Family First
by thestepfordgirl
Nathan unlocked the pool house door and stepped inside. As he flicked the light switch, there was a small delay before the lights came on. His aunt and her husband said they hadn't used it since last summer, and they weren't kidding; some cobwebs had built up, the air smelled like last a mummy had applied sunscreen, but it would work. Keep the windows open for a few days and this place would be a resort.
All in all, this was going to be a sweet deal. Nathan's rich uncle would have him do yard work for the summer, and in return, he didn't have to share a crappy dorm room, not many incoming freshmen could say THAT. He found the bedroom, dropped his bags, and went to work on making the place breathable.
A few hours later, a knock came at the door, "come in," Nathan called.
"Hey, sweetie! Sorry we couldn't greet you!" came his aunt Nina's voice. She pulled the door open and stepped in. "Oh my goodness, I hardly recognized you!" She laughed, trotting toward him, arms outstretched.
Nathan met his aunt halfway and embraced her for a hug, "hey aunt Nina, yeah, I guess I look a bit different, huh?"
"You certainly do!" she exclaimed as she looked up and down her nephew. "Last time I saw you I was looking down! Now I'm craning my neck the opposite way," she laughed, "and you certainly didn't have that cute little beard," she added as she pinched and pulled at Nathan's cheeks.
"Well you look about the same," Nathan replied, under the onslaught of auntie observation.
"Agh, don't tease an old lady like that," Nina chided, but she couldn't help but smile.
"Old lady? You're 10 years younger than my mom!" Nathan retorted.
"Oh no, she's definitely ancient, I've contacted the mortician to start fitting her for the coffin," came a snarky voice from the door.
Nathan and Nina released their embrace as the source came through the entryway. "Alright, well that's a bit too much the other way," chided Nina. "Nathan, you remember your gremlin of a cousin, Audrey, yes?"
"O-of course!" Nathan replied. But gremlin seem to fit her appearance. He certainly didn't remember her looking like the beauty that entered the pool house. Nathan tried not to think about family that way, but it was hard to ignore that his cousin could probably skip college and go straight to modeling. As she stepped up to her mother, Nathan couldn't help but notice how close the two looked. Certainly like mother and daughter, but it was almost eerie. Both barely brushed past 5 feet tall, both delicately curvy figures. Between his aunt's youthful beauty and his cousin's wry expression, the two could have easily passed as sisters.
"Well, sweetie, we're both beat. LAX was a circus and we need to figure out some Jetlag, we'll catch up in the morning!" His aunt explained as she wrapped her arms around her daughter and escorted them out onto the lawn.
"Good night, aunt Nina! Night, Audrey!" Nathan called from the door.
"Good night, Nathan! Looking forward to this summer! We're gonna have a blast!" His aunt called back over her shoulder.
Nathan got himself unpacked, and after a few more hours and a shower, found himself collapsing into the softest bed he'd ever felt.