Excerpt from Chapter 9 of Did You Miss Me?
Read Chapter Nine or Start at Chapter One
"[Alice]'s going to be a great mom one day," Mary said with a soft little smile. "Her and Frank's future little chubby babs give me such a serotonin kick."
"I knoooooow! I'm gonna be Auntie Flo and..." Flo suddenly sat bolt upright, a look of pure horror crashing across her face. "I'm going to be Aunt Flo!" she wailed.
It took Mary and her sleep-fogged brain a second to catch on, but when she did, she nearly fell off the bed trying to contain her giggles. "Ohhh oh no," she gasped, pink-cheeked and bright-eyed. "Ohhh bab, we'll come up with a different name for you, I promise I promise," Mary giggled, covering her mouth to hopefully avoid invoking the neighbour's wrath again.
"Sorry, can't wear a white bathing suit, Aunt Flo is in town..." Flo twisted and hid in Mary's chest with a cry of despair. "Mum, Daddy, why did you do this to me!?"
Mary wrapped her arms around Flo's despondent form and stroked her back soothingly, though her body still shook with muffled giggles. "We'll call you Teri or Theresa or—ohhh, Aunt Lyon-ess, that would be fun!"
"Aunt Flora," Flo suggested. "You'll have to start calling me Flora, so it sticks..."
"Flora," Mary sounded out, the r gently rolling off her tongue with her unbridled accent. "Ooh, that sounds proper Spanish it does!" she chirped. "Flora Ma...hm...Maria Theresa Lyons—no, de Leon," she corrected, her Spanish accent abysmal except for the Brummie-born rolled r, though she was quite proud of her effort.
"Flora Maria?" Flo asked, making herself comfortable on Mary's shoulder. "You muscling in on my name, Mac?"
Mary smiled and shrugged, careful not to dislodge Flo. "You wanted something different. It sounds pretty! Foreign. Sexy. Could be your alter ego. She wears red stilettos and dances the paso doble!"
Chapter 10 (and Sirius Black) coming ~7 AM EST Jan 21!















