Page 12 of The Broken Heart Playlist
After they leave, Tess and I shoo Mom out the kitchen so she can check on Dad. We cart the dirty plates and glasses to the sink, then I wipe down the counters while Tess loads the dishwasher. Everything in me rises up in protest when I catch sight of what she’s doing. How can one person be so spectacularly bad at such a simple task?
Without looking at me, Tess says, “I can feel you shooting laser eyes my way.”
“I’m trying to understand the logic of your method.”
“Everyone has different ways of stacking,” she responds, unperturbed. “There’s Kate’s way and then there’s Tess’s way. Today, it’s Tess’s way.”
“Your way is the wrong way.”
“Relax,” she tells me, which only serves to make me even less relaxed. “Everything will still get cleaned.”
“No item in the dishwasher should be touching or overlapping,” I point out. “Otherwise, they won’t clean properly.”
“Not everything has to be done your way.”
“It’s not my way. It says so in the manual.”
Tess gapes at me. “You’ve read the manual?”
“Of course.” I gape back at her. “You didn’t?”
“Why on earth would I read a dishwasher manual?”
“So you can stack the plates and glasses properly,” I emphasize, unable to hold back the sarcasm.
“Please,” she scoffs. “No one reads the manual.” In true Tess fashion, she provides no evidence to back up her claim.
Aaron wanders into the kitchen, Lisset hanging off him like a monkey, which he tolerates with a great deal of patience.
Tess pounces straight away. “Honey, did you read our dishwasher manual?”
Aaron looks surprised she’s even asked the question. “Of course.”
I give my hands a brisk squirt of hand cream and shoot her a triumphant look. “Hah!”
Her shoulders slump in defeat. “I should have known.” When Lisset clambers down, Tess grabs a fistful of Aaron’s shirt and yanks him toward her. “I love you, but don’t ever expect me to read a manual.”
He gives her ponytail a playful tug and smiles down at her. “You know, love, there are all sorts of manuals out there and not all of them are boring. In fact, some of them are extremely...informative.”
Tess’s lips curve into a smile. “Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to read one of those manuals and demonstrate your knowledge to me.”
“Mission accepted,” Aaron replies with a gleam in his eyes.
It’s as though they’ve completely forgotten I exist. Newlyweds are almost unbearable to be around. “Still in the room, people!” I announce in a loud voice.
“Sorry, Kate,” Aaron replies, not taking his eyes off Tess.
When Lisset stifles a yawn, I say, “Okay, we’re heading out so I can get her to bed.”
“Goodbye, munchkin!” Tess calls out.
“Not a munchkin,” Lisset mumbles sleepily.
“You’remymunchkin,” she stresses with a pirate growl.
“Do you want us to follow you home?” Aaron asks.
My house is ten minutes from my parents’ place, but I appreciate the offer. “Thanks, Aaron, but I’ll be fine.”
