Chapter 16 ~ December 22 Cousins BrunchFreda’s cheeks stung and her eyes watered as she stepped out of the frigid cold into the overly-warm restaurant. As her vision cleared, she saw Sophie waving from across the room.
“Auntie Freda! Over here!”
Freda wasn’t Sophie’s aunt at all. Freda and Camelia’s mother were cousins, and that made Freda an “auntie” to both Camelia and Sophie in the familiar—if not strictly familial—sense. The important part was that they were all family.
“Steve’s on his way. Here, let me help you with your coat,” Sophie said, as she waved at the waiter to take Freda’s fur coat.
Freda settled in to wait for the rest of the Cousins, her children’s children, although only half of them would be here. Out of all of them, she was in closest contact with Mickey, but only b
