Relatives

“It doesn’t really affect me,” she said, pumping another load of vanilla syrup into her cup. Then came the caramel.

“See? All my classmates can’t drink coffee without making this face,” she said, making the face.

I nodded. My cousin was young, why poke holes in a burgeoning confidence? She had far more of it than I did at her age. I was going to protect it as best as I could, despite only seeing her four times a year. 

We bonded over hot sauces and joking about our older relatives who were all far closer to my age than she was mine, but I didn’t let that on.

I think we’ve got a good crop coming up in this next season.