stupid,” Kenny said.
Both
Dalton and Laura gave him a scolding glance. “Your sister isn’t stupid,” Laura
told him.
“I
mean, we could say ‘hi’ to Mom,” Krissy said. “She works at the mall, you
know.”
“Isn’t
there a mini-putt golf course and adjoining arcade there?” Dalton said.
Kenny
perked right up. “Yeesss.”
Dalton
turned to Laura. “All right by me,” she said.
The
group piled into Dalton’s extended-cab truck and made the drive from Battle
Ground and to the nearby mall in Vancouver.
“Wow,
it’s crowded,” Dalton observed with a sigh, as he took note of the bumper to
bumper traffic on the narrow roadway around the mall, and saw that open parking
spaces were few and far between.
Laura
gave him an encouraging smile. “You’ll live through it.”
“You
think so, huh?”
“Let’s
go see Mom before we go golfing,” Krissy suggested.
“Lead
the way,” Dalton told her.
Krissy
directed them to the small clothing boutique where her mother worked. They
found Candace engaged with a customer, but she seemed happy to see them. She
gestured for them to give her a moment, but when she was free, she joined them.
“Hey,
guys,” she said, smiling broadly at her children. “I’m so happy you came to
see me.” She directed her attention to Dalton and Laura. “Thanks so much for
bringing them by.”
“It’s
past lunch time,” Dalton noted, checking his watch. “Is anybody hungry?” He
sought Candace’s eye. “Can you join us for a late lunch?”
“Aunt
Laura slept in until noon!” Krissy announced.
“Well,
I imagine she’s tired after her trip,” Candace observed, giving her sister a
sympathetic smile, and her daughter a slightly scolding glance.
“I
think she just really liked Dalton’s bed,” Krissy noted.
Laura
nearly choked, and Dalton raised a hand, as if warding away any misconceptions
derived from the little girl’s comment.
“Your
brother has Laura sleeping in her old bed,” he explained. “I took pity on her
and gave her my bed, while I took the couch. Didn’t he replace your old
mattress with a new one for Krissy?”
She
nodded. “Poor you, Laura, if you had to sleep in your old bed. What’s our
brother thinking putting you there?” She abruptly frowned and made an
apologetic face. “Well, I guess all the other beds are taken more often than
not these days…”
“Are we
going to lunch?” Kenny interrupted. “I’m hungry.”
“Lunch
it is,” she told him, and turned back, to catch the eye of a coworker. “I’m
going to lunch. I’ll be back in an hour.”
The
woman nodded and Candace accompanied her family out of the store. They were
soon ensconced in the food court, with each family member interested in a meal
selection from a different restaurant. When Candace reached for her purse, to
give each child money to pay for their choices, Laura promptly put a hand on
her arm. “I’m treating my niece and nephew today, if that’s okay.”
“Hey,
I’m treating,” Dalton said.
“Everybody’s
lunch is on me,” Laura insisted.
When
they realized she wasn’t taking ‘no’ for an answer, they thanked her for buying
and spread out to place their orders. Both Candace and Laura selected chicken
and rice from a Japanese restaurant, and Dalton offered to order for them. The
women were left alone at the table, though both kept their eyes on the
children.
“Thank
you for lunch,” Candace told Laura. “It’s sweet of you. And I can’t thank you
enough for watching the kids today.”
“You’re
welcome. They’re great kids. I’m happy for the opportunity to spend time with
them.”
Candace
searched her face. “Considering…” She sighed. “I’m surprised you’d want
anything to do with any of us.”
“Candace…”
She
shook her head and tears pooled in her eyes. “I look back at our childhood and
remember how awful I was to you… I can
Both
Dalton and Laura gave him a scolding glance. “Your sister isn’t stupid,” Laura
told him.
“I
mean, we could say ‘hi’ to Mom,” Krissy said. “She works at the mall, you
know.”
“Isn’t
there a mini-putt golf course and adjoining arcade there?” Dalton said.
Kenny
perked right up. “Yeesss.”
Dalton
turned to Laura. “All right by me,” she said.
The
group piled into Dalton’s extended-cab truck and made the drive from Battle
Ground and to the nearby mall in Vancouver.
“Wow,
it’s crowded,” Dalton observed with a sigh, as he took note of the bumper to
bumper traffic on the narrow roadway around the mall, and saw that open parking
spaces were few and far between.
Laura
gave him an encouraging smile. “You’ll live through it.”
“You
think so, huh?”
“Let’s
go see Mom before we go golfing,” Krissy suggested.
“Lead
the way,” Dalton told her.
Krissy
directed them to the small clothing boutique where her mother worked. They
found Candace engaged with a customer, but she seemed happy to see them. She
gestured for them to give her a moment, but when she was free, she joined them.
“Hey,
guys,” she said, smiling broadly at her children. “I’m so happy you came to
see me.” She directed her attention to Dalton and Laura. “Thanks so much for
bringing them by.”
“It’s
past lunch time,” Dalton noted, checking his watch. “Is anybody hungry?” He
sought Candace’s eye. “Can you join us for a late lunch?”
“Aunt
Laura slept in until noon!” Krissy announced.
“Well,
I imagine she’s tired after her trip,” Candace observed, giving her sister a
sympathetic smile, and her daughter a slightly scolding glance.
“I
think she just really liked Dalton’s bed,” Krissy noted.
Laura
nearly choked, and Dalton raised a hand, as if warding away any misconceptions
derived from the little girl’s comment.
“Your
brother has Laura sleeping in her old bed,” he explained. “I took pity on her
and gave her my bed, while I took the couch. Didn’t he replace your old
mattress with a new one for Krissy?”
She
nodded. “Poor you, Laura, if you had to sleep in your old bed. What’s our
brother thinking putting you there?” She abruptly frowned and made an
apologetic face. “Well, I guess all the other beds are taken more often than
not these days…”
“Are we
going to lunch?” Kenny interrupted. “I’m hungry.”
“Lunch
it is,” she told him, and turned back, to catch the eye of a coworker. “I’m
going to lunch. I’ll be back in an hour.”
The
woman nodded and Candace accompanied her family out of the store. They were
soon ensconced in the food court, with each family member interested in a meal
selection from a different restaurant. When Candace reached for her purse, to
give each child money to pay for their choices, Laura promptly put a hand on
her arm. “I’m treating my niece and nephew today, if that’s okay.”
“Hey,
I’m treating,” Dalton said.
“Everybody’s
lunch is on me,” Laura insisted.
When
they realized she wasn’t taking ‘no’ for an answer, they thanked her for buying
and spread out to place their orders. Both Candace and Laura selected chicken
and rice from a Japanese restaurant, and Dalton offered to order for them. The
women were left alone at the table, though both kept their eyes on the
children.
“Thank
you for lunch,” Candace told Laura. “It’s sweet of you. And I can’t thank you
enough for watching the kids today.”
“You’re
welcome. They’re great kids. I’m happy for the opportunity to spend time with
them.”
Candace
searched her face. “Considering…” She sighed. “I’m surprised you’d want
anything to do with any of us.”
“Candace…”
She
shook her head and tears pooled in her eyes. “I look back at our childhood and
remember how awful I was to you… I can
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