what aunt jenny smells like

Within the space of a week both of our cars have decided to give out on us.
They are good cars.
Nice cars.
But they are getting on in years and every now and then they need a rest.
Normally, we would be able to get by but having to drive to both Napa and San Francisco
the past two days, we decided to rent a car.
When I picked up the boys from school in the new black Toyota Corolla,
they actually ran to the car.
With joy. And vigor. Like they had won a prize.

They yelled back to their friends, "It's a rental!"
When they got in the car, they turned up the radio and kept saying things like,
"This is so awesome!" and
"I love this car!" and
"Can we keep it?" as if it were a puppy we could bring home to stay.
We drove out of the school blasting Tay-Tay Swift and breathing in new car smell.
The boys in the back seat were running their hands over the interior like it was velvet.
Jack was sitting up front with me,
syncing his Kindle with the music system by using the car's blue tooth.
It was the closest I have ever seen him to being in love.
He said, "Mom, this car smells like Aunt Jenny."
I started laughing...I know what our van smells like...5 year old milk and sweaty socks.
"What does Aunt Jenny smell like?"
"Money!"
That is a high accolade for an almost 14 year old boy.
Apparently, Jenny's car does not smell like death and onions and Jack appreciates this.
When I called Jenny and told her what her nephew thought she smelled like,
she laughed and said, "Why not? I'll take it!"
Tonight we turn the car back in and go back to real life and a stinky van.
(A stinky van that we are very thankful for actually...don't take me wrong!)
But for today, we are driving to Napa in style, living  it up,
listening to loud music, using the back up camera to parallel park
and reveling in smelling like Aunt Jenny.
It is going to be a good day.