Page 94 of The Perils of Pretending
Max groans.
Just this week, Max witnessed my bathroom episode due to too many berries and my snoring. Plus my wacked out Grandma. It’s time I get some info on him. “I can’t wait.”
Chapter 35
Sadie
We’resittingaroundthedining room table in chairs older than Max's and my ages combined. The entire time we made dinner, I got to hear stories about Max. Like the time he filled up the sink in their kitchen for the frog he caught, that then hopped away and they had to chase it around the house to capture it and let it loose outside. Or when his grandma caught him kissing a girl in his backyard when he was sixteen. And the best one was when Alex scared Max with an ax (it was fake) one year on Halloween.
My stomach hurts from laughing. “Thank you for dinner, Marjorie. It was delicious. Max and I will tackle the dishes if you want to get the card games ready.”
Marjorie pats my arm. “You’re our guests. We’ll handle the dishes.”
Max stands, picking up everyone’s plates. “You have to do them all the time. Let us help and give you a night off.”
“Oh, all right. I’ll get Rook from the bedroom closet. But I want Sadie on my team.”
Aw, Marjorie’s sweet for wanting to partner with me for the card game. “You’re on.”
Max and I talk about how cute his grandparents are and how we want to be like them when we’re old. I wipe the kitchen table off then use the bathroom. When I come back, the cards are dealt and we’re ready to go.
The second the open bidding starts to take the kitty in the middle, Marjorie’s persona changes from sweet grandma to card shark. She’sserious and completely focused on the game. I’m glad I’m her partner and not going against her. She’s a little scary.
“Ha! Take that!” Marjorie says, grinning. She puts down the rook, taking a fourteen and a ten from Max and Alex.
Alex shakes his head. “That does it for us, son. They’ve won.”
I shimmy my shoulders in a victory dance.This is the feeling I missed when playing games with the extended Ashcombe crew.
Max stands. “I’ve sat a lot today. I’m going for a walk before bed. Does anyone want to join me?”
Alex gathers the cards, putting them back in the box. “I’m pooped.”
“I’ll work on my puzzle for a bit. Enjoy alone time with your girl.”
Max and I make our way out the front door, holding hands. I hope we never stop doing this. He leads me down the street. Huge trees line both sides of the road. The homes we pass all look similar to his grandparents’.
“I wish we had more time here. I really like your grandma and grandpa.”
“They’re pretty awesome. I think my grandma’s forgiven me for not bringing you with me last week. She let me have the last lobster, which usually goes to Gramps.”
I chuckle. “I don’t love the circumstances that brought us here, but I am happy you are back on her good side. I also really liked what your grandpa told us in the fishing shed about saying sorry, apologizing, and getting little things for each other.”
Our joined hands swing between us as we walk.
“You know, it’s funny, because growing up, whenever I’d go to the store with either one of them, I remember if I was with Grandma, we had to stop down the chip aisle and get wavy potato chips. When I was with Grandpa, we always picked up a roll of Life Savers. I didn’t realize until he said that tonight that that’s what they were doing.”
I love that he remembers those moments. “I don’t have to have the exact same thing every time. But if we adopt that tradition, chocolate orDiet Dr. Pepper is always a safe choice. What about you? What would you prefer I bring home?”
There’s no hesitation from Max when he says, “You.”
I smack his arm. “That’s a given. What else?”
“Nuts, beef jerky, or any mint gum.”
“You got it.”
“What are you doing Monday night?”
