He did indeed.And he’d also called every day since he left a few days ago to go to his office in New York.And when the kids told him about the snack, he went out to buy it so he could try it.
I was in the process of deciding whether the girls were more likely to eat tuna casserole for the third night in a row or if I should open a can of spaghetti, so I wasn’t inclined to give her a snack.“We don’t have any cow food left, ladybug.”
Her cheeks blew up and her face went red.Her impending tantrum was interrupted by a knock at the door.
I opened it to a guy in a ballcap with hair sticking out the sides who was holding up a large paper bag.
“I didn’t order anything.”
He handed me the bag, and I automatically took it.“It’s for Mae Porter.Are you Mae Porter?”
“Yes, but I didn’t—”
He walked off, ignoring my protest.
A peek inside the bag confirmed what my nose had guessed.Someone had sent me burgers and fries.The girls’ favorite meal.And mine too.
Too tired to figure out which of my friends had sent me food, I took it inside.
“Girls, dinner.”
They didn’t stop coloring, sprawled out on their tummies in front of the couch.
“Chickies, dinner is here.And it’s your favorite.”
Addy looked up, her nose twitching.“Is it burgers and fries?”
I set the bag down on the table and pulled the plates out.“It sure is.From Larry’s.”
The girls cheered and joined me at the table.I pulled the bag out of their reach before they had a chance to turn the dining room into a gladiator’s arena, fighting for the same burger even though there were two in the bag.“Go wash your hands, please.I’ll get your plates ready.”
They grumbled but did as they were told.A search through the contents of the bags showed that whoever had ordered our dinner for us knew our preferences.And the kids had identical meals, with my burger being a double.
I used to live on a strict diet, only eating organic food and limiting my sugar intake like nobody’s business.I didn’t have that luxury anymore.Not that I missed spending hours cooking and meal planning, but now I ate whatever I could get my hands on (whenever I got the chance).
It was a challenge making sure the girls had a balanced diet.But things would get better.A mantra I’d been repeating a lot lately.
Elana held up a fry.“Can I have extra ketchup?”
Since ketchup wasn’t something I could afford at the moment, there was none.And the low-sugar variety I normally bought was way out of our price range anyway.“Sorry, pumpkin pants, but we don’t have any more.”
Her face crumpled and she dropped the fry.The burger she’d been holding in the other hand followed.“But I can’t eat fries without ketchup.”
Addy pushed her plate closer to Elana.“Here, have some of mine.I don’t want it.”
I blinked at my eldest, not sure if I was asleep or if I actually saw her share her ketchup.They loved each other without a doubt and stood up for one another whenever necessary.But usually their love didn’t extend to food.
“That was kind of you, ladybug.”
She beamed at me, and we finished our meal.My phone beeped a few times, but I didn’t want to answer it until the kids were in bed.Which was two hours later, after the girls conned me into reading six books instead of the usual two.
There was no falling asleep while listening to a book for my little ones.They would force themselves to stay awake so they wouldn’t miss the story.
Sinking onto the couch, I debated whether I should skip pulling it out tonight.But then I remembered all the food the kids had eaten on it, and the thought of waking up with gum or popcorn stuck to my face was enough to move my tired body.
Once I changed into my pajamas—an oversized T-shirt and shorts—I pulled the couch out and threw sheets on top of it, then a pillow and blanket.Finally, crawling under the covers, I turned on my side and checked my phone.
Malena, Keely, Linny, Nora, and I had a group chat, and there were a few messages I’d missed.
