Page 76 of Until Nalia
“If it’s okay with your dad,” I tell her, and she looks over at Logan.
“She’s always welcome.”
“Cool, I’ll let her know.” She finishes off her egg and tosses the plastic in the trash, then grabs a small bag of popcorn from the basket on the counter before taking a seat at the island with her phone and drink.
“What do you need me to help with?” Logan rests his hand on my lower back when I finish emptying the shopping bags.
“If you can just get me a pan for the sauce and a pot for the pasta.” I take the ice cream I bought to the freezer and put it away but leave out the cookie dough, chocolate, and caramel sauce.
“What are you making with that?” Billie asks, eyeing the cookie dough.
“Zuri wanted to make pizzookie for dessert,” I tell her as Cooper and Zuri come back into the kitchen.
“I’ll help you make dessert,” she tells Zuri while Cooper walks around the island getting two bags of popcorn and throwing one to Zuri.
“Okay.” Zuri takes a seat at the island next to her with her bag of popcorn.
“You’re already done with the game?” Logan asks, placing a pot of water on the stove.
“We’re hungry,” Cooper says around a mouthful of popcorn as he takes a seat on the opposite side of Billie at the counter.
“When are you not hungry?”
“I don’t know.” Cooper shrugs as the doorbell rings.
“That’s probably Cat,” Billie says, getting up and walking out of the kitchen, coming back a second later with Kristy right behind her.
“Mom,” Cooper shouts, jumping off his stool and running to his mom and wrapping his arms around her waist.
“Hey,” Kristy says, her smile seeming forced when she sees me at the stove with Logan.
“I didn’t know you were stopping by,” he tells her, and she shrugs.
“I wanted to talk to Billie about Friday,” she tells Logan while Billie takes her seat back at the counter.
“What’s Friday?”
“I got you an appointment to take your driver's test in the afternoon.”
“Oh,” she mutters, not looking at all excited about the idea. “What time?”
“Twelve, I’ll pick you up early from school, and we’ll go do your test, then go to lunch after to celebrate.”
“I’m not sure I’m ready.”
“You’re ready,” Logan tells her, taking a can of crushed tomatoes from me when he sees I’m struggling with his can opener.
“You’ve mastered parallel parking, which is the hardest part,” Kristy adds, and Billie shakes her head.
“I don’t know.”
I can hear the hesitation and nerves in her voice before I decide to chime in. “I don’t want to sound like I’m bragging or anything, but I took the road test three times before I passed, and it wasn’t a big deal.”
“Three times?” Billie repeats with her eyes wide as she stares at me.
“Hey, no judging.”
“I’m not.” She presses her lips together to keep from smiling.
