“Caving,” I stated.
“You’ll see,” she retorted.
“No I won’t,” I told her. “Ren cooks and does the dishes and he does both well.” I looked to Amalea. “Thanks for that, by the way.”
Amalea smiled at me and opened her mouth to speak, but Indy got there before her.
“You’re joking,” Indy said, and I looked back her way.
“Not even a little bit.” I grinned. “And he serves tater tots with breakfast.”
I knew that would get her.
It got her.
Indy’s eyes got wide and she whispered an envious, “You’re joking.”
“Nope,” I replied, still grinning.
“That’s… that’s like… that’s…” she stammered.
“Righteous?” I gave her a word.
“Totally,” she agreed.
“Hank does the dishes and he’s good at it,” Roxie put in. “He also makes great eggs, and he’s a grill master.”
“Whenever I suggest we grill something to Lee, he says we should go to a steak joint or invite ourselves over to your place,” Indy said to Roxie.
I took the rinsed serving bowl Mom handed to me and started wiping while saying, “You’re letting Lee get away with too much. You need to crack down.”
Indy shoved the platter in the cupboard. “I’m not sure cracking down works with Lee.”
In mixed company, I couldn’t suggest what would, so I didn’t say anything
“Just sayin’,” Connie put in. “Ren does all that stuff because Jeannie and me were like Lee.”
“This is true,” Amalea murmured to Mom.
“He was a brownnose, always suckin’ up to Ma,” Jeannie stated, and Amalea’s back snapped straight.
Uh-oh.
“He was not a brownnose. He was a good son,” Amalea stated. “After slaving in the kitchen to feed a family of four, it was nice to have someone do the dishes. And, I’ll add, nice to have someone who saved me from having to slave in the kitchen every once in a while.”
So that was how Ren learned how to cook.
“Total brownnose,” Jeannie muttered, wiping the stove.
“This is what I wish,” Amalea started. “I wish for you both to have sons and daughters, sons that look out for you, daughters who don’t, so you’ll understand precisely how it feels.”
Oh man.
Seriously set down.
She was good.
I bit my lip and gave big eyes to Mom.
Mom grinned huge at me.
Jeannie began concentrating closely on cleaning the stove like Mom was performing surgery on it later, while Connie shoved more leftovers in the fridge but did it without speaking,
With excellent timing, Dad ended our discussion by walking in and announcing, “I’m taking drink orders. Any of you gals want a refresh before you join us?”
“I have to get behind a wheel, Malcolm,” Amalea said. “Nothing for me.”
He got yeas from Roxie, Mom and me, nays from Connie and Jeannie. We finished up the dishes, Dad brought our drinks and we wandered back to the family room, me bringing up the rear and Amalea poorly pretending she wasn’t trying to position to bring up the rear with me.
I slowed my gait as the others forged on. I stopped, turned and looked down at Ren’s mom.
“Did you want a word in private?” I asked quietly.
“Was it that obvious?’ she asked back.
“Yes,” I answered on a smile.
She returned my smile before hers faded. Then she tipped her head to the side and studied me for a moment before speaking.
