Why One of My Characters Is Named Aunt T
In my debut novel, The Deep Space Between, there is a character who is my protagonist’s aunt named Tristana Evans Lastra. Seraphina, my protagonist, calls her Aunt “T”; her aunt’s best friend calls her “T.”
This is for a very good reason. It’s a nod to my own Aunt T. Thaina Brown-Brake was my mom’s older sister. She was the lynchpin of the family between the Browns and the Caswells as there was discord between my mom and her side of the family, for reasons not necessary to go into here.
Aunt T was the only non-immediate family member who called me after 9/11. When she found out I wasn’t leaving NYC, where I lived at the time, she threatened to drive up to New York and pull me out herself. I hadn’t spoken to her since my sister’s wedding in 1997 (because life and I was young…no other reason) and yet she still called to let me know she cared.
She was also the only family member to find out where I lived (I moved a lot) and made sure to send me Christmas cards and gifts on occasion as well. Again, while we rarely talked, I knew she was there in the background, thinking of me. She was also the only family member besides my immediate family to RSVP yes for my wedding. She was unable to attend due to health concerns at the time, but she really wanted to come.
