Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 77904 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77904 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
“Don’t be. They can get over it.” She gave me a wink, then turned and said, “Come on in. We’re starving.”
“That’s good because there’s plenty of food to go around.”
I carried the food over to the table, and in a blink, Nathan and Samantha were diving in to find their order. Nathan had his eye on the prize when he glanced up at me and said, “Hey, Ro. How’s it going?”
“Can’t complain.”
“Hey.” Samantha was at the bottom of the first bag when she asked, “Did you get my sweet and sour chicken?”
“Should be in there.”
“Let me take a look.” Maggie stepped over and started going through the various boxes. “Here it is.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
Samantha took the box of food and plopped down in the seat next to Nathan. They both started diving in while Maggie and I gathered our food and sat down beside them. I’d just taken a bite of my sesame seed chicken when Samantha announced, “Casey’s having a sleepover next weekend, and she asked me to come.”
“Okay, that’s fine, but it’s your dad’s weekend. You’ll have to work that out with him.”
“I already told him, and he said it was okay.” She took another bite of her food, then added, “She didn’t invite Jessie.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, she said it was only fair because she didn’t invite me to hers.”
“I don’t think that’s the best way to handle that.”
“Well, she’s the one who started it.”
“But that doesn’t make it right,” Maggie argued.
“I don’t know what I’m supposed to do about it.”
“You could talk to Jessie and try to sort things out.”
“But she’s been a total jerk to me.”
Maggie shrugged. “Maybe, but there was a time when she was a really good friend, and there’s a chance you could be again.”
“But I didn’t do anything wrong. Why do I have to be the one to try and fix things?
“I don’t know much about this kind of thing,” I interjected. “But I’ve always believed that if you want good friends, you have to be a good friend.”
“So, you think I should talk to her?”
“Don’t think it’d hurt.”
“Okay.” Samantha sighed. “I’ll talk to her.”
“That’s my girl.” Maggie leaned over and kissed Samantha on the forehead. “Now finish your dinner, and we’ll go into the living room and watch the game.”
“No football for us tonight,” Nathan announced.
“Oh? Why not?”
“Matt and Brayden are hopping on Fort in a few minutes, and me and Sam want to get on with them.”
“Okay, well, that sounds fun.”
“It will be when we kick their as—” Nathan grimaced as he corrected himself. “Butt.”
“Yeah, they have it coming,” Samantha added. “Especially Brayden. He was a total tool the last time we played.”
“Why? What did he do?”
Samantha went on to tell her mother all about Brayden and how he’d sabotaged their last game when he quit the game without telling them. That story led to another. And another. And before I knew it, we’d all cleared our plates, and dinner was over. The kids disappeared into their rooms, and I helped Maggie get dinner cleaned up.
I was gathering the trash when Maggie said, “Thanks for saying what you said to Samantha. It was really great advice.”
“Glad I could help.”
“And thanks for picking up dinner and helping me clean up.”
“You don’t have to thank me.” I gave her a wink as I cinched up the garbage bag and placed it outside the door. “It’s what I do.”
“Well, since it’s what you do, would you mind helping me replace the lights in my bedroom fan? Several of them have gone out.”
“Sure thing.”
“Great.”
Maggie grabbed some fresh light bulbs from the cabinet, and then I followed her down the hall. There was an echo of shrills and shouts as we passed the kids’ rooms. I chuckled as I said, “Sounds like they’re having a good time.”
“You think?” She shook her head. “I bet the neighbors can hear them three blocks away.”
When we got to her room, I looked around and asked, “You got a step ladder?”
“Sure. Let me get it.”
She stepped over and grabbed it from the closet. I took it and got to work. I climbed up the ladder, and a few minutes later, I had the new bulbs in and was remounting the globe. Once I had it secure, I climbed down and folded it up. I put it back in the closet, and as I closed the door, I couldn’t help but notice the emotion in Maggie’s eyes.
Worried that something was wrong, I asked, “You okay?”
“It’s been a while.”
“What do you mean?”
“I haven’t had anyone around to help me with stuff like this. I’ve gotten used to just doing it myself, even before my divorce, and then, you come along. You fixed my heater and now my fan. It’s just really nice. I appreciate it.”
It was hard to believe that such a mundane chore would get to her the way it did, but that was Maggie. She wore her heart on her sleeve, and I liked it. I liked it a lot. “Come here.”