know!” I ran a hand down my face. “My mamma is letting him move in with us. Carmen is super pissed because she must share a room with Lizzy so he has a place to crash.”

“She has a right to be. I’d be furious too. When is he coming?”

I rolled over onto my back, following the thin crack on my ceiling with my eyes. “In a few days, maybe a week. His dad still needs to have a funeral, and I guess other things need to happen first. My mamma wasn’t big on the details.”

“Do you think this has anything to do with the Russian mafia coming closer to Phoenix? That’s the rumor anyway, with all these new drug deals popping around town.”

I chewed on my bottom lip. “I’m not sure. I mean, the senator’s human and humans die every day.”

“True. Just a thought.” She sighed. “Damn, that’s crazy. I wonder if Tyler’s hot.”

I draped an arm over my eyes. Of course, that thought would cross her mind.

“I have no idea. Look him up.”

“I will.” I heard more typing. “Oh… he’s pretty cute. He’s a basketball player, and according to this, he’s a damn good one. Paolo, eat your heart out.”

I sat up, feeling nauseous. “Shit. Paolo didn’t even cross my mind! What will he do when he learns about Tyler moving in with my family?” I rubbed my temple, feeling a headache coming on strong. “Why is my life always a mess?”

“I wish I had an answer for you, hon. Just think of this as a social experiment. Like how college will be, living in a building with strangers.”

“Thanks. I’ll let you go. I just wanted to complain to someone.” I ran my hand along my sheet. “Seems life is going to be quite interesting here soon.”

“I bet. He does look hot. He has dark hair and eyes to match. He’s tall and ruggedly handsome almost in a bad boy way. I wonder if he’s boring and all into politics like his dad. That’d be a drag.”

“Who knows, he’s from Scottsdale. You know the type. They glare down their freshly fixed noses to judge the rest of us while they sit on their piles of money.”

Chloe exploded into laughter, the kind that made her lose her breath for a moment. “Damn,” she gasped, “Girl. You’re savage.”

I picked a speck on my jeans. “Always.”

“Well, even though he’s from Snobbs dale I’ll still give him a chance. My mom’s calling me, so I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

“Okay, bye.”

I stared at my phone’s screen and decided to look Tyler up online as well.

Damn, Chloe wasn’t lying. He was cute with his dark locks, intense eyes, strong jawbone, and a sinner’s smirk. He looked like trouble and that was the last thing I needed.

All I wanted was to graduate at the top of my class, get into college, not have the mafia pin a permanent position on me, and somehow break things off with Paolo.

Now I had some basketball star with devilishly good looks and a tragic background story moving in with me.

Why did I feel like the universe had pulled some mean prank and was laughing at me right now?