I took a deep breath.
Yes, you do, Hunter,
I thought.
“I never had one before.”
“You got one now,” I told him, and I looked into Remy’s eyes. They were frightened. He hadn’t spelled it out to himself yet, but he knew.
There was something I had to say to him, regardless of Kristen’s presence. I could feel her confusion and her sense that something was going on without her knowledge. But I didn’t have the space on my agenda to worry about Kristen, too. Hunter was the important person.
“You’re gonna need me,” I told Remy. “When he gets a little older, you’re gonna need to talk. My number’s in the book, and I’m not going anywhere. You understand?”
Kristen said, “What’s going on? Why are we getting so serious?”
“Don’t worry, Kris,” Remy said gently. “Just family stuff.”
Kristen lowered a wriggling Hunter to the floor. “Uh-huh,” she said, in the tone of someone who knows full well she’s having the wool pulled over her eyes.
“Stackhouse,” I reminded Remy. “Don’t put it off till too late, when he’s already miserable.”
“I understand,” he said. He looked miserable himself, and I didn’t blame him.
“I’ve got to go,” I said again, to reassure Kristen.
“Aunt Sookie, you going?” Hunter asked. He wasn’t quite ready to hug me yet, but he thought about it. He liked me. “You coming back?”
“Sometime, Hunter,” I said. “Maybe your dad will bring you to visit me someday.”
I shook Kristen’s hand, shook Remy’s, which they both thought was odd, and opened the door. As I put one foot on the steps, Hunter said silently,
Bye, Aunt Sookie.
Bye, Hunter,
I said right back.