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"Oh, Gracie, I don't know. Your dad said earlier you could only have one."
"No, I asked him before I came over. He said it was fine. So, can you open this for me?"
I was hesitant and thought about checking with Zach first but didn't want Grace to think I didn't trust her. I was sure she wouldn't lie to me, or at least I hoped she wouldn’t, so I took the can from her. "Sure."
She had just sat down and wrapped both hands around it to take a drink when Zach barked at her, and I jumped. "Gracie, you are only to have one pop. How many more times do I have to tell you that?" he said, taking the can from her hands.
"Hey!!! Iris said I could have it," she said, frowning.
Immediately, I stopped what I was doing and glanced at Zach. I didn't want her to get into trouble, but I also didn't want there to be any issues between Zach and me. It was a tough balance because I also didn't want to accuse Gracie of lying to me.
"Oh, uhhh..." Zach looked down at the can of pop in his hand and said, "Fine, half. I'll drink the rest."
I watched as Gracie rolled her eyes, and when Zach turned his back to her to help pick up some stuff, she looked at me and stuck her tongue out at me.
I did not know how to deal with this behaviour, and I would be upset if I knew my boys behaved that way with Zach. I said nothing. I just continued packing things up.
Soon, the boys were calling for Zach again. Each one of them had a fish on their hooks. I took in their smiles as I sat with Grace while she finished her pop.
Once Zach was out of earshot, I turned and looked at Grace. "Why did you do that?"
"What did I do?"
"You lied to your father. You said I told you that you could have another pop. If he doesn't allow you to have more than one, which I heard him say earlier, why would you lie to me about it?"
"Because I can." She shrugged.
I frowned. "Grace, lying isn't a good trait to have."
She shrugged her shoulders, not caring what it was I was saying. She took another drink of her pop.
"Aren't you going to apologize?"
She shook her head. "Nope."
"Grace, I don't understand why you are being this way."
She turned her eyes on me and stared. "I don't like you, that is why."
I could feel the sting of tears behind my eyes. She may have been young, but damn, her words stung.
"My mom and dad are going to get back together. She was over at our house last night. I saw them kissing in the truck. Didn't Dad tell you?"
A wave of shock ran over me. I wasn't sure how to respond as I looked across the field at Zach, who now held onto Noah’s fish in one hand, encouraging him to help hold it with one of his as Dylan watched on, rooting for his brother. I frowned. Zach had mentioned nothing to me about Valerie coming to the house. He’d simply said he thought he’d give me space. In fact, he hadn’t mentioned Valerie at all.
I shook my head as I continued to watch on.
"Yep, she came by. They sat out in the car for a while, talking, then they kissed. He was happy when he came inside the house, too. Like I said, they are getting back together."
She handed me her soda, clapped her hands together, and then got up and made her way over to the sandpit. I sat there for a few moments, watching Zach with my boys, not sure what to do with the information she had given me.
When Noah yelled over for me to look, I slowly got up off the blanket. I smiled, then bent down and picked up the blanket, folding it. Then I shoved it into the picnic basket. Then I made my way over toward the water.
Instantly, I began picking up all the boys’ toys from the sand, packing them into the mesh bag I'd brought. I was just about finished when I heard the boys yelling at me to look. I glanced over at where they all stood. Noah and Dylan both held a fish in their hands, smiles on their faces.
"Look, Mom, we can do it!" Dylan yelled.
"Yeah, they are all slimy," Noah added, scrunching up his nose.
