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"Go give Dani that water. I swear, it’s like Satan sat his ass down on Chicago this week. I have the thermostat set at sixty and I’m still sweating." She places the nachos on the outdoor dining table. "I can’t handle this heat. Menopause has me ready to internally combust. And your father wants to be all up on top of me in bed and I can’t stand it."
I love that my parents still love each other, but her inability to see the irony also amuses me. "Mom. That also falls under the category of too much information."
Before she can respond, I take the water to Dani, untwisting the cap for her. "Here, baby, make sure you drink some of this."
She takes an obligatory sip and then sets it down on the pool deck. "Are you getting back in?"
"No, I’m going to eat. Are you hungry?"
"Not yet. I want five more minutes in the water. It’s helping my back. I don’t know how I’m going to do this for four more months."
"You’re doing amazing." She is. She’s working hard on her book and handling all the changes both to her body and to our household with ease.
Nathan has gone full control freak, buying everything under the sun for this baby. He’s even given his private bedroom space for the baby’s nursery. Which is great, except there are boxes arriving daily and a revolving door of delivery people carrying furniture up the stairs.
"It’s probably because you’re in a chair all day writing on the computer. You need to take breaks."
She smiles at me, kicking her feet behind her. "I will."
"If you don’t, you will get spanked."
That just makes her smile wider.
I shake my head, amused, and head to the dining table, which is under an overhang and blissfully in the shade. My mother is right about the heat. I’m sweating my balls off. I settle down into a chair across from her and tuck into the nachos. "Where did Doc go?"
"He’s back in the kitchen prepping the chicken for the grill. I love that you have him around to feed you. Left on your own you’d eat straight garbage."
"That is true. Where’s Dad?" Luna and her boyfriends should be here soon. I’m looking forward to catching up with all of them.
"He’s taking a cold shower."
That makes me laugh out loud.
"What?" my mother asks, sounding bewildered as she fans herself with a battery-operated handheld mister.
"Give the guy a break. He’s not dead yet, Mom."
Realization dawns on her. She makes a face. "Oh, stop. He’s just overheated from doing yard work. Which was absurd considering how hot it is today."
"He loves his yard. He and Michael have that in common."
My mother eyes me. "How are you?" she asks.
It’s not a simple question. It sounds very leading. "What do you mean? I’m great."
I am. I think that’s pretty obvious to anyone who knows and loves me.
"I know losing the championship was disappointing."
"Yes, it was. But I still have years of good hockey in me. I can’t hang onto my disappointment." I pick another nacho up and put the entire thing in my mouth. I take a lot of shit for my eating habits, but I need a lot of calories. I’m constantly active.
"How about your relationship? Is everything good there?"
That makes me frown. I don’t know if she’s just doing a mom check-in or if she has some kind of agenda. "It’s great, too. Why?"
My mom shrugs and gives me a gentle smile. "I just want to make sure that you’re doing what you want. That you’re not getting swept along with the crowd."
"You’re calling Nathan and Michael the crowd?" I ask, amused.
