thirty-six
The hours before a brunch are pretty intense, but even during my hurried preparations, I catch sight of Paul when he arrives. My mom has been not so subtly pacing outside, waiting for him, and it’s hard not to spy on them as they walk the dock and settle in for a talk. Not that I expect a fight or anything, but I’m hoping that her reconnecting with Paul isn’t going to be too emotional for her. The last peek I take is while he is hugging her closely, and my anxiety eases.
Being in Wake, embracing her life from when she was with my dad? I knew it would help. I just had to go first.
Now, I can focus. Alex and I have become a well-oiled machine, and we pump out a sumptuous mushroom and Brie strata, the green eggs and ham—which turn out even more fabulously than I hoped—and pitchers of cantaloupe smoothies.
It makes me a little nervous to see my mom and Danny engaged in a long conversation, and I just hope she’s not grilling him too much. But my mother is the first to shout out praise from her seat and gets the group clapping and cheering. It’s embarrassing and touching but also uncomfortable, so I brush them all off and rush to the kitchen.
Danny follows me. “She loves you so much. Just go with it.” He snuggles my back against his chest.
Both of us take a minute to just breathe.
Danny tightens his hold. “Can I stay over tonight, or will that be weird? I know it’s only been a day, but I miss you.”
“Alex started a weird condom conversation in front of my mother that didn’t seem to weird her out, so you can definitely stay over.”
“That sounds incredibly peculiar, so I’m lost and also on board. Especially because I don’t think I can stay away any longer.”
Brunch is going really well with the strata, green eggs and ham, and the cantaloupe smoothies winning everyone over. But when I bring out the cocoa-banana bread loaves, there’s collective silence.
“Those are…lovely.” Nicole tries hard to sound positive.
“Yes,” Jackson agrees. “Very fancy.”
Ray adjusts his shirt. “Sexy indeed!”
Sexy?I scan the table, and everyone is holding something back.
“Okay, what the hell is going on? Why are you guys all acting weird?”
Finally, Mary Ann stands. “Honey, I’m sure it tastes great, but maybe look at it for a second? Eagle-eye view.”
It only takes a few seconds for me to stand over my bread before I want to do a face-plant. “No, no. NO! I did what the recipe said! The picture on the site didn’t look like this!”
“It’s not your fault. You cut the bananas in half lengthwise, put them on top of the loaf, just as instructed.” My friend does her best to defend me and my gross error while also trying not to devolve into giggles. “So what if they look like baked curved penises? It’s fine.”
Fuck. She’s totally right.
It’s all I can do not to stomp my feet and hide.
I made banana penis bread.
“Eh, who cares?” Paul unceremoniously slices into one of the loaves, and the guys all cringe.
Nonetheless, everyone raves about it after Alex serves this inadvertently too-sexy course while I cover my eyes and vacillate between laughing and crying.
My mom is digging into her slice. “While its initial presentation might have been unusual, what matters is that it’s delicious.”
“I’ll cover the top with simple round banana slices next time, okay?” I yell out.
After I walk around the table and deliver apologies that everyone dismisses, I drop myself in Danny’s lap, still full of embarrassment. His inability to talk because he’s stuffed his mouth full makes me relax.
Suddenly, my mom taps a knife against her glass to grab everyone’s attention. “Should we all meet up tonight at the bar?”
Matteo stands up. “Cheers to that!”
Everyone else follows suit and stands. So, I guess we’re hitting up Michelle’s tonight.
