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“Come on, Holden. When was the last time we had dinner as a family? Dad asks about you.” I put the basket between my legs on the floor and put my hands on my hips.
“Oh yeah?” He plunks a box on the shelf.
“Yes. I told him you were doing good. He said he hasn’t heard from you in a while.”
“If he wanted me there, why didn’t he ask me? My phone works fine.”
“Hard to do if you keep sending him to voicemail.”
“Funny thing about voice mail, if you get sent there you leave a message. If you choose not to, what you want to say doesn’t get heard—if you really wanted to get your message to be heard.”
“Now you’re just being unreasonable. You know Dad doesn’t do messages, he’s short on words like you and set in his ways stubborn. Ever think that’s the reason you don’t get along better?”
“Fuck you, too.” His lips ease into a smile then go back emotionless.
“Mom would want us—“
“Don’t.” He points a box under my nose, his jaw set. “Play the dead mom card.”
“Look.” I place my hand on his shoulder trying to seem more supportive than anything else. “No pressure, it would just be nice to have you there once in a while for Friday night dinner. It’s not every week. Most times when I’m able to make it it’s only me, Dad, and Carla. No aunts, uncles, or cousins.”
I shake his shoulder and with a long-suffering sigh, he says, “Maybe. What night is it this time?”
“Mediterranean.” I press my lips together, holding back a smile. Our stepmother loves to cook. She has this thing about cooking food from all over the world, from countries she has been to, and places she’d like to go if she can drag my dad along with her. God bless her heart for trying to expand his horizons.
“It has to be better than the Indian curry dish she tried to make. That did not go down well with anyone.” He grimaces.
“God, that was an awful night. It was the revenge of the curry. I was running to the bathroom the entire night.” We look at each other and laugh. I bet we’re both thinking about Dad stuck in the bathroom, cursing up a blue streak about curry being banned for life from his house.
“Maybe bring a date.”
“Youreallywant me to bring a date?” He quirks a brow. “Think about that.”
“Yep, yep, best to stick with immediate family. You know I don’t care about that, right?”
“The one thing I do know.” He bends back down to pick up more stuff in the open box.
“Good. I gotta go. Miranda hates to wait on anyone but herself.”
“Your partner’s a badass chick. Tell her I’m still open. Tell her sister I said, what’s up.”
“She’s still married.”
“Not fazed. Tell her sister I said, what’s up, I’m here anytime she’s ready for me to take her out.”
I laugh and pick up my basket. “Keep waiting on that, you’ll die before you ever get laid again. You’d only last two days.”
He laughs and gives me the finger. I catch up to my partner in the sixth aisle in front of the store, still looking over dog toys. As I approach her I hear laughter and look over my right. My aunt is at the cashier saying something to the cute cashier who walked into me, her head thrown back laughing. Really cute. How long has she worked here? Can’t have been long. I’ve been here twice this month. I would have noticed her already if she’s worked here long.
“Did you get that one-hundred-millionth moisture wick-away sock you were looking for to add to your never-ending collection?” She grabs the largest chew toy I’ve ever seen.
“I don’t mind being made fun of but remember, I warned you athlete’s foot is no joke. It can take down the best of men.” I reluctantly turn my head away from my aunt and the girl in the well-fitted green shirt, faded blue jeans, and now the great laugh. “Say you’re running down a perp and from out of nowhere a sudden furious hot itch grabs ahold of your foot, not one but both?” I fix her with the most sincere look I can hold.
Her eyes look me up and down, and she laughs in my face. “If that’s all it takes to take you down in a high stake situation I’d say you’ve chosen the wrong profession. It’s time to toughen up, buttercup.”
I look over my shoulder again. I wonder what her name is, if she’s single?
“Hello, earth to Noah.”
