Jonah looked through the crowded airport but didn't see his aunt, so he found a chair and waited. Moving his duffle bag next to him to keep it out of the way, he grabbed his phone from his carry on and checked for any messages. It wasn't like her to be late.
"Thank you for your service."
Jonah looked up from his phone to see an elderly man with a WWII Vet hat walk by and wave. Not many of them left, he thought. He was so used to being in uniform over the last few months, he forgot how much attention it brought even with a base nearby.
"Thank you, Sir. I'm just out of training."
"Active duty? Where is Uncle Sam sticking you. Hopefully not North Dakota!" he said with a laugh.
"No, just the Air National Guard. Going to Brunswick, on the coast."
"That's a bit of a drive from Atlanta. They skimping on airfare now?" he asked with a near toothless grin.
"I'm meeting my aunt here and I had stuff in storage to move so this was easier."
"Good luck, son."
"Thank you." Jonah watched the old man walk off and he went back to his phone when a text popped up:
Aunt Brooke: Hold tight, Atlanta traffic finally beat me this time. I'll be pulling up in about 10 minutes.
Jonah: No problem, Aunt Brooke. I'm fine.
Waiting for her, he leaned back in his chair, finally able to relax and not have someone hovering over him. His tech school training was a lot better than basic but there was something nice about looking around and not worrying if you were sitting or eating wrong. Just before his senior year, he signed up for delayed enlistment so after graduating in June, he was on a plane to basic in July. He "celebrated" turning 18 during his red line inspections and by celebrate, he means buffing the bay floors. He smiled to himself thinking how ridiculous it all seemed now.
Aunt Brooke: I'm here!
Jonah got up and made his way to the pickup where he found his aunt standing by a BMW SUV with the back open.
"Oh shit! You're an adult now. Loot at you." She ran up and hugged him, kissing his cheek. Leaning back he noticed that her smile still seemed bigger than her face.
"Hey Aunt Brooke. I've missed you."
"I missed you. I can't want to get started. This is going to be the best adventure. C'mon, let's go before these assholes start honking."
Jonah picked up his duffle bag and tossed it in the back. Brooke was right beside him. She was taller than his mom but had the same dirty blonde hair she kept in a ponytail most of the time, but the light pink streaks she kept in it were definitely not like his mother's. He wasn't in the habit of checking out his aunt but she had on tight jeans showing off her ass and the thin white top exposed her bra underneath. She had a nose ring that infuriated his mom but it fit her personality. He smiled when he thought about how angry his mother got at Christmas when she wouldn't take it out for family pictures.
"Oh! A new tattoo?" Looking at her back he noticed an All Seeing Eye on her right shoulder blade. She looked back at him over her shoulder and shut the truck.
"Oh, yea, I got it last year. I guess this shirt is see through so I'm flashing my bra to the world, aren't I?"
"I didn't mean to notice. I mean I didn't notice; well, I did see through your shirt but not your bra but now that you mention it, I can see it and..."
Brooke had her head cocked to the side with a small grin.
"Relax. I didn't mean to embarrass you. Get in." She jumped in the SUV while he took a deep breath and hoped he could keep from embarrassing himself for the rest of day.
"So, tell me about everything! I'm excited and we have a four hour drive after we pick up your stuff. You got the trailer, right?"
"Yea, Ricky said it was loaded up."
"Oh, is he going to be there?" She asked. He noticed an edge to her voice when she asked.
"Ricky? No, he had to work. Y'all don't get along?"
"He's just a bully but he's your brother, and my nephew, but I don't want to be around him, no."
"Yea, he is bit much sometimes."
"I'm so happy you aren't like him. He was a shit kid too but not you, you always wanted to spend time with your Aunt Brooke."
"I still do." Jonah saw a smile flash across her face making him smile as well. "Bully or not, he loaded my stuff, probably because he wants the unit, but still."
Brooke rolled her eyes.
"He's a bully like your mother," she said.
The car got really quiet as they hit the constant traffic in the city, but after a few moments she spoke up, "I'm sorry, that was rude. I shouldn't talk about your mom. It slipped."
They hadn't gotten along in years and him choosing to live with his aunt would make for more problems.
"She still pissed you're moving here?" she asked.
"Yea, but I kinda lied and told her my job wasn't accepted at the base near home. She may have bought it; I don't know."
Brooke smiled, "Not bad, Jonah. It sucks you have to lie but, man, I get it."