Page 22 of Together Is Where We Belong

“Sorry, Mama. But, Grandpa and I built this huge Lego set. You’ve got to come see it,” he said, the excitement coming off him in waves.

He grabbed my hand and all but pulled me behind him down the hallway to my parents' den.

On the coffee table stood a half-assembled castle, one I knew my parents bought him for his birthday a couple months prior.

“This looks great, bud,” I told him as he rambled on and on about how certain parts of the castle would move to reveal hidden compartments once it was fully assembled.

“We’re going to keep working on it tomorrow,” he said with glee as he bounced up and down.

“Careful now. You don’t want to shake the table too much and knock it over,” my dad said in a soft but stern voice.

Luke immediately stopped jumping. If only he listened to me that easily sometimes. He was a great kid, but sometimes he had a mind of his own and he’d be off in his own little world not hearing me when I instructed him to do something, like finish his homework, which he hated with a passion.

“Are you ready to go home and cook some dinner?” I said to Luke, who happily agreed. When he wasn’t consumed with building things, he was always asking to help cook. I loved the memories we made in the kitchen.

“What’re we having?” he asked as he walked over to my dad and gave him a hug goodbye.

“How about that chicken bacon ranch pasta you love so much,” I suggested, knowing he’d happily agree. It took less than thirty minutes to make it, which was a plus for me, and he never turned it down.

“Yes,” he said with a pump of his arms in the air as he ran out of the room.

“Go say bye to your grandma, bud,” I said as I thanked my dad again for keeping him last night.

“It was no bother. Your mom and I thoroughly enjoyed our time with him. We’re so happy y’all are here now and we can see him in person more often instead of relying on pictures and video messages,” my dad said as he stood from his recliner and came over to give me a hug.

I hugged him in return, allowing my head to rest on his chest and relish the moment just a little longer. My parents were older and now that I was almost thirty, my time with them would become more limited, so I wanted to cherish every moment.

My dad kissed the side of my head when I pulled back and after I said goodbye and that I loved him, I went in search of my mom who would likely be in the kitchen, her favorite room in the house. Ever since my dad had renovated it a few years ago, she loved it even more than before.

They’d changed the cabinets from dark wood to bright white, which made the room feel more open, airier, and brighter. My dad gave my mom the island she’d always wanted and a window above the sink so she could enjoy the view while she did the dishes.

“Hey, Mom. Was he good for y’all today?” I asked as I found her and Luke behind the island of the kitchen. My mom was showing him how to make sure he cracked the egg just right as he put it in the bowl to make sure it was still good and he dumped it in the stand mixer, no doubt to bake something delicious for Luke to enjoy tomorrow.

“He was a delight. He helped me cook breakfast and lunch before he and your dad started working on the Lego set,” she said as she ruffled his hair.

“I’m glad he was good for you. Don’t go spoiling him too much,” I warned with a smirk, knowing good and well she wouldn’t listen.

“Oh hush. I’ll spoil him all I like,” she said with a laugh.

“Say bye to Grandma, buddy so we can get home and make dinner,” I told him.

“Bye, Grandma. I’ll see you in the morning. Can we have waffles tomorrow?” he asked as he hugged her. When he pulled away he’d clasped his hands together in a prayer form and poked his lip out as he pleaded for her to oblige him.

“I don’t see why not. I’ll even let you have a cookie if you eat all your breakfast,” she whispered the last part as if I wouldn’t hear her.

I gave her a knowing look as I pursed my lips and shook my head. “She never let me have cookies after breakfast,” I mumbled under my breath, but the woman with hearing as sharp as a tack heard me anyway.

“That’s because I was your parent. What my grandbaby wants he gets as long as it's within reason,” she whispered into my ear after she rounded the island to give me a hug.

“Uh huh.” I laughed as I hugged her goodbye.

“Thanks again for watching him. I’ll be here around seven fifteen in the morning to drop Luke off,” I told her as I grabbed Luke’s backpack from the barstool.

“See y’all then. Drive safe going home,” she told me as she went back to baking her famous chocolate chip cookies. Maybe I could convince her to let me have some tomorrow morning to take to work.

“I’m glad you had fun today, buddy,” I told him as we got into the SUV. I looked in the rearview mirror to make sure he’d buckled himself up properly before I put the car in reverse to head home.

Luke talked the whole way home about the ingredients we were going to need for dinner and how he was going to help me make the meal.