ONE

"I want Roberta to come to my birthday party too"

"Mary I'm sure Roberta has her own plans; it's her birthday too"

"Yeah but we're twins though"

"No the zodiac sign you share are twins; you're both Geminis"

"Uncle Frank you're a Gemini too right?"

"I'm a June Gemini a huge difference"

"What's the difference between May Geminis and June Geminis?"

"Tell you what Miss Curious" Frank chuckled as he still tinkered away at the boat engine "we'll pick up a book on astrology from the library and find out"

"Frank?"

"Mary?"

"What were you like when you were ten?"

"What was I like?"

"Yeah"

Francis Adler looked up at Mary Adler who had her one eyed cat Fred cuddled up in her lap as she swung her legs back and forth. He couldn't believe his niece was turning ten years old next week. There were days when he still thought of her as the little six-month-old baby cooing on the couch with her mother dead from suicide in the bathroom.

Frank had to admit he hated when his niece asked questions like this because it forced him to reflect on his own childhood; it wasn't as carefree as Mary's.

"I was a quiet kid"

"Kind of like how you are now?" Mary asked "you don't really talk that much"

"That's because I have you to do the talking for me" Frank said jokingly

"Did you have any friends?"

Frank paused trying to recollect any childhood friends. He was almost thirty-five, so he had to reach back almost three decades to recall any friends from the time he was ten years old.

"......I had one haven't seen her since I was ten though"

"What was her name? was she pretty?"

Frank chuckled and said "Her name was Alice, and she was very pretty"

"Where is she now?"

"I don't know" Frank said honestly "I haven't seen her in almost twenty-five years"

"Think you'll ever see her again?"

"I doubt it"

"You ever think about her sometimes?"

"Sometimes yeah"

"Did you like her?" Mary asked with an impish grin

"Yeah, I liked her"

"But did you like-like her?"

"Yes Mary" Frank said "I liked-liked her"

"Aww!" Mary fawned "you have to see her again!"

"Mary some people come in your life for a reason and some for a season" Frank explained to her

"Maybe she's a reason that just had to go away for a season"

Frank looked back up at Mary chuckling he said "I don't know what I'm going to do with you"

"Hello? Alice baby is that you?"

Bethany Alice Taylor sighed a huge breath of relief to hear her aunt Roberta Taylor on the line

"Yes it's me Aunt Berta"

Roberta chuckled in relief too; she didn't even mind her adult niece still referring to her as Aunt Berta. It was a nickname that stuck when Alice was learning how to talk and couldn't full pronounce the name Roberta.

"Sweetie how are you? I've haven't heard from you since Christmas"

"I know" Alice said guilty "I know"

"Are you going to tell me how you're doing?"

Roberta gave a niece a second to respond

"Bethany Alice"

"Aunt Berta is it okay for me to stay with you for a little while?"

"Now you know you're welcome to stay with me anytime" Roberta sincerely "I know there's something deeper to this that you're not telling me"

Alice squeezed her eyes tight and bit her lower lip. What the hell was she going to tell her aunt? That she was still running from her ex-boyfriend Walter? The miscarriage he caused by pushing her down a flight of steps? That she was slowing becoming like her own mother?

"It's nothing" she insisted "I just want to see you. I miss you"

"I miss you too baby; you know you're my favorite niece"

"I'm catching the next Greyhound"

"Oh you'll be here just in time for my birthday!" Roberta said gleefully

"I know" Alice managed to smile a little

"I'm going to have to make sure you say other words besides ‘I know' when you get down here" Roberta said "down here in St. Petersburg, Florida we talk"

"Roberta!"

"Hey birthday twin you ready for next Saturday?"

"Yup!"

Roberta gave Mary a big hug as Frank closed the door of his truck. Frank was always grateful for Roberta; she was the female presence that Mary needed in her life even if she was just their next door neighbor.

He certainly would be grateful for her in the next couple of years once Mary starts puberty. Frank did his best by his niece but he couldn't teach or show her how to be a young lady.

"Uncle Frank was just fixing up his fishing boat" Mary said excitedly "we'll be able to catch some fish for the party"

"And I'm going to fry them right up" Roberta laughed "got all the sides and fixings to go with it and oh I'm making a double decker chocolate cake to celebrate your double digits"

"Yum!"

"Roberta you don't have to do all of that" Frank insisted

"Francis stop" Roberta shook her head "you know I'd do anything for this child"

"I know I just don't want her getting too spoiled plus it's a milestone birthday for you too"

"Yes well I'm already getting my present and she's on her way down here in a few days"

"She?"

"My niece" Roberta replied "she's about your age she just called yesterday evening she'll be staying with me for a little while"

"That sounds nice"

"Yes I'm just concerned because she sounds like she's in trouble" Roberta explained "she doesn't do much talking"

"She sounds just like Uncle Frank" Mary pointed out

"Yes" Roberta chuckled a little "they both have a quiet and calm nature about them"

"Lots of people are like that pure coincidence"

"He's just being stubborn" Mary giggled

"Actually Frank I was wondering if you could drive me to bus station to pick her up"

"I can do that sure" Frank replied "is she staying for the summer?"

"I hope so but she claims it's only for a little while"

"We could convince her" Mary suggested "why wouldn't she want to stay?"

"Frank what are you going to do with this child?" Roberta laughed

"Just wondering that the other day" Frank replied "wouldn't trade her for the world though"

Alice twiddled her thumbs as she clutched her carry-on bag. The driver just announced that the next stop was St. Petersburg. She took a deep breath. Everything was going to be okay. She would be safe with her aunt. Walter didn't know where she was.

It felt weird being in St. Petersburg again. Alice hadn't been here since she was eighteen, so it felt a bit odd coming back at age thirty-three. It felt like she had failed at life...perhaps she did.

No she just needed to start new that's all.

Alice was hoping her aunt Roberta wouldn't spot her too soon, but she stuck out like a sore thumb; she was the only black passenger on the Greyhound coming in from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

"Alice!" she heard her aunt call "Alice baby over here!"

"Aunt Berta---"

Alice was cut off when Roberta gathered her in a hug and she hugged her aunt back gladly

"Oh thank God my baby is here safe" she said caressing her face "how are you?"

"I'm fine Aunt Berta really"

"You feel thinner than traffic pole" Roberta teased her "we're going to have to get some food in you while you're down here"

"I know"

"Alice there's someone I'd like you to meet...."

"Can we watch WWE tonight?" Mary asked as she swung her uncle's arm back and forth

"Maybe Friday" Frank said "you've got school tomorrow morning"

"Uncle Frank it's the end of May" Mary insisted "this part of the school year doesn't matter"

"Until the last of school on June tenth it matters"

"But it's Taco Tuesday"

"We can still have tacos for dinner but you're going to be in bed by nine" Frank said

"I'm turning ten in four days and you're still giving me a bedtime?"

"Life's not always fair kid; besides I'm not ready for you to grow up so fast"

"Please Frank"

"I said what I said young lady"

Frank's attention turned to Roberta coming outside of the bus depot as Mary was still going on about how she should be able to stay up and watch wrestling. At that moment the whole world seemed to stop and slow down when Frank caught a glimpse of Roberta's niece....no it couldn't be.....that wasn't her.....was it?

"....no it can't be" Frank murmured

"What did you say Frank?" Mary asked looking up at her uncle noticing how he straightened up

Frank didn't hear his own niece after a while his attention was on Roberta's niece as they both came closer.

"Hello!" Mary cheerfully greeted Roberta's niece

"This ray of sunshine is Mary Adler" Roberta chuckled "and this is her uncle---"

"....Frank?"

"Alice" he confirmed "yes it's me"

"This is the Alice you were talking about?" Mary asked excitedly "I told you she'd come back!"

"Am I missing something here?" Roberta asked, "you two know each other?"

A slight blush flashed across Frank's face which could be seen even through his facial hair and Alice couldn't help but chuckle

"We went to the same elementary school for a little bit" Frank explained "I believe Alice was able to skip fourth grade and was in the same class as me for fifth grade"

"That was before me and Momma had to move Aunt Berta" Alice confirmed "I was nine remember?"

"Oh yes" Roberta's face clouded with sadness "I remember"

Frank was curious to know what that was about; he did remember Alice being in his class one day and gone the next. Again, that was at least twenty-five years ago. That was the was last he ever saw of Alice until now.

"Hey why don't we go get something to eat?" Frank suggested as he took Alice's luggage and began packing it on the back of his truck "I'm sure you have to be starving"

"I am"

"Alice do you like tacos?" Mary asked "Uncle Frank and I were just talking about getting some"

"Tacos sound great" Alice smiled she couldn't believe her long lost childhood friend was an uncle now.

"Casita Taqueria it is then" Frank said, "you want to dine in or carryout?"

"We can do carryout" Roberta said "that way we can all eat at my place and get comfortable"

About an hour later Roberta Taylor's tiny apartment was full of laughter and joy and a buffet of tacos from Casita Taqueria to go around. Frank mostly let the ladies talk as he just sat with his tacos and nursed his Budweiser. He couldn't stop looking at Alice though and stealing quick glimpses of her as Mary was making animated conversation with her.

Was this a fever dream? Bethany Alice Taylor was suddenly back in his life again and it was a lot to take in. Frank felt a little giddy as if he was ten all over again as opposed to thirty-four still to him Alice hadn't changed a bit; still as beautiful as ever. Her milk chocolate complexion matched Roberta's perfectly, her heart shaped face, her kind eyes, her curvy hourglass figure---

"I see you're quite taken with my Alice"

"Huh?"

Roberta took a seat next to Frank with a glass of her sweet iced tea; giving him a knowing look

"Oh" he said straightening himself up "it's just shock that's all I haven't seen her in decades, and I never thought I'd see her again. I certainly never would have thought she was your niece"

"It's a small world after all isn't it?" Roberta teased

"Tell me about it"

"Well I'm glad that Alice has another familiar face while she's here"

"She's getting real familiar with Mary right now"

"Mary has the effect on everyone"

Frank smiled at that and sat up a little; then he lowered his voice a little "You mentioned Alice was in trouble have any idea what that might be?"

"....between me and you I think that she is probably running from Walter"

"Walter?"

"Her ex-boyfriend who can't take a hint" Roberta replied "Lord knows Alice has been trying to get away from him for years"

Frank felt himself gripping the neck of his Budweiser and asked, "So he's stalking her?"

"That's what I'm suspecting but he's never been down to St. Petersburg"

"So what's her plan?" Frank pondered on "surely she's going to stay down here"

"That's what I want for her" Roberta confessed "my baby is here and she's safe the last thing I need to hear is Walter killing her"

Jesus Christ.

"Frank!" Mary broke into his thoughts "do you think Alice can come fishing with us on Friday when I come home from school?"

"Oh no that's okay I don't want to be a third wheel----"

"I think that's a fine idea" Roberta cut her niece off "it's going to be nice out and you and Frank can catch up with each other; besides I'm going to need plenty of fish to fry for Saturday"

"You wouldn't be a third wheel Alice" Frank said sincerely "you can come with us"

"....okay" Alice replied dodging direct eye contact with him; something she had been doing all afternoon.

Frank didn't like that. He wanted to see her brown eyes meet his blue eyes when they spoke to each other.......just like when they were kids.

"Alright Mary it is eight forty-five" Frank said turning his attention to his niece "so someone needs to be in bed in fifteen minutes or less"

"Okay" Mary said reluctantly "goodnight Roberta, goodnight Alice"

"Goodnight, Mary" Roberta said giving the girl a hug as she and her uncle made their way to the door.

"You have a goodnight Alice" Frank said hoping she would look at him

"Night Frank" she replied still managing to not look at him "Night Mary"

The uncle and niece made their short walk back to their apartment and Mary asked

"Is Alice afraid of you?"

"No why do you ask that?"

"She didn't seem to talk to you that much; I thought you two were friends"

"We are" Frank insisted "she's just got a lot going on right now again we haven't seen each other since we were your age"

"Do you think something happened to her?"

"I don't know" Frank said not wanting his niece to worry about that "she's new around here and just needs time to adjust"

"Are you going to help her adjust?"

"....I'm going to try my best"