“You have to be more careful when you say stuff, Mom.”
“I’m scared to say anything these days. Next thing I know you’ll be telling me I can’t say Oriental rug.”
Ellie emits a loud irritated noise into the phone. “Whatever. So will you please write Cali an Alpha Delt rec?”
I pause before answering. Lilith’s face has popped into my mind. Remembering what she said at the Rush meeting about the cutoff. I don’t know Cali or anything about her family and the rec specifically asks that question. But the truth is Ellie’s recommendation is good enough. “I’d be happy to do that.” Thrusting my legs over the side of the bed, I jump up and head into the bathroom.
“Good, because she’s incredible and doesn’t have a rec from Alpha Delt yet. Plus no one in her family has ever been Greek.”
“No problem, honey.”
“I feel really sorry for her, Mom. Her parents are dead and she was raised by her grandparents in a little town close to Oxford called Blue Mountain.”
“How awful. Bless her heart.” Just hearing this news makes me excited to write her a rec. Alpha Delt could change her whole life.
“Ew. Are you peeing?”
“I just woke up. You pee and talk all the time.”
“But I cover the phone. That’sgross,Mom.”
“Sorry. Gosh. I can’t do anything right this morning.”
“Do you think it’s too late?” she asks, ignoring my comment.
“Is what too late?”
“To write Cali a rec?”
“I think September fifth is the deadline, so we’re good.”
Ellie sighs again, but this time from relief. “Thank God. Will you do it today? I want to make sure she has a chance. We’re already good friends.” No mention of Annie Laurie as a good friend. I’d like to press her about it, but I know better.
“Yes, I’ll do it today.” I move into the kitchen with Daisy at my heels, and rinse out my coffeepot from yesterday.
“Good. I’ve already emailed you her rec packet.”
“That was fast.”
“I knew you’d do it.”
“You were right,” I say. “Hey, who did you decide to invite to the game this weekend? Annie Laurie?”
“No, I invited Cali.”
I pause. “Does that make things weird between you and Annie Laurie?” I’m trying my best to temper my voice. She’ll bust me, big-time, if I don’t.
“Not at all. She’s already going with her parents.”
“Well that worked out perfectly.”
“Yep, sure did,” she says. “Okay, better go. It’s gonna take me a while to put my hair in a ponytail.”
“You’re a mess, Ellie Woodcock.”
“Bye, Mom,” she says with laughter in her voice.
Daisy needs to do her business so I let her out the patio door. She just stands there looking back at me with the rain drenching her body. “Go on, girl. Hurry up, Daisy. It’s okay,” I yell from the door. She’s doesn’t want to do it, but she prances over to the closest patch of grass and squats anyway. Then she races back inside like she’s been caught in a hailstorm. After a shakeout, she lays her face sideways on the rug and scoots around in a desperate attempt to dry her mustache.
