I swallow, hating myself right now. A woman’s monthly supplies don’t scare me, but when it comes to my daughter, I’m a basket case.
“Sounds like a plan. I’ll join you. Grab some nail polish and snacks, I can grab you a blanket, and we’ll probably binge on some bad reality television,” Lexi offers.
It grabs my attention when it dawns on me. “Don’t you have the flea market today?”
She shrugs. “It’s okay. There’s another one next weekend.”
My lips twitch from her thoughtfulness, and she recognizes it.
“Thanks, Lexi,” Lori says softly and throws Lexi a look that seems to be a sort of understanding that only they have. I guess the name houseguest went out the window.
It occurred to me a few times that there isn’t a woman in Lori’s life to prepare her for the years ahead. My mom and sister are a few hours’ drive too far to play a role. I just never figured out an answer of how to deal with a daughter and only her dad in her life.
I guess Lexi paid me back more than a favor.
* * *
Lexi’s mouthgapes open as she watches Harry and me prepare a cake. “You really swirl strawberry jelly into the cake, that’s a heaven of cream cheese and peanut butter?”
“It’s the best.” Harry is in his element.
I carefully swirl the jam with the blade of a knife. “It’s delicious. The graham cracker crust is essential, though. We tried it once with chocolate cookie crumbs, and that was just an insane tastebud explosion on that one. We all mutually agreed that we needed to take it down a notch and go traditional with this recipe,” I explain.
Despite the start of the day, it’s been relaxing spending time with Harry and Lori, although quiet. Lori nods her head in agreement with my assessment and has a new glow on her face that might even connect us more. The snark went down a level.
And then there is Lexi who observes us all with joy. Maybe she’s doubted me and parenting, but today she seems in awe.
“I feel, as the houseguest, that I should get the first piece once it’s done.” Lexi is dead serious, and Harry and I smile.
“Nuh-uh, I always get the first piece,” Harry is quick to inform her.
She brings her hand to her heart. “Then I shall not break tradition.”
We’re going into the final stretch as I slide the cake onto the wire rack in the oven. Once it’s out, then we have hours of cooling off the cake before it goes in the fridge. “Okay, negotiations over then. What are we doing for actual dinner? Stir fry?”
Lexi raises her hand. “I could try to make Sloppy Joes… or rather, find a can of it. But seriously, I can make it from scratch.”
“Yes, can we have that?” Harry asks me.
“Yep. Lexi has to prove her cooking skills,” I agree.
Our eyes catch, and we’re becoming even more relaxed around one another, with Lori and Harry too. Why isn’t there a red warning flare in my head yet?
* * *
After cleanupof delicious sloppy joes and with the cheesecake now in the fridge for overnight, I do what I know I shouldn’t. I find myself knocking on the guest room door.
It’s only a few seconds before Lexi greets me at the door in a tank and pajama pants. “Hey there, stranger. Is this the part when you tell me that someone has food poisoning?”
I chuckle. “No. It’s the part where I yet again thank you.”
Her demeanor leaves her sarcasm behind. “You did good, Holden. I imagine it can’t be easy.”
My lips roll in because I agree with her but also appreciate her support. “Yeah, but you were there. Unplanned. But you were there. That’s maybe the real favor that I needed. So, thank you for writing that IOU on a napkin way back.”
I feel like we both have a giddy look on our faces because this conversation calls for emotion that can’t be hidden behind jabs and teasing.
“I wouldn’t consider it a favor.”
