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“Pretzels.”
“I want some chips.”
“Maybe you should count your blessings.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means you’re lucky not to be in trouble right now, and you’ll eat what I give you.”
Jacob scooted closer, wrapping his hands around her biceps, forming his body to her side. Seeking protection against the snappy edge to her voice.
She petted his hair, feeling guilty on top of sweaty, grouchy, and doomed.
“Mom, can I go sit in the van?” Anthony asked.
“No.”
“Why not?” he whined.
Because you’ll harass your brother.
“Because I said so.”
“I hate you.”
“You just lost a day of screen privileges.”
“What? No way! You didn’t give me a warning first!”
“I don’t have to warn you not to tell me you hate me. Telling me you hate me is an automatic loss of a day.”
No TV, no iPod Touch, no DS. He’d be at loose ends, which meant she’d suffer as much as he did.
“That sucks,” he said.
It did. But she wasn’t about to raise three monsters.
“Two days.”
“What for?”
“For saying suck.”
Anthony’s ears and neck flushed bright red. He stood up, hands bunched into fists, and bellowed, “Dad!”
Tony looked over, in the middle of helping the shuttle driver wrestle their luggage into the van. “What?”
“Mom just took away two days of screen time for nothing!”
“It’s between you and your mom. I don’t overrule.”
Tony handed the last suitcase to the driver. Amber could see Clark through the open door, kicking the back of the seat in front of him. Seething. He probably wouldn’t speak again for hours, if not days. Her eldest son knew how to hold a grudge.
Off to one side, her father was talking to Aunt Jamila’s boyfriend, and Katie leaned against a column with her hands tucked behind her butt, smiling up at her new boyfriend like love was the answer to everything.
Amber looked away.
Her mom and Jamila broke apart. Mom went over to the bench to talk to Anthony. Jamila headed for the van, where she pulled Tony away from the luggage to talk.
