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Rex finally noticed Kieran standing there next to a smashed cabinet and was clearly taken aback.
“I’m Kieran. I’m… a friend of Carter and your mom’s,” he explained.
“Why are you holding a baseball bat? And why is the cabinet broken?”
“Your kid is really observant,” Kieran stated.
“I was trying to see if I could fix this kitchen and Carter and his friend here saved me from doing something I really didn’t know how to do,” Zoe said. She blew a wayward strand of hair that had escaped her kerchief. “And now I’ve got to figure out how to make heads or tails of this mess.”
“We can discuss it over dinner tonight,” I supplied.
“Carter…”
“Awesome,” Rex cheered. “Can we make beef stroganoff?”
“Rex, Carter is just being polite.”
“No, I’m not,” I assured her. “I can help you figure out a plan for these renovations. You didn’t let me help with the painting, so I owe you one.
“Come on…”
“No, really. I did it to my own place, so I can definitely do it here too.”
“Carter…”
“Plus, I love beef stroganoff.”
“He wants to come, Mom,” Rex told Zoe happily.
Zoe looked to Kieran and Sasha. “Looks like I’m making beef stroganoff tonight. You two staying?”
“No, thank you. I’ve taken up enough of your time,” Kieran told her.
“I’m out too. I’ve got a date tonight,” Sasha added.
“So it’s just the three of us,” Rex said. “I’ll get the noodles from the pantry.”
I helpedmyself to a second plate of the stroganoff and I caught Zoe smiling.
“What? This is really good,” I told her.
Rex placed his empty plate in the sink and went to the restroom to wash his hands. But when he returned to the table, he had a ribbon pinned to the collar of his shirt.
“Hey, man. What’s that ribbon for?” I asked. He’d clearly gone and put it on so that I’d ask about it. “You win a prize or something?”
“I’m Pupil of the Week at school,” he said, proudly.
“Congratulations, Rex. What did you have to do to earn that?”
“Mrs. Tupper said that it was because of my attitude adjustment and improved social skills,” he answered. “And I think I deserve a prize for getting this.”
“Really, Rex?” Zoe wondered. “What kind of prize?”
“Yeah, what are you thinking? More pizza and pinball?” I offered. “Or are you thinking mini golf? Maybe laser tag?”
“And who’s paying for all these prizes, Carter?” Zoe reminded me.
“I want to play baseball,” Rex said. “Bobby J. plays in the tee ball league and he’s going to play baseball next year and I want to join too. But he’s already so good and I don’t want to be behind.”
