Southern Cross

"You look gorgeous. Look at your hair!"

I vamped. "You like?"

"I like the bangs. Grrowl..."

He was standing at the curb as I walked toward him with bags in both hands. He stepped off and opened the rear cargo door. I met him behind the car and set my bags down. Despite the heavy heat, we held each other close.

He smelled like sunscreen.

His arms encircled my waist and he let his fingers brush across my linen sundress, dropping to rest on my hips, bunching the fabric in his fists. We kissed.

I'd missed this--how a good kiss from him tugs at my lips, my heart and my sex all at once. I sighed into his mouth and smiled as we stood with our foreheads tilted together.

"Damn, honey, you smell good."

"Aw, thank you. Glad you like it."

"I give it two days, tops. Soon you'll smell of lake water and sweat like the rest of us."

"Me? Never. I have a PhD in smelling good."

He reached down and picked up my small suitcase, flipping it into the back and setting my tote next to it.

We climbed into the front seats.

"I can't believe I'm here!"

"Oh, it'll hit you at about the fourteenth introduction to another member of my family. Let's go pick up the rest of yours."

We pulled out and followed the traffic to the airport exit.

We pulled into the Waffle House parking lot and spotted Daniel and Deiondra walking out the door with Miles and Jack.

"There they are," I said, smiling.

"Oh, honey, you're way hotter than she is."

"Right? And I'm thinner, too. That's for sure."

We got out of the car and my heart did a flip when Miles started running toward me shouting, "Momma!"

Was it me, or had he gotten more gorgeous since I'd last seen him, with his tan skin, freckles and dark brown hair falling into his coffee-colored eyes?

I scooped him up and swung him around. Jack jumped up onto my arm and held on like a monkey. My tiny blond monkey. I set them both down and squeezed them. I'd had total freedom in the preceding two weeks, but I'd missed them too much.

Suddenly I had been free to do whatever I pleased, yet there were evenings when I found myself sitting on the floor of my living room wondering what I should do. Like, "I could go to dinner, I could call a friend, I could see a movie...what do people without spouses or children do on nights like this?"

Back in the parking lot introductions were made and Deiondra and I exchanged pleasantries, conveniently avoiding the topic of her very pregnant belly. The four of us got the kids loaded and buckled and their bags transfered very quickly.

I had been warned that we'd best not tarry en route to meet them, as Daniel had a schedule to keep. Apparently my arrival conflicted with his plans to watch the World Cup Soccer final that afternoon. You know.

We waved goodbye to Daniel and Deiondra and pulled onto the highway. The boys were exhausted and soon were begging to watch a DVD. I loaded Chicken Little into the fancy built-in DVD player and within minutes they were asleep for the two-hour drive.

In the quiet of the car we talked--my eyes traveling to his profile as he drove--about the last two weeks, his escapades and mine. I laid my head in his lap, stroking the skin of his thigh, looking back at the sleeping boys and then up at his neck thinking how happy I was to be there.

My reminder of where I was spending the next week came a moment later: A gigantic Confederate flag flew on a very tall flagpole which had been erected next to the federal highway. I shook my head in disbelief. He echoed my sentiments: "Wow."

When we neared our destination I roused Miles and Jack, who rallied and pretended that they'd never even been asleep.

"We're almost there," I cheered, "wake up, sleepyheads!"

As cotton fields and double-wide trailers gave way to densely wooded roads I could tell we were getting close. I looked at him and smiled. This was big.

We pulled into a very steep circle drive overlooking the lake, about eighty feet below.

"There's Jesse," he smiled, "of course he'd be the first to greet you."

I stepped out of the car, looking back at the boys who were still a little out of it, and came face to face with brother Jesse. His expression was vaguely familiar. I extended my hand.

"Hi, Jesse. Madeline. Nice to meet you," I said, smiling.

"Aw, now, we don't shake hands here," came his reply.

Well, you don't have to tell me twice. I kissed that boy's cheek and hugged him close.

Frank was next, his cigarette finished, wearing a Hawaiian shirt, shorts and flip flops with long dark hair and piercing eyes. He kissed my cheek and held on for a while before he went to help carry bags. Total flirt. I could tell we would get on well.

"Damn," I thought, "this is a good looking family."

We unloaded the boys and walked down the steps around to the side of the house where I was greeted by the most awesome thing.

A slight woman in her eighties with sparkling blue eyes and a spirit which would not be contained came around the side of the house.

She walked straight over, looked up at me and sang, "Hai! I'm Nanny!" and gave me the sweetest hug ever.

"Pleased to meet you, ma'am, I'm Madeline" I gushed. I had never met her, but I knew the significance of this, "and these are my boys, Miles and Jack." I pulled away and smiled at her.

"Jefferson's told me so much about you."



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