“What?”
“You’re the adventurous one,” Sam says. “With your hot Dom.”
“Dom?” Hannah looks at me.
“I’m not really adventurous. I’m a scaredy pants.”
“You’re the bossy pants,” says Hannah, poking me. The whole evening feels like a return to childhood. I don’t hate it.
“Mom,” Otty intones.
There’s a weird silence.
“Yeah. About that.” I stand back up and look at each of them. “I can’t do it anymore. I can’t take care of everyone all the time.”
“We’re over it too,” Sam says.
“Wait.” I’m immediately defensive. “Over what, exactly?”
“Taking care of us all the time. Get a life, man.” Hannah, as always, finds the humor.
“No, but seriously. And now, like Dad’s got a girlfriend? Is she gonna check his vitals app, or do I keep doing that? And what about you guys? Have you got it all figured out too?”
“Schaffer got an assistant,” says Hannah. “And less travel.”
“Really?” Hallelujah.
“I also gave him an ultimatum: help out or get out. We’ll see how it goes.”
“He bought her flowers,” Otty pitches in.
“This has all happened, like, this week?”
“Yep. And I’m moving to Charleston,” announces Otty.
“What? Why? Is it safe there? Where are you gonna…?”
The three of them exchange a look, and I stop dead.
“I’ve got a place, a job, and already booked a couple of local singing gigs.”
“It’s so far.”
She nods. “That’s kind of the idea. A little change of scenery, a little distance from the prick who just fired me.”
“Wait. You were fired?” I ask.
“We don’t need you, Beanie.”
“I do,” says Sam, her grin lopsided because of the Blow Pop she’s just stuck in her mouth.
“No, you don’t.”
“I need you as my best friend. And an HR person with experience reading résumés.”
“Hm. I’ll help with the résumé.” I crunch on a Cheeto and stare them all down. “You know we’d have gotten here a lot sooner if you’d all just done what I said over the years?”
“Whatever. I think it’s time for a sweet baby huggle!”
