Page 58 of Carry Me Home
Brax
That’s never going to happen. Essie says this will be more fun.
Jack
You’re welcome to try, I guess.
Brax
Thanks, but I kind of like having all my teeth inside my head.
If she asks, tell her I was brave.
Jack
For the record, I didn’t hit you for sleeping with my sister. I hit you because you tricked her into marrying you instead of telling her you’d been in love with her your whole life.
Brax
I know.
Jack
It sure did feel good, though.
“I don’t wantto go to the grocery store.” Maya gave me a disgusted look, like I’d suggested eating worms for breakfast.
“Guess what? No one likes going to the grocery store. Not even adults. But it still has to get done or we don’t have food to eat.”
Maya hit her thighs with her little fists. Once, twice, three times. “I don’t care.”
I sighed. Maya was in amood. It had already been a long day, and it was barely past lunch. Maybe she hadn’t slept well, but more likely it was just a crappy day. It caught me off guard, coming on the heels of a fantastic weekend. After spending most of Saturday with Janie and Maya, I’d made myself scarce yesterday and headed for the mountains. I hadn’t gotten back until Maya was in bed, but Janie told me they’d had a great time working on their amphibian book.
Today she suddenly wanted nothing to do with me. First, she’d refused to do PT in the morning. When I’d threatened to bar her from my room—and the tadpoles—until she did it, she’d given me the most disgruntled face and told me I couldn’t do it with her. She hadn’t wanted me to push her on the tire swing or eat lunch with her. I’d taken it all in stride because what was I going to do? Call her mom and whine that Maya didn’t want to be my friend anymore? It hurt my feelings, but I had my pride.
Everyone had a bad day now and again. She just needed space. Or…something. I didn’t know, and that frustrated me.
“It’s Monday. We always go to the grocery store on Monday,” I said. It was part of our routine, so that Janie didn’t have to waste weekend time food shopping.
“I’m not going.” Maya’s lower lip stuck out.
“You are going,” I said as patiently as I could. “I know it sucks being a kid sometimes when adults make decisions for you, but I can’t leave you here alone.” I squatted down so we met each other at eye level. “I’ll tell you what. We’ll get the grocery shopping done, and later we can go to the library.”
“I don’t want to go to the librarywith you.”
My jaw nearly hit the floor. Maya wasvicious. “Fine.” I straightened. “But we’re still going to the grocery store.”
Maya’s mooddid not improve at the grocery store. Neither did mine.
With Janie’s grocery list in my phone, it didn’t take long. The list never changed much week to week and we knew whereeverything was. Maya stomped along like a little thundercloud while I grabbed items off the shelves and tossed them into the cart. Even her red braid bounced like it was angry and she glowered at the checkout lady who rang up our groceries.
When I gave her an apologetic grimace, she just shook her head. “Don’t you worry about it. I feel that way most Mondays.”
We made for the exit, slowing down as we neared the cookie case. There was one chocolate chip cookie left—Maya’s favorite—and the rest were sugar cookies. The cookies were free, on the honor system that customers would take no more than one apiece. It was our tradition to grab one on our way out as a little treat for surviving our least favorite chore. I had never conditioned it on anything likeyou can have a cookie if you’re good. It had never occurred to me, and I’d never needed to.
A mean little part of me wanted to hurt her feelings the way she’d hurt mine, but come the fuck on. I was an adult. I wasn’t going to punish her for not wanting to go to the grocery store or for being in a bad mood. That wasn’t fair, and the only lesson she’d learn was that she had to fake being happy around me and hide her real emotions.
“Get a cookie if you want one, Maya,” I told her.
