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She really had it down pat.
And God, she was so beautiful.
She looked like Ariel.
For real, if I had to imagine a life-like Ariel, Ares would be it.
She had bright flaming red hair that most people could never hope to achieve even after hours at a salon. Her skin was creamy and blemish-free, and staring at her now, I knew without a doubt that she didn’t have an ounce of makeup on.
“Anyway,” Memphis continued, pulling my attention back to her. “So, they’re divvying out their cookies. Ares starts eating hers. And throughout the night they’re almost completely eaten. Then their dad comes home from a SWAT call and eats three. One of Lock’s and two of Ares’.”
I could guess where she was going with this.
“They get up the next morning, and everyone is running around like a chicken with their heads cut off.” Memphis paused. “I’m like completely useless because I’m sending my baby off to bootcamp. Downy is trying to pick up the slack, but he was running on two hours of sleep. Ares is still pissy and hormonal and a general teenager about the night before. And Lock’s trying to get his shit packed because like always he forgot to do it the day before.”
“And then, I found out that my cookies were gone.” Ares started to giggle.
“And then she finds out that her cookies are gone,” Memphis agreed. “And she loses her fucking mind. She tackles Lock, and shit gets heated. She demands to know where the cookies are. And Lock has no fucking idea what she’s talking about. But like always, he’s always up for a fight with his little sister, so he wrestles her off of him. This goes on for freakin’ ever, and it’s only then that we realize that the power had gone out in the middle of the night around twelve, making all of the clocks close enough to the actual time that we don’t realize we’re late until Downy’s alarm is going off for him to go to work.”
“Yet at that point, Lock is pissed because I scratched his face and he’s going to have to go to his swearing-in ceremony with claw marks on his face, so he won’t stop even when both of our parents realize how fucking late we are.” Ares shook her head.
I’m giggling so hard I’m laughing.
“What happened then?” I asked, taking a bite of the cookie.
“Downy took Ares, started bellowing at Lock that it was time to fucking go, and we all leave with almost zero shit at all.” Memphis shook her head. “I didn’t even bring my phone. Couldn’t get pictures of them taking my baby away. Ares was grounded from hers so we made her leave hers there. Downy got called out for a SWAT call during the middle of it leaving halfway through. It was a disaster.” She paused. “All of it over a freakin’ cookie.”
Aspen brought her wine glass to the half-empty bottle and poured herself another healthy dose.
“I don’t think that Downy thought he was going to use his hostage negotiator skills on his own kids,” Aspen said dryly. “Man, I remember that one. Ares was in fine form.”
Ares buffed her nails on her shirt.
“What can I say,” she said. “I took cookies seriously.”
I took another bite of the cookie that Lock had handed me.
He’d never had any problem sharing with me.
None.
The doorbell rang and everybody’s laughter silenced.
“I ordered food to be delivered,” Memphis said as she refilled her cup. “Anybody else need anymore?”
I finished off the cookie and held out my cup.
“I’m glad you don’t give me wussy fills,” I said as I brought it back to its original resting place on the counter. “Why bother filling a wine glass half-full?”
Ares started to laugh.
“Oh, you’ll fit in here well,” Ares said as Lock appeared in the doorway with what looked to be food from a Chinese restaurant.
“Mom, you ordered the whole store,” Lock said dryly.
Memphis made room on the counter for the box.
“I didn’t know what Saylor liked, so I ordered a bit extra of everything,” Memphis answered.
