toes for me, Jet?” Brody takes over as he keeps Jet’s little head still. I watch as he moves everything perfectly then look back to Brody who has completely taken over in seconds.
“That’s awesome. Does anything hurt? Your head or back?”
Jet tries to shake his head. “No. My tongue does, though. Can I have ice cream?”
I blink, and blink some more as Brody lets him up slowly, leaving me there, about to cry. When did my little baby get old enough to dust off falling from a tree? Shouldn’t he have a concussion or something?
I feel strong hands pulling me from the dirt under the swing. “Juliet, he’s okay. Look, he’s trying to get back on.”
My stomach rolls. “I can’t look.” Then I’m turning to point my finger at Jet. “You do not stand up, do you hear me? You know what, why don’t you come with me and we can get some ice cream. I like that idea better.”
“Come on, Jules. Look, there’s Dez and Will,” Brody tries to distract me. Moving me all the way around, he breaks the hawk eye vision I have on my son.
Will greats me with a bear hug, pulling away to grasp me by my shoulders. “Kids, huh?”
There’s laughter around, people finding the humor in the situation before me. I laugh with them, weakly, and try to check on Jet again. My mom grabs me in an iron grip around the shoulders and starts steering me forcibly to the back yard.
“Who needs a drink? I think Glenny was in charge of that,” my dad says as we move as a herd to the backyard where there are tables and a barbeque.
“I’m . . . I don’t know. Should we leave him right now?” I ask to the crowd in general. A hand comes and massages the back of my neck. I look up to see my brother, Will, smiling at me.
“You’re just shaken up, doll. Let’s get a shot in you.” I smile weakly at him, his features so close to mine. I immediately feel comforted by his presence. Will, being so much older than me, has always been a source of guidance, even when I didn’t want to take it.
“He could have been seriously—” I get cut off by Glen, who seems to come out of nowhere, her hand on a cooler as she holds the lid open.
“What kind of shot do you want, Juliet? You look like you could use a drink.”
I see that the cooler is filled with tiny plastic cups that have clear lids on them in all different colors. “Jesus, Glen. I leave for ten years and you turn into a lush.”
“She just got a wild hair and decided to go to bartending school for kicks. Now she shows off whenever she can,” my mom says as she digs into the cooler ahead of me.
“Stop it, Ruth, and give the girl a Jell-O shot. She just had ten years scared off of her life,” Glen orders my mom. Mom hands me a pink and a yellow.
“What flavor are these, exactly?” I ask as I pop the tops.
“Sex on the beach and lemon drop.”
I grin and turn back to watch the kids, relieved to see no one standing up. I hold the shot up and touch it with a fingertip. Okay. Here’s the thing about Jell-O shots. There is no way not to look like you’re licking a fish bowl. It’s not sexy, and as I turn back to the group and see my parents, Brody’s parents, and my brother with their tongues sticking out, slurping up jiggly goop, I wrinkle my nose and put the lids back on my containers.
“What, our booze isn’t good enough for you, either?”
I spin in place, seeing a woman coming towards me from the direction of the house.
“Now, Sarah, don’t even go there,” Glen walks up to the hostile woman. Oh yeah. Brody’s sister. I had seen everyone else during the week, but my ex best friend hadn’t spoken to me in eleven years. To say that she hated me would be an understatement. She was by my side through the first breakup, and subsequent fights, but after I moved away and tried to get in touch with her, she shut me out. Judging from her clenched fists, I kind of think we may be about to throw down.
Honestly, today is not my day. I should have stayed in
“That’s awesome. Does anything hurt? Your head or back?”
Jet tries to shake his head. “No. My tongue does, though. Can I have ice cream?”
I blink, and blink some more as Brody lets him up slowly, leaving me there, about to cry. When did my little baby get old enough to dust off falling from a tree? Shouldn’t he have a concussion or something?
I feel strong hands pulling me from the dirt under the swing. “Juliet, he’s okay. Look, he’s trying to get back on.”
My stomach rolls. “I can’t look.” Then I’m turning to point my finger at Jet. “You do not stand up, do you hear me? You know what, why don’t you come with me and we can get some ice cream. I like that idea better.”
“Come on, Jules. Look, there’s Dez and Will,” Brody tries to distract me. Moving me all the way around, he breaks the hawk eye vision I have on my son.
Will greats me with a bear hug, pulling away to grasp me by my shoulders. “Kids, huh?”
There’s laughter around, people finding the humor in the situation before me. I laugh with them, weakly, and try to check on Jet again. My mom grabs me in an iron grip around the shoulders and starts steering me forcibly to the back yard.
“Who needs a drink? I think Glenny was in charge of that,” my dad says as we move as a herd to the backyard where there are tables and a barbeque.
“I’m . . . I don’t know. Should we leave him right now?” I ask to the crowd in general. A hand comes and massages the back of my neck. I look up to see my brother, Will, smiling at me.
“You’re just shaken up, doll. Let’s get a shot in you.” I smile weakly at him, his features so close to mine. I immediately feel comforted by his presence. Will, being so much older than me, has always been a source of guidance, even when I didn’t want to take it.
“He could have been seriously—” I get cut off by Glen, who seems to come out of nowhere, her hand on a cooler as she holds the lid open.
“What kind of shot do you want, Juliet? You look like you could use a drink.”
I see that the cooler is filled with tiny plastic cups that have clear lids on them in all different colors. “Jesus, Glen. I leave for ten years and you turn into a lush.”
“She just got a wild hair and decided to go to bartending school for kicks. Now she shows off whenever she can,” my mom says as she digs into the cooler ahead of me.
“Stop it, Ruth, and give the girl a Jell-O shot. She just had ten years scared off of her life,” Glen orders my mom. Mom hands me a pink and a yellow.
“What flavor are these, exactly?” I ask as I pop the tops.
“Sex on the beach and lemon drop.”
I grin and turn back to watch the kids, relieved to see no one standing up. I hold the shot up and touch it with a fingertip. Okay. Here’s the thing about Jell-O shots. There is no way not to look like you’re licking a fish bowl. It’s not sexy, and as I turn back to the group and see my parents, Brody’s parents, and my brother with their tongues sticking out, slurping up jiggly goop, I wrinkle my nose and put the lids back on my containers.
“What, our booze isn’t good enough for you, either?”
I spin in place, seeing a woman coming towards me from the direction of the house.
“Now, Sarah, don’t even go there,” Glen walks up to the hostile woman. Oh yeah. Brody’s sister. I had seen everyone else during the week, but my ex best friend hadn’t spoken to me in eleven years. To say that she hated me would be an understatement. She was by my side through the first breakup, and subsequent fights, but after I moved away and tried to get in touch with her, she shut me out. Judging from her clenched fists, I kind of think we may be about to throw down.
Honestly, today is not my day. I should have stayed in
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