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“Okay.” Max bent over and gathered up his books.
Huh, that was easier than expected. Maybe he was going to be alright at this parenting thing after all.
With the car loaded, they drove across town to the Greasy Spoon, which made the best burgers and shakes in town.
Max looked up at the restaurant and chewed his lips. “I’ve never been here before.”
“That’s part of the fun of going out with the boys. You get to try new things.”
“What if I don’t like it?” Max asked.
The phone rang in his cupholder, and he scooped it up. He held the phone up for Max to see. “It’s your mom.”
He hit the button on the steering wheel to answer the phone. “Hello?” he said.
“Hi, Mom,” Max yelled from the backseat.
“Hi, Max. You having fun?”
“Yeah. Mom, am I allowed to eat at the… what’s this place called again?”
“The Greasy Spoon,” Jeff replied.
“That sounds disgusting,” Kia said.
“So no?” Max asked.
“No baby, if that’s where your dad wants to eat, that’s fine. Are there any vegetables on the menu?”
“There’s fries,” Jeff told her.
“Awesome,” Kia mumbled. “Have fun.”
“How many more times can I expect you to call before we get home?” Jeff teased.
“Um…not many?”
“You don’t sound too sure about that answer.”
Kia sighed. “Sorry. I have control issues.”
“It’s all good, Kia. You’re welcome to join us for lunch.” He couldn’t imagine how hard this must be for her. She’d gone from being a single mom who made every decision to trying to navigate fitting in time and responsibilities for a dad who just showed up on the scene.
“No, she can’t,” Max chirped. “It’s guys lunch.”
“Oh sorry,” Kia said. He could hear the laughter in her voice even without seeing her face. “I wouldn’t want to cut in on that. Have fun at lunch. Try to eat something that resembles a vegetable at lunch.”
“Ketchup it is,” Jeff joked.
“Har-har, funny man,” Kia said.
“Bye, Kia,” he sang.
“Bye, Mom,” Max yelled.
“Bye.”
Jeff hit the button to disconnect the phone and spun in his seat. “You ready to do this?”
