The door hinges squeaked as it opened and Aunt Faye stood in the trailer, smiling wide. She was a stout woman whose weight gave way to a particularly jolly laugh. Like most days, she was wearing a cotton dress and shoes that hugged her tiny feet.
She was clearly happy that her goddaughter had paid a visit. It was written all over her face.
“Hey, Bean,” Faye said, her English accent formal and friendly at the same time.
“Hey, Aunty,” Sabrina said, pulling the older woman in for a hug. The two embraced each other as if it’d been years since they had spoken, even though it had been less than a day.
“I bet you have some news for me,” Faye said as they broke from their hug, her eyebrows arching into her gray wispy bangs.
Sabrina grinned.
“Come inside, love,” Faye said, stepping back into her trailer. “What are you waiting for?”
Faye’s mobile home was just two down from Sabrina's parent's trailer. It was larger in comparison and significantly newer. Because of that, it was also more elaborate and in much better condition. But the contrast wasn't something Sabrina had ever paid much attention too, especially because the place served as her second home. It was a spot where she’d spent countless days, and even nights, as a child, while her parents were away at work.
All of this time brought the two very close and eventually led to the woman earning the title of 'Aunty Faye.' In fact, the only technical relation between them was that Aunt Faye was Sabrina's godmother.
“Well, I suppose you didn’t get all dressed up just to see me,” Faye said. “Tell me how the interview went.”
“It went really well,” Sabrina said, taking a seat on a small couch across from the miniature chair where her aunt Faye often sat.
“I knew it would.” Faye's eyes sparkled with excitement. They were a unique shade of lavender that Sabrina had never seen anyone else have. “Tell me everything.”
“I got the job. I’ll be doing assistant duties similar to what I told you about,” Sabrina explained. “I'm kind of a trip assistant.”
“Trip?” Faye asked, shifting in her seat and frowning slightly.
“It's a travel position,” Sabrina said. “I didn't know all of the details when I applied, but I figured there would be a catch. Traveling will be fun, though, I think.”
“That sounds like a ball,” Faye said, her tone alive with excitement.
“Yeah, it really does,” Sabrina said.
“And so who will you assist?” Faye asked “What’s this person like?”
Suddenly the image of Marco in his soft linen shirt and glowing skin filled her head.
“He’s incredible.” The words spilled out before Sabrina could filter a more appropriate response.
Aunt Faye laughed and leaned forward. “Do tell.”
“I mean he seems great, at least from what I can tell so far.” Sabrina tried again, this time with a little more control. “His name his Marco and he's from some island in the Mediterranean. He’s a very wealthy person, which I guess is why he needs an assistant. But he’s also super genuine. I could tell after only a few minutes of us talking. He's definitely someone I think I’ll absolutely love working for.”
“That sounds wonderful,” Faye said. “And the pay is what you expected? There’s no catch besides having to travel?”
“No catch at all. Nothing so far anyway,” Sabrina said. “They outlined everything one last time right before I left, including going over the pay one more time. I’ll easily make enough to save for tuition.”
“Oh, Bean,” Faye said, her face melting into a smile of pure happiness. “Look at you.”
Sabrina couldn’t help but break into a smile of her own.
“I’m so proud of you,” Faye said.
“Thanks, Aunty. That really means a lot,” Sabrina said, and for the first time she felt her anxious emotions mellow into something controllable. She took a breath and appreciated the momentary peace.
“When do you start on this grand adventure?” Faye asked, settling into a comfortable chair.
“The day after tomorrow is when we leave,” Sabrina told her. “But, I'm meeting with his usual assistant to find out how everything is going to work tomorrow. She's going to teach me how to set up what he needs and exactly what my job requirements are. I think for the most part, I'll be the face on the accounts. I'm fairly sure he's some kind of famous, so they don't want his name on anything or for people to be able to discover he's there.”
“I'd say this calls for a celebration.” Faye reached for the counter beside her and pushed herself up from her chair. “I have just the thing.”
Sabrina had a few decent guesses for what could have meant, one of which was confirmed when her aunt returned from her bedroom. She carried a tray with an antique ornate tea set, which she placed gently onto the coffee table between them.
The porcelain tea cups were painted with delicate blue patterns that danced and twisted around each piece. The tea pot itself had a similar pattern, but not exact. It was clear that these designs were hand painted, not just applied in a factory somewhere. The set was beautiful work of art. Sabrina admired it, thinking that it should have been sitting in a museum somewhere instead of on the fiberboard table in front of her.
“I know you've shown me this before,” Sabrina said, as she gently lifted one of the cups to get a closer look. “It's been years since I've seen it, though.”
“Yes, I only bring it out for special occasions, which don't happen as nearly as often as I'd like,” Faye said.
“Tell me more about this tea set, Aunty,” Sabrina said. “I don't really know anything about it.”
“This set was once one of my favorite possessions,” she said. “It's still special to me, but in a different way. It's hard to explain. The one thing that you should know, though, is that it will get passed down to you one day.”
It wasn't exactly the explanation Sabrina was hoping for. It was vague and explained nothing about the actual set. Still, Faye was just too sweet to argue with.
“Aw, Aunt Faye,” Sabrina hummed, bowing her head to look closely at the intricate designs. “That’s really nice of you. I'll be sure to take care of it, just like you have.”
“Just give me one moment and then we can share a nice cup of tea,” said Faye, moving to light a burner in the kitchen.
“You drink out of this?” Sabrina asked. It felt wrong to use the beautiful cups for anything other than looking at.
“Only on special occasions, like I said. It’s not for the everyday.” Faye filled a kettle and placed it on the stove.
“Yeah, definitely not,” Sabrina said. “I’d be too scared to break it. Where'd you even get this thing?”
“Oh, long ago,” Faye said but trailed off. There was a pause that seemed oddly out of place for the current conversation. She returned to her chair in silence with a gaze that looked distant. “Long ago and far away. A life long before this one.”
“It's beautiful,” Sabrina told her. “I've never seen another tea set like it.”