Intro 2

Emma made arrangements to take time off from her studies and packed her bags. She had no idea how long she would be staying with her Aunt Maude, but figured at least a week.

Though Maude had been at the funeral, Emma had not seen much of her over the years. Maude was the older sister of Emma's Mother, but they were not very close. Emma always got the feeling that something had happened in their past to drive the sisters apart, but Emma had no real idea of what it might have been.

Aunt Maude had come to the funeral alone, leaving her husband Edward and her three children at home. Emma smiled through her grief as she recalled the few memories she had of her cousins from childhood.

Her cousin Jake had been 2 years older than Emma, making him about 23 now. James and Jenny, the twins, would be about 18 now. Emma frowned as she realized how little she knew of her distant family.

Oh well, I'll just have to make an effort to make up for lost time when I visit, She thought to herself as she finished packing.

With Summer drawing to a close and changing to Autumn, Emma packed a mixture of clothing that would be appropriate for warm or cooler weather. She threw a couple of her thongs into the suitcase, just in case, as well as a nicer dress. If Jake wasn't away at school then maybe they could go out one night.

A night out with her cousin might be a great idea to take her mind off of things. There was so much she needed to be doing to get her parent's affairs in order now that they were gone, but she wasn't ready for all that yet. Perhaps Aunt Maude would be able to help.

A horn sounding in her driveway shook Emma from her thoughts. Grabbing her luggage and making a quick check that lights were off and doors were locked, Emma headed out to the cab that would take her across the state to her family.