Page 33 of Escaping the King
“No worries, Momma.I told Jimmy in the back to put a rush on your order.”Sheila popped around the corner and slid our plates onto the table.“Careful, now.The fries are red hot, Dani.Okay?Make sure you blow on them before you take a bite.”She spoke right to Dani and it made me get a little emotional.Her kind tone sounded like the way Anna and Marcello spoke to her.
Like grandparents.
She'd never have any.
She almost had two.
But Dani would never see them again.
“Thanks, Sheila.This smells wonderful.”
I mean, it did.As far as truck stop diners went.
I'd much rather sit down at Eve's table and eat her ravioli.Or cannelloni.Nick loved fresh, homemade pasta.And Eve was always eager to please her man.
“You're welcome.Just holler if you need anything else.”
I nodded, and she spun around and left us to eat.
“Ketch!”Dani gestured to the red bottle on the table like she was guiding it to port.
I picked it up and squeezed a sizeable puddle on her plate.
One second later, she slowly stuck the tip of her chubby index finger into the ketchup.And then she licked it off.
“How's your ketchup?”
All I got back from her was an “Mmm,” while she wiggled her behind.
This kid.
I picked up half of my club sandwich and took a bite.“Mmm, this is good,” I said with a full mouth.I hadn't eaten a club sandwich in ages.The thick slices of turkey nearly melted in my mouth.And it seemed like Jimmy in the back loved mayo as much as I did.
I chewed and swallowed it down.Next, I picked up a french fry.“Ouch,” I said and dropped it back onto the plate.
Dani laughed at me.“Hot, Momma.”Then she picked up a fry from her plate and blew on it.
I had a feeling that Sheila had let Dani's fries cool off a bit.
I reached over and took one off her plate.“Mmm, good.”I was right.Her fries were warm.Mine were scalding.
“Hey, no!”Dani covered her plate with her body, protecting it from her evil mother.
“Oh, I see how it is.I grow you in my belly for nine months.Nurse you forever.But you won't share one fry with me?”I teased my daughter.
“That's pretty much how it goes.Forever.”Sheila appeared out of nowhere back at our table.
“Just get used to it.Things never change.Like last week, for instance, our youngest son showed up at the door with five enormous garbage bags.He said, ‘Mom, my washing machine is broken.Can you do a few loads for me?’”
Sheila shook her head.“A few loads?It took me three days to finish everything he brought over.”
My eyes got all teary from her story.And the fact that she actually washed and dried and folded all those clothes for her kid.
“That was nice of you,” I said, feeling my eyes get wetter.
I wasn't sure why I was being so emotional.Maybe because I'd just left my lumberjack back at my house.And I'd never see him again.
“Aww, honey.Don't worry.I'm sure Dani won't do any of the stupid stuff my kids do.”
