Page 62 of Begin Again

A knock at the door pulls me from my reverie. I glance at the clock—it’s barely past eight. Whoever it is, they’re starting the day earlier than I’d like. Too early for a casual visit.

I open the door to find my aunt Aubrey standing there. She’s wearing a flowing skirt with intricate patterns, the kind she’s always favored, paired with a simple black top. Her hair is pulled back in a loose braid, a colorful scarf woven through it. She looks the same as she always does—warm, put-together like she belongs in an old photograph of our family.

But for the first time, I wonder how much of that warmth is real.

“Aubrey,” I say, stepping aside. “This is a surprise.”

She smiles faintly as she steps inside, glancing around the room like she’s taking inventory of my life. “I didn’t want to call—I thought it might be better to talk in person.”

There’s a carefulness in the way she says it like she wants me to know she’s here for me but also needs to steer the conversation.

“Talk about what?” I ask, moving toward the kitchen. “Coffee?”

“Always,” she laughs softly, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. “I wanted to talk about you, Teddy. You’ve been…busy recently. I just wanted to make sure you are okay, to check in.”

I pour her a cup and slide it across the counter. She picks it up, wrapping her hands around it for warmth, but she doesn’t drink right away. She never does. Aubrey lets her coffee cool first, always waiting until it’s just shy of lukewarm before taking the first sip.

“I’m fine. Just working on a few things.”

She hesitates, fingers tracing the rim of her mug before setting it down with deliberate care. Like she’s steadying herself. “Working on a few things… With that new boy in town? Bennett?”

I freeze for half a second before forcing myself to relax. She says it so casually, but the way she lingers on his name feels off.

“Yeah. Bennett.” I say not giving her his last name. Not yet.

“Helping him,” she repeats like she’s turning the words over, searching for their weight. “Teddy, I don’t mean to pry, but no one seems to know much about him. Other than the fact he’s writing a travel blog.”

I lean against the counter, crossing my arms, keeping my voice neutral. “He’s new. People don’t know him yet.”

She nods, thoughtful. “I understand wanting to give someone the benefit of the doubt. But you have to admit, Teddy, his sudden appearance… it’s curious timing.”

Her words are careful. Measured. On a first read, it sounds like she’s just being protective. But now, I wonder. Is she feeling me out? Trying to gauge how much I know?

My stomach tightens, but I keep my face still. “Bennett’s not the issue here.”

Aubrey tilts her head slightly, her expression unreadable. “I’m not saying he is,” she says gently. “I’m just saying to be careful. You have a good heart, and I’d hate to see someone take advantage of that.”

Her words soften the edge of my frustration. Aubrey has always been protective, but this feels different. Like she’s worried about more than she’s letting on.

The words should be reassuring. They used to be.

But now, they feel… off.

I can’t put my finger on it, not exactly. Maybe it’s the way she’s framing it—like she’s planting a seed of doubt in my mind. About Bennett. About Mo. About everything.

Why does it feel like she’s trying to get ahead of something?

I study her across the counter. The woman who practically raised me. The woman I never once doubted.

She’s watching me carefully, waiting for my response.

“I’m being careful,” I say, my voice even.

Aubrey smiles, pleased. But why does it feel like I just told her what she wanted to hear?

She hesitates again, I’ve never seen her this unsure before

“There’s another thing I wanted to talk to you about.” Her voice softens. “You’re all the family I have left, Teddy. I don’t want to lose you.”