14
Josie
We all pretended not to notice the hushed whispers and open gawking that transpired as the three of us walked hand-in-hand to Aunt Mimi’s diner. If it had only involved me, I would have confronted the gossip-mongers, but I didn’t want to risk embarrassing Alex further by drawing any more attention to it.
Hannah squealed with delight as we sailed her little body high over the sidewalk, and the sound was music to my ears. The child normally had a quiet somberness to her expression that was heartbreaking to witness on someone so young. From Alex’s lighthearted chuckle, it was obvious that he was savoring seeing his child sound so carefree as well.
The small diner was bustling with lunch rush activity, but Aunt Mimi still managed to yell a friendly greeting to us. “There’s a booth
