her.
Jodi glanced over at me. “You look exhausted.”
“I feel exhausted. Between Gam’s hip and now Viper’s knee, it’s been the longest couple of weeks.” I lifted my head off the island and propped it up on my hand. “And I have a feeling it’s going to get worse, not better.”
“So what happened to his knee? I mean, I saw the game, but what does he have to have surgery on?” She flipped another page of the catalog.
“I wasn’t kidding when I said that he just found out a little bit ago, and he hasn’t told me a whole lot. All I know is that he tore his ACL and needs surgery.” I got up from the stool and walked to the fridge, grabbing a bottle of water for myself. “And apparently he’s going to be out for like six months.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “Holy shit.”
“I know. And I get that he’s not happy about it, I totally get that. I just hope that maybe once surgery is over and he’s on the mend, he snaps out of this a little bit.”
She twisted the cap off her water and took several big gulps. “I hope so, too. How are you going to take care of both him and Gam?”
“Well, in an ironic twist of events, before he even got hurt, he hired a nurse for Gam. Not that she needs a ton of medical care, just someone to help out with whatever she needs.” I grabbed a bag of Cheetos out of the pantry and tossed them on the counter. “Don’t judge me, I’m starving.”
Jodi pulled her bottom lip up and shook her head. “No judging here. I’ll even open them.” She pulled the top of the bag apart. “The nurse is a good thing though, right?”
“Oh, for sure!” I agreed. “We met her today . . . she seems nice. And Gam seems to like her a lot, and that’s what really matters.”
“That’s good. I guess it frees up some time for you to help take care of him.” She pointed a finger toward the ceiling.
“It does. I’m just worried about the kids.” I grabbed a handful of Cheetos from the bag and put them in front of me.
“The kids? Why?” She popped a Cheeto in her mouth and crunched it loudly.
“Well, the last couple of weeks we’ve been doing a lot of driving back and forth to Gam’s house, and now we’re driving Viper everywhere.” I glanced down at the island and picked at the corner of a napkin that was sitting there. “A couple days ago we went to Kacie’s and he was so excited to play with her kids. He still has preschool a couple days a week, and that’s great, but he just wants to play.”
“Oh! Oh!” Jodi perked up and held her hand over her mouth, chewing as fast as she could. “Sorry, I got excited. Get this! Vince has a buddy who just rented the house across the street from us . . . and he has a son!”
“Seriously? How old?”
She pinched one eye shut and looked up in the air. “I don’t know, I have to ask, but I think he’s around Matthew’s age. He’s not quite in school yet either.”
“Really?” Excitement shot through me. “You have to find out details for me. That would be awesome!”
“I’ll ask Vince tonight. I’ve never met the guy, but I think he works with him or something. Oh my God, take these away from me before I eat all of them.” She pushed the bag across the island.
“You and me both. I swear I’ve become an emotional eater lately. That’s all I’ve been doing.” I grabbed a few more Cheetos and set them in front of me before I rolled the top of the bag down and put it back in the pantry.
Jodi and I chatted for a little while longer until Matthew came downstairs and complained that he was starving to death.
She went home and Matthew and I had a quiet dinner of macaroni and cheese. It was kind of nice spending some time alone together.
“Do you know what Miss Jodi told me today?” I asked.
He shook his head as he shoveled a huge spoonful of noodles into his mouth.
“She told me that Mr. Vince has a friend who is moving in across the street and he has a son who she thinks might be close to your age. How
Jodi glanced over at me. “You look exhausted.”
“I feel exhausted. Between Gam’s hip and now Viper’s knee, it’s been the longest couple of weeks.” I lifted my head off the island and propped it up on my hand. “And I have a feeling it’s going to get worse, not better.”
“So what happened to his knee? I mean, I saw the game, but what does he have to have surgery on?” She flipped another page of the catalog.
“I wasn’t kidding when I said that he just found out a little bit ago, and he hasn’t told me a whole lot. All I know is that he tore his ACL and needs surgery.” I got up from the stool and walked to the fridge, grabbing a bottle of water for myself. “And apparently he’s going to be out for like six months.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “Holy shit.”
“I know. And I get that he’s not happy about it, I totally get that. I just hope that maybe once surgery is over and he’s on the mend, he snaps out of this a little bit.”
She twisted the cap off her water and took several big gulps. “I hope so, too. How are you going to take care of both him and Gam?”
“Well, in an ironic twist of events, before he even got hurt, he hired a nurse for Gam. Not that she needs a ton of medical care, just someone to help out with whatever she needs.” I grabbed a bag of Cheetos out of the pantry and tossed them on the counter. “Don’t judge me, I’m starving.”
Jodi pulled her bottom lip up and shook her head. “No judging here. I’ll even open them.” She pulled the top of the bag apart. “The nurse is a good thing though, right?”
“Oh, for sure!” I agreed. “We met her today . . . she seems nice. And Gam seems to like her a lot, and that’s what really matters.”
“That’s good. I guess it frees up some time for you to help take care of him.” She pointed a finger toward the ceiling.
“It does. I’m just worried about the kids.” I grabbed a handful of Cheetos from the bag and put them in front of me.
“The kids? Why?” She popped a Cheeto in her mouth and crunched it loudly.
“Well, the last couple of weeks we’ve been doing a lot of driving back and forth to Gam’s house, and now we’re driving Viper everywhere.” I glanced down at the island and picked at the corner of a napkin that was sitting there. “A couple days ago we went to Kacie’s and he was so excited to play with her kids. He still has preschool a couple days a week, and that’s great, but he just wants to play.”
“Oh! Oh!” Jodi perked up and held her hand over her mouth, chewing as fast as she could. “Sorry, I got excited. Get this! Vince has a buddy who just rented the house across the street from us . . . and he has a son!”
“Seriously? How old?”
She pinched one eye shut and looked up in the air. “I don’t know, I have to ask, but I think he’s around Matthew’s age. He’s not quite in school yet either.”
“Really?” Excitement shot through me. “You have to find out details for me. That would be awesome!”
“I’ll ask Vince tonight. I’ve never met the guy, but I think he works with him or something. Oh my God, take these away from me before I eat all of them.” She pushed the bag across the island.
“You and me both. I swear I’ve become an emotional eater lately. That’s all I’ve been doing.” I grabbed a few more Cheetos and set them in front of me before I rolled the top of the bag down and put it back in the pantry.
Jodi and I chatted for a little while longer until Matthew came downstairs and complained that he was starving to death.
She went home and Matthew and I had a quiet dinner of macaroni and cheese. It was kind of nice spending some time alone together.
“Do you know what Miss Jodi told me today?” I asked.
He shook his head as he shoveled a huge spoonful of noodles into his mouth.
“She told me that Mr. Vince has a friend who is moving in across the street and he has a son who she thinks might be close to your age. How
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