Free How to Bake the Perfect Apple Pie by Gina Henning

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