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Steeling my spine, I find something on the cluttered shelves to focus on. A supreme taco kit? Looks great.
“We were actually trying to decide which flavour of ice cream to get for dessert tonight. Do either of you have any suggestions? We can never decide on one,” Adam says, swiftly changing the subject.
Mom slaps her hands together. “Call me old-fashioned, but I love strawberry.”
“What about you, Scarlett?” There’s something in his voice that has me stealing a glance at him. Something that makes goosebumps break out along my skin. It almost sounds like desperation.
“I like cookies and cream.”
“Me too!” Cooper cheers, high-fiving Adam. “What’s your second favourite?”
I pretend to think about it. “Bubble gum. What’s yours?”
He smiles proudly. “Bubble gum. But Dad doesn’t like it, so we neeever get it.”
“Hey! Don’t throw me under the bus. I don’t not like it,” Adam says, his eyes bright with amusement.
“I agree with you there,” Mom chimes in.
“You chew bubble gum all the time, though,” I blurt out, my cheeks warming.
Adam’s eyes find mine. He smirks. “You’ve noticed that?”
“Only because you’re a gum smacker,” I say, shrugging in hopes of coming off like I don’t really care.
His smirk only grows, and I know he doesn’t believe me. We both know he isn’t a gum smacker.
“I like regular bubble gum. It’s only the frozen stuff I don’t like.”
I save that information for later, knowing there’s no real reason for me to.
“Well, I think we should get a tub of each for dessert,” Beth suggests. She’s smiling at Cooper, her expression tender. It’s obvious she cares about her son deeply, so I wonder why she doesn’t see him often.
“Sick!” Cooper exclaims. He spins to face his dad. “That’s okay, right?”
“Yeah, kid. That’s okay.”
Cooper’s face lights up. “I’ll go grab them now. Be right back.” He takes off down the aisle.
“Be quick!” Adam calls as we watch his son disappear. When Cooper turns out of the aisle, Adam offers an apologetic smile to the rest of us. “Sorry about him. He seems to have left his manners at home.”
“That’s probably my fault.” Beth winces.
Mom slashes a hand through the air. “Nonsense. He seems like a very nice young man. Seeing excitement like that is a shot of pure serotonin. We need more of that in the world.”
I snort. “Okay, Mom. You’re getting philosophical again.”
“You’re so right, Amelia. It’s good for the soul,” Beth says.
Good for the soul? Ugh.
Adam smirks at me. “How’s your soul feeling right now, Scarlett?”
I narrow my eyes. “Like I’m the one who needs two buckets of ice cream.”
His laugh is loud and free. It hits me square in the chest, winding me. How can something so simple pack such a punch? I exhale when I realize that maybe Beth wasn’t entirely wrong in her statement.
My soul liked that laugh a bit too much.
