Page 13 of Life, Love, and Other Messes

“I remember a lot of penicillin,” I said.

“No, Kevin’s allergic,” Mom reminded me.

I wasn’t, but that didn’t matter. I smiled and cut another piece of corned beef.

“So did you have a good trip? Car working fine?”

I nodded at Dad. “Weather was good. Got two new tires on the back.”

“What kind?”

“No idea. You can look at them all you want tomorrow.”

He grinned. “I might do that.”

“Oh, Samantha. Mary Margaret got her ears pierced.”

I looked back to Mom. “That’s nice. I bet she looks very pretty.”

“She’s kind of young.”

“She’s what, six?” I asked. “It’s fine.”

“You were thirteen before you got yours pierced.”

Yeah, because you wouldn’t let me before that. I wanted to know how big a gasket Mom would blow if Asher decided he wanted his pierced. “Where’d she get it done?”

Mom’s eyes went huge. “Missy took her to a tattoo parlor! I couldn’t believe it.”

“Good for her.”

“Good?”

“Piercers are licensed. At the mall you get some sixteen-year-old who may or may not know how to operate the gun.”

Mom stared at me, obviously wondering how I knew that and deciding whether or not to challenge said knowledge. Dad grinned, set his elbows on the table, and propped his chin on his hands, watching the exchange.

“When I got my helix done the room was cleaner than a hospital.” I didn’t mention that my piercer had horns.

Mom wrinkled her nose the slightest bit. I knew exactly what she thought about my piercings, and she still gave Kevin dirty looks about his ears. “I guess. She’s over the moon happy, so I guess it doesn’t matter where she got it done.”

“I’m glad.”

We were quiet for a long time then. I should have reveled in the silence, but it just made the food sit heavily in my gut. It felt like we should be talking, and I tried to think of something, anything to say.

Fortunately, Dad nodded at me. “When do classes start?”

“This Monday.”

“What’re you teaching this semester?”

“A few sections of Comp One and Comp Two, Women’s Lit, and Creative Writing.”

“Daytime or evening?”

“Two mornings a week, two evenings, one afternoon, and Saturday.”

“Evenings and Saturdays still better?”