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Miles perks up. “Really?”
“I thought Miles already used all his time?” Evie asks.
“Mind your own business!” Miles snaps, grabbing his iPad and handing it to his mom.
She types something and hands it back to him. “I gave you one hour.”
“Thanks!” He runs to a table and sets up his iPad.
“Hey!” Brody laughs. “That table is device free!”
“That’s only for the customers, silly,” Evie says with a laugh. “Mommy lets us use our iPads, so Miles doesn’t whine like a baby.”
“I’m not a baby,” Miles grumbles.
“Yes, you are,” Evie taunts.
“Am not!”
“Okay, okay,” Bree says, breaking up the argument. “Evie, please leave Miles alone.”
“But I’m so bored.” She pouts. “I wanna play Monopoly, and he won’t play with me.”
“Because it’s boring with only you,” Miles says. “I always win anyway.”
“Nuh-uh,” Evie argues.
“Yes-huh!” Miles yells back.
“Enough!” Bree snaps. “As soon as I’m done, I’ll play with you. But if you keep fighting, I won’t ever get done.”
“I’ll play with you,” Brody offers.
“Me too,” I add.
“Really?” Evie exclaims.
“You don’t have to do that,” Bree says, sounding utterly exhausted.
“We want to,” Brody tells her. “You go bake, and we’ll play Monopoly with Evie. Just don’t get mad when I buy Park Place and you go broke paying me rent.” Brody winks, and Evie looks at him like he’s grown two heads.
“That’s the adult version,” Bree explains. “This is the SpongeBob version. You want to buy The Crusty Crab and SpongeBob’s Pineapple house.” She glances back and forth between us. “Are you sure you’re okay hanging out with the kids?”
“We’re all good,” I tell her. “Go bake. We’ll be here when you’re done. And if you want to thank us, feel free to pay us with brownies and cupcakes.” I shoot her a playful wink, but she doesn’t take the bait, the frown on her face still going strong.
“Okay, well, if you need to go or if they’re acting up, just let me know.” And with that, she disappears into the kitchen.
“You sure you don’t want to play?” I ask Miles when I catch him eyeing us.
“I guess I could play one game.” He shrugs, walking over and joining us at the table.
We pick out our pieces, and Evie hands out the money, and then we start playing with her going first since she’s the youngest—by four minutes.
“You guys excited about your party?” Brody asks, making conversation—and being nosy since Bree won’t talk to us—as Evie rolls the dice and then moves five spaces.
“I’ll buy it,” she says, depositing the right amount of money into the makeshift bank. “I’m excited to see my friends.” She glances at Miles as Brody hands her the card.
“Me too,” Miles agrees, rolling the die. “And the cake. Grammy got me a Minecraft cake.”
“I got an American Girl cake,” Evie says with a smile. “And she got me pink glitter for the table.”
Miles scrunches up his nose. “Just make sure you keep it on your side of the table.”
Evie rolls her eyes, and Miles moves several spaces.
“I’ll buy it,” he says, handing Evie the money.
“So, uh, did your mom ever decide if she was doing the balloon guy or anything?” I ask, trying to dig a little deeper. Are Brody and I playing dirty? Yeah, but you have to use what you got, and we’re not above getting some info out of the kids. I’m not sure what we’re looking for at this point, but I think we’re both hoping the kids will say something that will clue us into why we were invited to the party one minute and not the next.
Evie frowns. “No. Mommy said no one can do it.”
Brody and I share a glance. We checked, and there are definitely people available.
“There’s no movie screen either,” Miles adds as Brody rolls the die. “Or bounce houses.”
“I’ll buy it,” Brody tells Evie, handing her the money for the place he landed on. “You owe me two dollars back.”
“Mommy got us two piñatas and let us pick out the candy yesterday,” Evie says, giving him change. “And after we move to our new house, she said we can have a sleepover with our friends.”
This doesn’t make any sense. We sent her all the info. Everything the kids are saying isn’t available is. So why the hell would she lie?
I roll the die, trying to figure out what’s going on. Brody pulls out his phone, and a second later, a text comes in.
Brody: You thinking what I’m thinking?
I move four places, buy it, then text Brody back: I don’t know what the hell I’m thinking. What are you thinking?
Brody: She told the kids none of it’s available, she told us not to go to the party, and they’re moving into a new house soon. She doesn’t have the money and is embarrassed to tell us. She’s probably trying to save up to rent somewhere else because that asshole is evicting everyone, and wherever she moves will be more than where she lives now.
