said, speaking for me.
“You should take two drawers,” my dad said. I shot him a look. Was he kidding?
“Good idea,” my mom said. “One for socks. One for your bras and underwear.”
“Mom!” I said. Why did she need to say that in public—and in front of my dad?
“Is that okay, Lane?” Mint asked, blinking at me in a kind way.
“Sure,” I said. “I can clean a drawer out tonight.” I tried to pretend that my dad hadn’t said two.
“But I think two drawers would be better,” my mom encouraged. “Give your cousin a little room.”
Wow. My mother’s logic was totally messed up. It would be better for Mint to have more room. Didn’t she see that meant I’d have less room?
“You are such a trouper,” my dad said.
“I really appreciate all your help,” Mint said. “You’re awesome.”
I watched her grab a dinner roll from the basket and split it open with her thumbs. Then I felt a hand on me and I jumped a little. But it was my mom.
“You really are awesome,” she said in a sappy way.
Gag. What would my cousin ask for next?
“So are you learning anything interesting at school yet?” my dad asked.
Mint nodded enthusiastically. “I have learned a ton about New Mexico.”
Then she listed the most random facts about my state. She made it sound really weird. Which it wasn’t.
Santa Fe is the highest capital city in the United States. In October, Las Cruces makes the world’s largest enchilada.
Hundreds of thousands of bats live in the Carlsbad Caverns.
The first atomic bombs were developed and tested in New Mexico.
An extraterrestrial spacecraft with aliens may have crashed in Roswell.
“You’ve got a mind for facts,” my father said.
“Well, I want to remember all this stuff so I can tell my mom about it. I think she’d really like it here,” Mint said.
I didn’t like the way that sounded.
“You mean like when she visits?” I asked, hoping the answer would be immediate.
Mint sat straight up and grinned. “Yeah, but wouldn’t it be great if she came and fell in love with it and we moved here?”
The room spun a little.
“That would be great!” my mom said. “It would be so much fun having you and Betina around.”
“And Clark,” my dad said. “Let’s not forget anybody.”
“Right,” Mint said, letting her grin fade.
I decided not to freak out at the table, because I figured the odds of Mint and her mom and new stepdad relocating were low.
When our crab arrived, I wished I had been staring at a hamburger.
“Just accept that this is going to be pretty messy experience,” my dad said, tying the ends of his bib together.
“Here you go,” Mint said, handing me what looked likea pair of pliers. “Are there any parts you’re craving? A particular leg or claw?”
This poor animal looked so dead. And the chef had arranged the condiments so our crustacean appeared to be clutching a ramekin filled with pink sauce.
“I’m going to start with our beans,” I said.
The sound of people cracking open a crab was very unsettling. Also, crab juice squirts very far.
“This is delicious!” Mint said. “In Alaska, I feel like I’m always eating salmon in the fall. Crab is a nice change.”
“I wish we had that problem,” my dad said with a chuckle.
“We should buy tickets and go,” my mom said. “Every year I think about visiting.”
“Ooh,” Mint said. “Do it!”
That was when I swallowed wrong and began choking on a bean. My mom gently slapped my back. As quick as I could, I grabbed my water to try to wash it down.
“No,” I said. “Not Alaska.”
“But you’ve never been,” my dad said. “I bet you’d love it. They have moose there.”
Cough. Cough
. “Hawaii,” I gasped. “I’d rather go to Hawaii.”
My mom stopped patting my back.
“I’ll show you how to lick a glacier,” Mint said.
“That’s disgusting,” I said.
Cough. Cough
. “I just lost my appetite.”
With that, I pushed away my beans. And then I stuck
“You should take two drawers,” my dad said. I shot him a look. Was he kidding?
“Good idea,” my mom said. “One for socks. One for your bras and underwear.”
“Mom!” I said. Why did she need to say that in public—and in front of my dad?
“Is that okay, Lane?” Mint asked, blinking at me in a kind way.
“Sure,” I said. “I can clean a drawer out tonight.” I tried to pretend that my dad hadn’t said two.
“But I think two drawers would be better,” my mom encouraged. “Give your cousin a little room.”
Wow. My mother’s logic was totally messed up. It would be better for Mint to have more room. Didn’t she see that meant I’d have less room?
“You are such a trouper,” my dad said.
“I really appreciate all your help,” Mint said. “You’re awesome.”
I watched her grab a dinner roll from the basket and split it open with her thumbs. Then I felt a hand on me and I jumped a little. But it was my mom.
“You really are awesome,” she said in a sappy way.
Gag. What would my cousin ask for next?
“So are you learning anything interesting at school yet?” my dad asked.
Mint nodded enthusiastically. “I have learned a ton about New Mexico.”
Then she listed the most random facts about my state. She made it sound really weird. Which it wasn’t.
Santa Fe is the highest capital city in the United States. In October, Las Cruces makes the world’s largest enchilada.
Hundreds of thousands of bats live in the Carlsbad Caverns.
The first atomic bombs were developed and tested in New Mexico.
An extraterrestrial spacecraft with aliens may have crashed in Roswell.
“You’ve got a mind for facts,” my father said.
“Well, I want to remember all this stuff so I can tell my mom about it. I think she’d really like it here,” Mint said.
I didn’t like the way that sounded.
“You mean like when she visits?” I asked, hoping the answer would be immediate.
Mint sat straight up and grinned. “Yeah, but wouldn’t it be great if she came and fell in love with it and we moved here?”
The room spun a little.
“That would be great!” my mom said. “It would be so much fun having you and Betina around.”
“And Clark,” my dad said. “Let’s not forget anybody.”
“Right,” Mint said, letting her grin fade.
I decided not to freak out at the table, because I figured the odds of Mint and her mom and new stepdad relocating were low.
When our crab arrived, I wished I had been staring at a hamburger.
“Just accept that this is going to be pretty messy experience,” my dad said, tying the ends of his bib together.
“Here you go,” Mint said, handing me what looked likea pair of pliers. “Are there any parts you’re craving? A particular leg or claw?”
This poor animal looked so dead. And the chef had arranged the condiments so our crustacean appeared to be clutching a ramekin filled with pink sauce.
“I’m going to start with our beans,” I said.
The sound of people cracking open a crab was very unsettling. Also, crab juice squirts very far.
“This is delicious!” Mint said. “In Alaska, I feel like I’m always eating salmon in the fall. Crab is a nice change.”
“I wish we had that problem,” my dad said with a chuckle.
“We should buy tickets and go,” my mom said. “Every year I think about visiting.”
“Ooh,” Mint said. “Do it!”
That was when I swallowed wrong and began choking on a bean. My mom gently slapped my back. As quick as I could, I grabbed my water to try to wash it down.
“No,” I said. “Not Alaska.”
“But you’ve never been,” my dad said. “I bet you’d love it. They have moose there.”
Cough. Cough
. “Hawaii,” I gasped. “I’d rather go to Hawaii.”
My mom stopped patting my back.
“I’ll show you how to lick a glacier,” Mint said.
“That’s disgusting,” I said.
Cough. Cough
. “I just lost my appetite.”
With that, I pushed away my beans. And then I stuck
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