Family, or lack there of

I was talking to my niece this weekend. She is a beautiful... and I mean beautiful. I will have to post some pictures. Aubrey really had some things on her mind and I thought, wow... this girl really doesn't miss a beat. If you only talk to her for a short time you would probably think, typical teenager... no real thoughts and can't complete a sentence without UMMM, hhhhuuuu, or IDK (I don't know)... and yes those 3 little letters are used as a complete sentence.
Anyway, we were driving in the car to get food and she said point blank, "I feel really awkward around you guys and especially around Ricardo". I thought to my self are we giving off that axe murderer vibe again.... don't ask.
She said that we have spent so little time together, we are family and only get together for special events and that I know so much about her and she knows nothing about me.
I about pulled the car over to hug her. I felt so bad for her... I realized what she had been missing and longing for since my "dad" (David) died.... Family. Anna and Jesse used to come over every Sunday for David to cook waffles. They would all go into the kitchen and I would hear all the banging and talking. Typically hung over for partying the night before or working 18+ hours, this was NOT a welcomed morning event.
When David died, they only man she ever knew as her grandfather, all that went away. Even before my dad died he was extremely ill. The kids were not really allowed to see him since Anna didn't want their memories to be filled with the awful sights we saw day after day.
Well, as time went on, there were no more breakfasts at Grandpa's, no more simple Sunday get together... nothing. It sort of died right along with him.
Aubrey was so young at the time. She would make him Cards to get well, and then when he passed she made his last one. He kept every card and every painting she ever made. It's tragic really, because a few years after David passed his only daughter gave birth to a beautiful blue eyed girl named Kate. She is going to miss those precious moments completely. The funny thing is, when you look into Kate's eyes, you can see that fire that was David. I have only seen pictures but it's totally there.
For a short time, while David was in our lives, we all were together. Closer then ever before. Aubrey lost all of that on August 15, 2004. I had already moved out, married and had a life of my own. We would go down to Beasley as often as we could. Maybe 3 times or more a year, but after Zack was born, that went down to maybe 1 time a year. Cody has a lot more memories of me and our family then Aubrey does. Cody is my 8 foot tall Nephew... okay not 8 feet tall but damn near it.
So I spent the whole weekend tell Aubrey stories about me.... about her...and about our family. She is going through a rough time right now trying to figure out who she is, and how to be proud of it. She wants so badly for someone to understand her, but she is so afraid to open up. Aubrey keeps a wall up and only leaks the necessary information...but if you read between the lines you can see that little girl again. She is standing on a foot stool with a spoon in one hand and a bowl in the other. Grandpa David is hovering like a helicopter afraid she will fall.