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ETA for her own pickup. Her phone
goes straight to voice mail. Wonder
who she’s talking to. I join Nikki
in the shower, admiring how pretty
her summer tan looks under white
soap foam. “Have plans, or can you
come out to the house for dinner?”
She thinks it over, some sort of back-
and-forth in her head, as if arguing
with herself. Finally she says,
I should spend the day with Mom.
Dad’s in Hawaii with his girlfriend,
and I don’t want Mom to be alone.
“Bring her along,” I offer. As soon
as the words fall from my mouth,
I realize that could be a bad idea.
Kristina. David. Donald. Summer.
Throw in Grandpa Bill, who’s eighty-
five, and all the regulars—Leigh, Jake,
Misty, and me. It’s already a formula
for family disaster. But Nikki’s face
lights up. Mom would love that.
Your parents won’t care?
I suppose I should have asked.
But hey, too late now. “The more
the merrier, Mom always says.
We usually eat around four.”
Initiation by fire, I guess. “I love you.”
Hope she still loves me after dinner.
THE AIRPORT
