Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 90098 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 450(@200wpm)___ 360(@250wpm)___ 300(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90098 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 450(@200wpm)___ 360(@250wpm)___ 300(@300wpm)
Amusement lingered in her gaze. “I should clarify that Ben’s been acting strangely about today’s dinner for almost two weeks. First, it was ‘The dinner’s at my friend’s sports bar. I think you’ll like him.’ Then it was Trace this, Trace that, and he got all cranky when I asked if you were more than a friend. And today, on the way over here, he snapped at me—said he didn’t wanna jinx anything.”
Aw, my big oaf. How fucking cute was that. And hilarious.
“So I had my suspicions about him, but I wasn’t sure about you,” she said. “Until you invited his son to your parents’ house in Florida five minutes into dinner.”
Oh. Well…five minutes was a stretch. Fifteen minutes, at least!
“I’m going to tell you a story about my son,” Elsie told me. “Growing up, he was quite popular. He played football—he was good at it—and he had many friends. One in particular. Sheila. A very sweet girl. We always assumed they’d become an item eventually because of how they acted together. Always joking, always laughing, always walking to school together. He even carried her books.”
I had no reason to feel jealous, but I couldn’t help the small spark that shot through me. It was dumb and so uncalled for.
“But as his friends around him started dating, he just…didn’t,” Elsie said. “Sheila confessed her feelings for him sophomore year, and he was devastated because he lost his best friend. He didn’t feel that way about her. About anyone.”
Yup, totally uncalled for. Sorry, Sheila.
“I started worrying that he was homosexual,” Elsie admitted. The tension shifted, and I could tell she felt bad about something. “I’m sure you can imagine how I grew up.”
I nodded with a dip of my chin. The Catholic working class of the fifties and thereabouts? Come on.
“When he met Lindsey, I was so relieved that I missed out on the complete personality change he’d gone through,” she went on. “Looking back on those years now, I am ashamed of how I let that play out. How I allowed my own son to conform to whatever he thought was acceptable to society—by me, by his father, his whole family. He stopped making jokes. He stopped laughing.” She sighed and shook her head, and she refolded the napkin on her lap. “I’m glad he could forgive me, but I don’t intend to make the same mistake twice.” She lifted her gaze to meet mine, and I saw a sense of conviction. “Ben has been different lately, and it’s not only his new job’s doing. It’s you.”
I sat a little straighter, and I clamped my mouth shut to keep from asking what she was probably about to elaborate. I didn’t wanna miss a single word.
“You see, Ben needs someone he has great chemistry with,” she said. “Someone who shares his sense of humor, and someone who enjoys the back-and-forth ribbing you two seem to have going on already. That’s when I see the boy I raised. He’s more energetic now. He cracks jokes when he stops by, and he finds joy in the most mundane tasks. Like grocery shopping.” She smiled. “He mentioned you two went to the store the other day and found something for your soup kitchen. And the way he told me—it was as if it’d been the funniest field trip in school.”
I grinned. We did have a good time together, whether we were watching a game or walking the aisles at Aldi.
“You’re not another Sheila, dearie,” Elsie said. “You’re the one he probably didn’t believe existed.”
My pulse drummed faster, and I looked over at Ben and Alvin. The kid was engrossed in the game, but Ben was glancing my way.
You in love with me too, hon?
I bet he was suspicious, wondering what his ma was saying to me.
I cleared my throat and faced Elsie again. “In the spirit of communicating better, I wanna spend the rest of my life with him.”
She smiled and patted my hand. “I’m glad to hear it. He’s worth it. You’ll never find someone more loyal—and thickheaded. He doesn’t always give himself the credit he deserves.”
Yeah, no shit. I chuckled. “I’ve learned that much about him.”
No top score for Alvin yet, but Ben had struck a deal with him I was ridiculously happy about. They were gonna come here for dinner a few times a month, which worked great for my plan. Because maybe next time or the one after that, it’d feel like a good move to show Elsie and Alvin the upstairs.
Maybe I’d ask for Alvin’s advice on what kind of fish I should get. How to set up a tank and such. And if he started finding gym chalk or bath bombs up there, he might wanna stick around for a movie night or, in the future, a sleepover.
He wouldn’t have to move abruptly and drown in panic. We had time. It could take months—hell, years. Whatever. Slowly but surely, Ben and I could turn our home into his too.