Page 15 of Loving Carter

“Okay, I’m good at opening the jar and warming the sauce on the stove,” I admit.

“Still, it’s a skill. Not everyone can open the jar,” she teases. “Some of us are only mere mortals not blessed with superhuman strength.”

I flex my muscles, which makes her laugh again. Then she holds up two leftover dishes. “I brought a tossed salad and garlic rolls.”

“Thanks.” Unlike me, she really is an excellent cook. The salad will be great, and I know the rolls will be so good that Kellan and I will fight over the last one. She sets the leftover dish down and washes her hands. “What was with you and all the volunteering at the meeting yesterday?”

I figured she’d ask me about this sooner or later. “I got swept up in the magic of the moment,” I tell her, then I lift the spaghetti pot and drain it in the sink. “I’ll do most of it if you don’t want to.”

She’s watching me with that narrowed-eyed look she gets when she’s pondering things. “No. It’s fine. I don’t mind since you’ll be doing part of it. I was just curious. Earlier in the day, you made it clear you weren’t interested in the expo.”

“It’s one of life’s great mysteries,” I say. To be honest, I really don’t have an explanation as to why I said we’d do so much. I’m busy, and I don’t have time. All I can figure is maybe I’ve lost my mind. Or maybe I’m feeling guilty that soon I’ll be leaving Endearing. I haven’t analyzed my feelings on the topic, and more than likely, I won’t. Too much introspection can be dangerous.

“Well, we’re committed now.” She sets the rolls on a plate and puts them in the microwave to warm them. “I’ll set the table.”

Before she can start, Kellan enters the kitchen.

“Wash up, and then set the table,” I tell him.

“Your wish is my command,” he says. “Hi, Skylar.”

“My command is your command,” I say.

Kellan laughs, washes his hands, then gathers the plates and silverware, with Skylar helping. Like a well-oiled drill team, we quickly get the table set and the food ready. We’re pretty good at this Tuesday night dinner. We should be. We’ve been doing it for months.

Once we’re seated, we start passing the food around, and the aunts fill their plates before turning their attention to Skylar.

“What’s new at the bakery?” Tillie asks.

“That means, what gossip have you heard.” Kellan takes a roll, and then passes the plate to me.

“Nothing really new,” Skylar says. “I guess Carter’s told you about the expo. He and I have several to-dos we have to take care of.”

“It’s nice you have each other to help,” Edna says. “Work is always more fun with a partner.”

“Remember that time you two did the science fair presentation?” Tillie’s smiling, and I know why. She’s going to tell one of her favorite stories.

“Yes, we remember it,” I say, hoping to cut off this conversation.

But Tillie is revved and ready to tell the tale to a room full of people who all know what happened. That doesn’t stop her. “You two worked all weekend on that display about goats. The posters you made were wonderful. Lots of pictures of the goats we had at that time. Remember, Carter?”

“Yes, I remember,” I say.

We all lived this story, and since then, both aunts retell this story three or four times a year. I think about asking them not to tell the story again, but when I glance at Skylar, she’s smiling, so I decide not to try to stop Tillie. Might as well hear it again.

Tillie is so excited telling this story, she clasps her hands together. “It was an amazing display. You two did a great job. You even made little stuffed goats to put on the poster. Remember, Edna?”

“Yes, I remember,” Edna says. “They did a terrific job.”

“It was all about the life cycle of a goat and why people should have more respect for the noble goat.” Tillie makes a snorting noise, followed by a long and loud laugh. “Noble goats. Ha!”

“Well, goats are—” Skylar says, but before she can get very far, Tillie hops back into the conversation.

“You left your presentation on the porch to go eat lunch, and when you got back, the goats had climbed up onto the porch and were eating your display.”

Both Tillie and Edna burst into laughter, and I can’t help smiling. Skylar is smiling too. Although we weren’t happy at the time, I have to admit, that story has brought a lot of laughter to my family over the years.

When both the aunts finally stop laughing and can breathe again, Kellan says, “But they managed to save the day. Don’t forget that part.”

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