“I always liked cooking and baking with our grandma. In high school, I worked at a deli and really liked it.” Millie walks up to deliver a bunch of our food and hears this.
“Well, shit, girl, you wanna job? I need someone to help me. It would be a little waitressing, cooking, baking, and learning what all I do so I don’t have to be here every day. I’ve got girls who are great at the waitressing part, but they can’t cook to save their lives.” I can tell Brandy’s trying to play it cool but failing miserably.
“Seriously? But you don’t know anything about me. You sure you wanna offer me the job?”
Millie looks at her and lifts an eyebrow.
“You’re eatin’ with two of the best people to walk on this earth. Between that and your enthusiasm about cooking, well, that’s enough for me. We can get to know each other. If for some reason it don’t work out, no harm, no foul. Whatcha say? Wanna start Monday morning at seven?” I think Brandy might have gone supersonic with her squeal. In her excitement, she jumps up and hugs Millie. They talk for a few minutes while we all start eating.
I notice Ror is looking at Shandy and assessing her. Maybe his quieter soul notices hers?
After a few minutes, he speaks up. “What about you, Shandy? What do you find the most interesting or like to do?” She looks over at him after taking a drink of water.
“Well, besides reading, I love to draw but that’s just for fun. At the jobs I’ve liked, I liked filing, billing, and I know I’m weird but I’ve always liked taking inventory. It’s like a calming thing to me to feel like I’ve taken stock and know that everything’s in its place.”
I watch as Jon and Rory are doing that communicating without talking thing that they do.
Jon speaks up, “What about a job that’s mostly the filing, numbers, and inventory you like with some drawing thrown in as well?” She looks confused, but hopeful.
She twirls her hair around her fingers and asks him, “What do you mean? How can a job have both? You’re not playin’ with me, are ya?”
That brings a chuckle out of a few of my brothers, with Max chiming in, “Some of my brothers joke around and put their feet in their mouths a lot, but Jon and Ror aren’t the ones who do that much. Jon definitely wouldn’t just create a job just ’cause. If he’s offering you one, it’s ’cause he’s thought about it.” She’s got one curl of her hair she’s winding and unwinding around her finger. Shit, that’s what everyone says I do when I’m thinking.
Jon starts telling her about the job he’s offering.
“Kierstie’s gonna need help, especially when she’s gone on maternity leave so that’s the front desk and ordering. It also includes inventory and making sure the billing is done. The other part of the idea is that we’ve done some special projects for customers—some being bikes or older cars they’ve personalized and want something designed on them. Right now, that’s not a service we can offer and our repeat customers have to go elsewhere. None of us can draw very well. Well, that’s not true. Most of us can’t draw worth crap, but the one who can doesn’t want to do that work right now. What do ya think? You can work the front desk, help Kierstie, and once we look at your drawings, we could add that to your job if we think it’s a good fit.”
Who the fuck are they talkin’ about? Maybe Shane knows. I need to remember to ask him later. I can tell Shandy is thinking.
“So, would this job be temporary and when Kierstie comes back after maternity leave, I’ll have to find something else?”
I decide to spring my decision on everyone now. “Nope. I’m not looking to come back full time at all. I’d like to work one, maybe two days a week, max. That way Ma can have her grandbaby days and I can be around adults. I don’t want our daughter in daycare, so the job would be yours. I can be flexible and even just come and work when you need a day or two to draw. We can work out the details later, but no, this job wouldn’t be temporary. It would be yours as long as you want it to be.” She looks at Brandy and they do the communicating thing. I swear everyone around me can communicate without using words, Me, I just use all of them.
Shandy agrees to take the job. Conversation around the table continues as everyone finishes their food. Ma brings up the barbecue we’re having this evening after the guys have church. She and Jane start discussing what they’re gonna bring. I volunteer to bring my Caesar salad, as it’s really the only thing that I cook that goes with the menu tonight. I look over at everyone and I can see Brandy chewing on her lip, like she wants to add to the conversation, but is a little hesitant to jump in. We do have some big voices in the family.
Before I can say anything, Ma speaks up. “Will all you hush for a second? Dear Brandy looks like she’s been tryin’ to say something for five minutes. She’s gonna learn, in time, to just talk over y’all but we gotta give her some time for that. What were ya wanting to say, my dear?”
“Well, I was just gonna see if you guys needed help. I can help make stuff. I haven’t baked anything in a long time but I can help.” I can tell this makes Jane excited to have someone else to bake with. She starts talking a mile a minute about what she’s thinking of baking. Brandy must be her kind of person ’cause she starts matching her with her level of excitement and speed of her words. Jon rub his temples.
“Gods help me. Not only does my woman go manic with her words at a level only dogs should be able to hear, but now I got a sister that does the same thing.” I know it’s a complaint coming from his mouth, but I can see the effect it has on Shandy, him calling Brandy a sister. She has a small smile on her face, like being included in that complaint showed her that they really are accepted. I don’t think they really believed us when we told them our family accepts people quickly. It’s hard to really comprehend that level of acceptance if you were a system kid for so long. I remember quite a few of my siblings mentioning that over the years.
We all finish up and plan to go our separate ways till tonight at the clubhouse. Jon settles the bill, not letting anyone else chip in, saying that he wanted to pay for this meal since our entire family was together for the first time. I swear he’s the most sentimental yet grumpiest man ever.
Shane
Breakfast with the Westons is always entertaining, and now that I’m officially part of them, it did not disappoint. We’re all about to head our separate ways and I’m helping Kierstie into the SUV when I feel a tap on my shoulder. I turn around and both Brandy and Shandy are there.
“We wanted to thank you for everything. We also wanted to tell you that after talking some with Ma and Pa, we think we’ve seen your brother Tyson before. We don’t know where he stays or anything but have seen him around in the last couple of months. We wanted you to know that. We also wanted you to know that if you decide to go looking for him, we’d like to help since we know some of the people out there and might get more answers than you.” Wow, I think my surprise is all over my face.
Shandy, finding her voice, comments, “What? You’re our sister’s husband. Using Weston logic, that makes both you and him our brothers, and we want you both to be happy since you brought us our family when we thought we only had each other. Seriously, Shane, we’re never gonna feel like we can pay you back for that. You ever need something, your annoying younger twin sisters are here for you.” I’m surprised when both of them, at the same time, give me a hug then run off to Pa’s truck.
I get into the driver’s seat and get us heading over to Grant’s place. Kierstie reaches over to grab my hand.
“What did Grant want to show you?”
“He said he found some more of my mom’s boxes we put in the attic after she passed and before I went to basic. He said he thinks it might have some of my baby stuff in there that you might wanna use.”
“Hell yeah, I’d love that. Even if there isn’t but there’s stuff from when you were a kid, I’d love to see it. I really hope our baby gets your dimples and smile.” I glance over at her in disbelief.
