“That’s right! I tried to tell her we only had time to go to the butcher, but she insisted on hitting the bakery and every grocery store in between.”

“I remember how she was back-seat driving you the entire way, telling you the exact route she wanted you to take, despite any roadwork or traffic. She refused to listen to your suggestions. I remember her clutching her coupons, ready to hand them over to the cashier. And I remember you looking at your watch, calculating the time we had left before the movie started. I loved watching you squirm. And then, just when we thought she was done, she wanted you to take her to the pharmacy.”

“She left the most important stop for last! I couldn’t leave her without a week’s worth of meds.” We laughed, and I admired how she’d outsmarted us both.

“At least she bought me that great sandwich for lunch at that bakery,” I said.

“I think that sandwich saved the day. We were both starving!”

I grinned at the memory, relishing the sparkle in John’s eyes. I could tell he missed his baba. “We missed our matinee that afternoon, but I never laughed so hard at how your baba had the whole day planned out, with one of us on each arm. I had never seen you blush so much.”

“Baba loved how you started picking up Ukrainian from our conversation. She thought you were so smart.”

“That was one of my favourite dates we’ve ever had. And not just because I genuinely loved how your baba had you wrapped around her little finger, but because I realized even you have an Auntie Choo Neo. I knew I didn’t need to feel embarrassed about her. Even though I couldn’t understand everything she said, your baba lectured you the way Auntie Choo Neo did with me. Baba called the shots and didn’t let anyone push her around, just like Auntie. More than that, though, I recognized how she, like my aunt, dealt with being in a new country by elbowing her way around the best she could.”

“You never told me that before,” John said, taking my hand. “Although I did notice that after meeting Baba, suddenly the door to your home was wide open to me. At the time, I thought that we had just reached the six-month milestone. It didn’t occur to me that Baba was the reason. But now I realize that I also felt a familiarity with Auntie Choo Neo when I first met her.”

“Did you? She was so mean to you!” I said with an apologetic grimace. “Do you remember how she kept commenting on how pale your skin was? You held your own, though, as I knew you would.”

“Yeah, I could laugh it off because I knew what she was about. You’re right, just like Auntie Choo Neo, Baba was never shy about sharing her thoughts and opinions. She obviously knew what was best for everyone! Plus, she loved shopping and dragging us with her.”