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I follow him into the kitchen and watch, removed, like an observer of my own life, while he roots around in the pantry and fridge before pulling out the ingredients for a quick stir fry. I chop vegetables while he seasons and cooks the chicken in a big skillet. I grab a box of instant rice from the pantry and put it in a big glass measuring cup with water, butter, and chicken bouillon to cook in the microwave while he adds the vegetables to the chicken.
It’s weird. I don’t like the silence that’s settled between us and my thoughts are too jumbled to focus on anything tonight. I’m bad company and so is he. When the rice is done, I grab potholders from the drawer and pull the glass bowl from the microwave. I give it a stir and we grab plates from the cupboard, loading them up.
We move to the kitchen table and sit. Court goes back for glasses of water and we sit quietly and eat, or try to. I think for the most part, I just push it around my plate. I hear my phone ringing from its spot in my purse by the front door. That’s Audrey’s ringtone so I jump up and answer it.
“Hey baby. What’s up?”
“Mer crashed her plane, Mom?” she shouts.
“Well, kind of but she’s okay.”
“But she crashed her plane with your new boyfriend in it.”
“He’s fine too.”
The man in question grabs the phone from my hand and puts it on speaker so we can both hear and talk to Audrey.
“You’ve got Court here,” he says. “It was a bird strike. Unavoidable. You should be proud of your sister for the way she handled herself today.”
Silence floats over the line and then, “Really?” she whispers.
“Yes. Your sister is one hell of a pilot and I’ve flown with quite a few.”
“Okay.”
“But honestly, everyone needs to stop treating her like a child. She’s not one.”
“I know that,” she says.
“Good. So does Wyatt, or he’ll figure it out eventually.”
“Wyatt?” she gasps. “And Mer?”
“Well,” I wade in. “Today did appear to be a tipping point where those two are concerned.”
“Really?” she says again. “Tell me everything.”
“Before you two have a natter,” Court says. “There are other things that appear to be at a tipping point today.”
“Court—” I try to interrupt him.
“What do you mean?” Audrey asks.
“Court, no.”
“You need to think about talking to Mason about his daughter.”
“You told him?” she gasps.
“No, he’ll figure it out on his own. It really won’t be that hard to do,” he says. “She looks just like him.”
“No, she doesn’t. She looks like Mom’s great grandma.”
I don’t say anything, but Court watches my wince.
Audrey asks. “Doesn’t she?”
I let out a frustrated sigh and answer, “Honestly? I have no idea.”
