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“Okay! Lunch is ready!” Lolly calls from the other room.
I turn and start toward the kitchen, glancing at a curled-up Twinkle as I pass her by. In the kitchen, I find that Lolly has set out our steaming bowls of food in her breakfast nook.
“Hot apple cider?” she offers, holding up a glass jug.
“Sure. Thanks.”
I settle into the breakfast nook and Lolly joins me a minute later with two glasses of hot apple cider. The first sip I take warms my chest. And when I try a bite of her pot roast, I have to shake my head in disbelief.
“This reminds me so much of the pot roast my mom makes,” I tell Lolly.
“Oh, really? It’s interesting you say that, because this ismymom’s recipe.”
“Do you know where she got it from?”
“Hmm. No, but my mom subscribes to several different magazines, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it came from one of them.”
I smile. “I’m pretty sure my mom gets a lot of her recipes from magazines, too. Maybe it was from the same one.”
“That’s entirely possible.” Lolly smiles, too. “Hey, how’s your mom doing, by the way?”
“She’s done with her treatment and she’s doing a lot better. Thanks for asking.”
“Oh, I’m so glad to hear that, Chase. I don’t know if this is weird to say because I’ve never met her, but I’ve been thinking about her.”
I’m not sure what to do with that information. Does it mean anything? Nah. I think all it means is that Lolly is a good-hearted person who cares about people, even if she’s never met them.
“So does your family have any holiday plans this year?” Lolly asks.
I nod. “We’ll spend Christmas Day together, and then my parents also always throw a big holiday party right after Christmas.”
“Ah, that’s right. I remember you mentioning that before. It sounds really fun.”
The question I wish I could ask her hangs on the tip of my tongue.Will you come with me, Lolly?I don’t just want to ask her because my brothers and I made a pact to all find dates to bring this year. I’ve wanted to ask her that question the previous years that I’ve known her, too.
But I can’t ask it. Goddamn it. If only we had a different kind of relationship. And if only we weren’t so far apart in age.
“What are you doing for Christmas?” I ask.
“I’ll be driving to Portland to see my family,” Lolly says. “Oh, shoot. Will you be able to watch Twinkle when I’m gone?”
“Sure. Not a problem.”
“I’ll only be gone for a day or two,” she says. “As for the rest of Christmas break, I’m not sure yet how I’m going to spend it, but I’m looking forward to it. Honestly, just hanging out here and watching Christmas movies sounds pretty great. I’ll also need to do some school prep, though, of course.”
“You’re still teaching first grade, right?” I ask, remembering that she mentioned that in one of our previous brief conversations.
She smiles. “Yep. I have a really fun group of kids this year.”
I can totally imagine her standing at the front of a classroom, commanding the attention of a bunch of six- and seven-year-olds. I’m sure she’s a natural at it. She definitely has maternal vibes.
“Hey, I’ve been wondering, how are your other properties doing?” Lolly asks. “You just fixed one up, right?”
It makes me feel good that she remembered. “That’s right. I’m about to put it up for rent. If you know anyone who’s looking, let me know.”
“Would it be a good rental for a married couple with a newborn?”
For a split second, my mind goes to that ridiculous place again, imagining the two of us as a married couple, our swaddled baby cradled in her arms.
