“Mom isn’t here?” Aunt Maggie Mae asks. The pizza is a dead giveaway.
All three of them have the same pouty face once Uncle Charles gives the explanation.
“Well, shoot. The girls wanted to look at some of her old hats. They’re invited to a Derby Day luncheon!” Aunt Maggie Mae turns to face us. “Olivia, did you get an invite to that one?”
“Is that Justina’s party?” I ask. I heard talk of it this morning at Bailey’s.
“It sure is,” she answers.
“I sure didn’t,” I say. Justina and I hardly ever overlap, so it would have been more awkward if I had been invited to her party.
They all try to look sad for me, but it doesn’t really reach the eyes. “Well, that’s too bad. It’ll be the highlight of the week,” Aunt Maggie Mae says, then looks at Sophie. “Do your friends at your school not have parties thrown for them?” Her condescending tone spears Sophie right between the eyes.
Sophie shrugs. “Not like y’all do here. We have a big party for everyone on Thursday night, but that’s about it.”
Right as Aunt Maggie Mae is about to open her mouth again, I say, “But I know I got invited to something with a hat. Mom bought one for me a week ago. I think it’s a tea party or something?”
Now it’s Aunt Maggie Mae’s turn to ponder what I got invited to that the Evil Joes didn’t, because I happen to know Sarah Brooks dislikes the Evil Joes almost as much as I do.
Luckily, Papa steps in before it can get ugly. “Girls, y’all can go on up and look to see what Nonna has. I think all her old hats are in boxes in the hall closet.”
The three of them leave the room and Charlie signals that we should wrap it up here and head to my house. Sophie and Wes clear the table and put the dishes in the dishwasher while Charlie and I put away the uneaten pizza.
“I’ll take these out to the recycling bin,” I say, wrestling with the large empty cardboard boxes. I step out of the back door and almost trip over someone sitting on the back steps. I catch myself but not the boxes as they scatter everywhere.
“Oh! Sorry!” Leo says, one hand steadying me and the other reaching for the closest pizza box on the ground.
We both stumble around until I’m holding half of the boxes and he’s holding the other half.
“We’re making a habit of meeting like this,” I say as we both head to the recycling bin.
“Didn’t realize what we were doing here until we were in the car on the way over. I don’t think they need my help looking at hats.”
“They could use more help than you think,” I say, hearing the insult in my words and cringing just a little. I have to remember he actually likes them. “You could have come in and had some pizza,” I add.
He gives me a look like he’s questioning whether or not I truly believe the words coming out of my mouth. “With you and Charlie and Sophie and Wes? Would you have invited me to sit down at your table?”
We’re side by side, arms full, so I knock my shoulder into him playfully. “I would have thrown you a piece of pizza from across the room at the very least.”
He laughs and knocks me back. “Then I’m regretting staying out on the porch for sure.”
It’s not easy bending and folding the boxes so they’ll fit inside the container. Leo ends up putting the folded boxes on the ground and stomping to flatten them.
“That should do it,” he says as he stuffs the last one in.
“Now I feel like I should throw you two pieces for being such a good helper!”
“And maybe I should fold you up and put you in the recycling!”
We’re both chuckling as we head back toward the house.
“You ready?” Charlie asks from the open door.
“Yeah. I’m ready,” I say to Charlie, then turn to Leo. “See you later.”
“I’ll be on the porch anytime you need me,” he says.
I catch up with Charlie, Wes, and Sophie as they are walking down the driveway.
