"Joy to the world, all the boys and girls," I hummed to myself as the strains of Three Dog Night played over my CD player. I was making dinner; cooking was always therapeutic after a long, hard day at work. As I scanned the recipe, still humming and thinking to myself where all the ingredients were, I could feel the tension drifting away. I was glad; work troubles belonged in the office, not in my own small apartment.
Once everything was cooking, I went into my living room and switched on the TV. I knew nothing would be on this time of day, but the more noise, the better to fill up the quiet space. As a consequence, I barely heard the knock on my door. When I opened it, I was shocked to see my young niece standing there. It was beginning to drizzle, and she stared at me miserably. "Hi, Uncle Rick."
"Hi, Amy." I stepped aside, and she walked in, setting her duffel bag on the coffee table. "What are you doing here?"
Her huge blue eyes were sad as she turned to face me. Her straight red hair, pulled back into childish pigtails, framed her pretty face as she spoke. "I had a fight with Mom and Dad. They said I'm eighteen, so I need to get a job or they're kicking me out of the house. So I left." Her mouth pulled into a frame as she said shakily, "I've looked for a job, Uncle Rick. I can't do much, and it's such a small town there's nobody looking for somebody like me. What do they want me to do, be a prostitute or something?"
"Aww." I felt a pang of pity for her. I knew how my sister and brother-in-law could be; they were controlling of her daughter as if she were still a little girl. She'd confided in me that they didn't let her date, gave any friends she tried to have the third degree, and actually screened the movies they rented before they'd let her see them. It was no wonder her birthday parties were strictly family affairs, or that she was so quiet and reserved.
It was encouraging that her parents wanted her to get a job, but I knew their motives were less about their daughter's independence than about their own greed. Another income would mean more money for them, and I doubted that Amy would ever get even half of her paycheck--not that it mattered, as she never went shopping without her mother. And there was the matter of that house in the ritzy part of town they were squirreling money away for... I was sure they had ulterior motives in their ultimatum towards their daughter.
She smiled now, though, humming along with "Let Me Serenade You." "Your apartment is too loud," she said quietly. "Don't you want to just enjoy the music without the TV, too?"
"I like the background noise." I studied her. "You can stay here for the night, but tomorrow, I'll talk to your parents. I'm sure that if they had any idea what the job market is like here, they'll be more lenient."
Amy smiled in relief. "Thank you, Uncle Rick! I love you." I was surprised as she moved closer to me for a hug.
"I love you too, kid." Her small body clung tight to mine. "I was just making dinner for one, but I'll put it in the fridge and we can order a pizza, okay?"
She nodded, and watched me head to the kitchen. I could hear rustling, and called for her to put her things in my room; I planned to sleep on the couch. I hoped to myself that my sister would be understanding for once in her life since she'd had Amy. I knew it was selfish, but I didn't know how long my back could stand the sofa for six hours every night.
"I rented a movie to watch tonight," I told her, naming the title. She looked confused.
"I never heard of it."
"Really? It was everywhere a few months ago." I pointed at the Blockbuster box so she could read the description. "It's rated R, though. Do your parents still not let you see R-rated movies?"
"They barely acquiesced to PG-13 a few weeks ago." Amy sighed. "I still haven't seen a PG-13 movie, though. All they rent is G or PG anymore."
"They really are prudes, aren't they?" I didn't feel bad criticizing Amy's parents; I knew she felt the same way and appreciated that someone else could see her side. "Well, let's watch that tonight. What toppings?" I asked, picking up the phone.
"Huh? Oh, the pizza. Umm... pepperoni, I guess."
I nodded in appreciation and ordered two large pepperoni pizzas and some drinks. Since it would be about an hour before the pizza arrived, I told Amy to get comfortable and changed into my casual clothes, sweatpants and a t-shirt, before popping the movie in the DVD player. Amy disappeared into the bathroom a few seconds later, coming out dressed in pajama pants and a cute spaghetti-string top I couldn't believe they let her wear, even for pajamas. It accentuated all her features, and she brightened up immediately once she was more comfortable, walking lightly over to the couch and curling up next to me.
