“Your grandmother feng shui’d me.” And Heather liked it.
“Babushka, we wanted to give you time to calm down, but it’s time to come home.”
“No.” Babushka had set to work in the kitchen, making up a plate of thegolubziHeather assumed was for Jase. “I am happy here.”
“Come home and be passive-aggressive with us like a true Dvornakov.”
“She’s happy here,” Heather confirmed. She crossed her arms across her chest for good measure.
“She can’t like sleeping on a sofa more than her bed at home.”
“It’s memory foam. She’s perfectly comfortable.” And it folded away during the day as a bonus. Everyone was happy.
Happy. Happy. Happy.
Except Jase, who was clearly unhappy with the continued setup.
“Heather, come on. Give me my grandmother back.”
“She can go back whenever she wants.” Which, Heather hoped, wouldn’t be soon.
Jase squeezed his eyes shut. “Heather…”
She kept hers wide open. “Jase…”
“C’mon, help me out?” he asked.
“Your father, he is ready to apologize?” Babushka scooted a cabbage roll onto Jase’s plate and shuffled to the table.
Jase followed her to the table. “Of course he’s not. He’s Papa. He doesn’t apologize.”
“And I don’t move home,” Babushka confirmed. “Now, come eat.”
Jase glowered at Heather. “I’m only eating it because I haven’t had lunch.”
He didn’t have to justify himself to Heather. Babushka was an amazing cook.
“Now, I vill go for a valk so you two can be alone.” Babushka made a hasty, and rather loud, exit, the door snapping in place behind her.
Heather pulled a chair out beside Jase. A reasonable distance, given what had happened the last time they were alone in her dining nook. “Be glad she hasn’t moved in with her boyfriend.”
He stilled mid-chew. Swallowed. “Is that even under discussion?”
“She’s mentioned it. I’ve convinced her that she should stay here.” Heather fiddled with the edge of the plastic tablecloth Babushka had added to the table. “She’s actually a really great roommate.”
“She rearrange your cabinets yet?” Jase asked with a glance to Heather’s small kitchen.
“Cabinets, furniture, closets. They’ve all been Babushka’d.”
“You’ll have a plastic cover on your sofa pretty soon.” He ran a tongue over his teeth.
“Then we’ll be able to wipe it off easily, won’t we?”
“Fuck, she’s really burrowed in good.” He wiped his mouth with a paper napkin, tossing it on top of his now empty plate. “You coming to Brek’s Bar tonight? Being around normal people might do you good. The cover band he’s got coming in is supposed to be amazing.”
“I was planning on it. Your grandmother has plans this weekend, so it’ll be lonely around here.”
“What kind of plans?” Jase asked, ominous.
