She held up a piece. It was cooked to his favorite temperature, medium rare. “Yep, just the way you like it. Do you want salt and pepper on the potato?”
“Yeah.”
Quickly, she finished cutting the steak and mixed the butter and sour cream into the baked potato before handing it back. “Now make sure you eat that broccoli, otherwise Bette might kill us both.”
He laughed, the sound a little stuttered. “She likes green vegetables.”
“She does, and she wants you and your sister to eat more of them.”
He nodded, turning his attention first to the broccoli. She knew he would eat it first, so he could report back that he had a green side.
With Kenny settled, she could now dig into her own plate. She moaned out loud at the first bite. She loved pasta.
“Is that good?”
“Yes, it is very good. Do you want a bite?”
He shook his head, his eyes on his own plate.
She grinned. He never liked to share food. “So, are you excited for Kerrie and Bette’s engagement party?”
With a mouthful, she had to wait for him to finish before he answered her. “Yeah, Bette got me and Kerrie matching shirts. We match Bette’s dress.”
“That’s awesome. I bet you’ll look real sharp in it.”
“Yep.”
Her pocket buzzed. Shifting to one side, she removed her phone from her pants and looked at the screen.
“It’s Grams,” she answered at his curious look. “Hey, Grams.”
“Matty, what are you doing?”
Her shoulders drooped. She’d rather her evening out wasn’t ruined. It seemed like every time her grandmother called lately, it ended badly. “I’m having dinner with Kenny. It’s our monthly dinner date.”
“Oh, well, could you come by after you’re done? Bring Kenny with you. I haven’t seen him in a while. The smoke alarm has been beeping for hours. It’s about to drive me nuts. I’m afraid to climb up on the stepladder.”
“No, don’t try to do that. I’ll be right over when we’re done.”
“Thank you, baby. I don’t know what I’d do without my grandbabies.”
At one point in time, her words wouldn’t have caused Matty to pause. There would have been no questioning them. But now, after two years of growing clarity, she knew they were more. Intentional. Calculating. Words that once made her feel safe and warm now made her pause.
She hung up, putting the phone down on the table. A placating smile crossed her lips. “That was Grams. You want to go see her after this?”
Kenny’s eyes widened in joy. He liked how much the older woman doted on him. “Yeah, I do.”
“Okay, let me tell Kerrie we’ll be out a little longer.”
***
Their monthly dinner was something she looked forward to, as did Kenny. Sometimes she thought he liked getting away from Kerrie, Bette, and Mabel for a while. It was a way to feel independent from those who took care of him. It wasn’t always dinner, though eating always happened. Sometimes they’d go see a movie or a local entertainment event like a truck and tractor pull. Anything they could enjoy sitting down for the majority of the time, as Kenny struggled to stand for long periods.
Since Matty didn’t have a vehicle, Kerrie would let her borrow her truck. Or rather, his truck. Kenny maintained it was his, but he let Kerrie use it. Matty didn’t argue. There was a unique balance of treating Kenny like an adult but also acknowledging Kerrie’s role as a caregiver. It was her last word on where and what they did. Thankfully, she trusted Matty, plus it gave her and Bette some alone time.
It was dark by the time they arrived at Grammy’s. Kenny usually went to bed early, so they wouldn’t be able to stay for very long, but they would visit for a little while.
“You got it?” she asked as Kenny slid out of the passenger seat.
