Punc twisted his head to her. “Mom, he should know I handled my woman’s problem.”
“By breaking the law, you mean,” John said.
Julie let her fork clatter onto her plate. “Not right now, either of you. Our situations aren’t the same, and I doubt Savannah wants to be reminded of her trauma any more than I do mine.”
Punc gave my thigh a gentle squeeze while exhaling a quiet sigh. “I’m sorry, Mom.”
She nodded and picked up her fork.
Everyone skirted the awkwardness by shoveling food into their mouths.
Julie had a knack in the kitchen. As a teenager, I’d always said her fried shrimp was my favorite dish, but over the years, I’d come to realize that she was an all-around great cook.
“I’ve got to learn how to cook like this,” I said. “My sister seems to think eating pot roast is a form of torture. Then again, mine never turns out like this.”
“Are you still cleaning houses?” Julie asked.
I nodded. “Yes, ma’am. My four-year anniversary is coming up soon.”
“I hadn’t realized you’d been doing that for so long,” Julie said.
“Well, it pays the bills and I’m not sure any other boss would be half as great as Rita. She’s been very flexible with me after… everything that’s happened.”
“Rita’s good people,” Punc said.
Julie’s expression gentled. “Speaking of good people, I’ll tell you what I told Ted. I’m thrilled you two are together.”
I felt my cheeks heat.
“Mom,” Punc said.
“What? For once you and your sister both get what you want. You get the girl, and her best friend gets to be officially part of the family.” Julie asked.
Part of me wanted to freak out at her words, but she was absolutely right. Under the circumstances, all three of us got exactly what we wanted.
Alanis locked eyes with me reading my impending freak out, then she winked at me before turning to Julie. “Did I tell you Nina laughed for the first time yesterday?”
Punc and I settled into a comfortable routine in the three weeks following the family dinner. The nights he worked late, we were able to eat together before he left. In the mornings, he’d wake up to see me off. He had to close at Platinum’s every other weekend, which was a bummer, but somebody had to do it.
Cat’s senior year had started, and between band, her volunteer hours, and classwork, she was busier than me and Punc combined.
I angled into the company car after cleaning my last house for the day. I fired up the engine, and my phone rang, Rita’s name lit the display.
“Hey, Rita. What’s up?”
“Hey, yourself. Are you done with the Brigone house?”
“I’m pulling out of their drive once we’re done on the phone.”
“Fantastic. Meet me at the Starbuck’s at the front of their neighborhood.”
“Sure. Is everything cool?” I asked.
“It’s all good. No worries.”
Ten minutes later, Rita waved at me from a small table set in the corner of the coffee shop, and I sat down across from her putting my hands on top of the table.
“This is unusual,” I said, nervously.
