“Almost,” he laughed.“But believe me, they taste as good as they look.”
“Come in and sit down.”She stepped away, breaking the connection between them.“What would you like to drink?”
She walked back to the kitchen to pour a glass of lemonade and brought it to him on the couch where he now sat, watching the girls on the floor with their kittens.
“Look, Daddy,” said Sally.“They’re tumbling again.Dot’s happy now.”
“Yes,” he said, chuckling.“They do enjoy their time together.”
“Dinner will be ready in a couple of minutes.Girls, go wash your hands, please.”
“Okay,” said Riley, not moving.
“Riley,” Sarah said again.
“Come on, Sally,” Riley said reluctantly.
“I’ll watch the kittens,” Simon said, and the girls must have decided he was qualified because they scampered off to the washroom.Sarah soon heard giggling.The girls returned moments later and sat at the table she had set for four, and Simon excused himself to wash as well.
When he returned, she had already set a serving of lasagna and a bowl of salad sat in front of the only empty seat, the one facing her, and she struggled not to look at him, failing miserably because he seemed to be finding what the girls were saying just as amusing as she did.
She also found she liked sharing a meal with an adult who wasn’t her mother.An adult who, she hoped, would be a good friend by the end of the summer.
They were halfway through dinner when they heard galloping coming from the living room and the girls rose and ran to see what was happening.“Oh no, Dash.Stop!”And a moment later, there was a crash.
Sarah rushed to the living room to find a vase she was quite fond of smashed on the floor, and a pair of tiny kittens hiding under a couch nearby.
“Mom, I’m sorry.I’ll make sure he’s in the bathroom next time we eat,” said Riley, her eyes wide as she looked at the shattered vase and back to her mother.“Please don’t make me send him back.”
Sally stared up at her, her eyes just as wide.
“Riley, go get a broom and a dustpan before someone steps on the glass,” said Sarah.
“I should have suggested we keep them locked away,” said Simon, who joined them in the room to see what was happening.“I’m sorry about the vase.”
“It’s just a vase,” said Sarah.“Mom warned me to put all the breakables out of reach, and I should have done it.”
Riley returned and handed Sarah the broom and dustpan, then scooted away from the mess while Sarah picked up the pieces.
“Daddy gave her that,” she heard Riley whisper to Sally.
“It’s just a vase,” said Sarah.And maybe it was fitting that it was now as broken and beyond repair as their marriage had been.
She had held on to it longer than she should have, but some things were easier to let go of once they broke.“I liked the colors, but it’s just a vase.Now,” she said, as she swept the last pieces into the dustpan, “let’s finish our dinner, shall we?”
“And you two behave yourselves,” she said to the kittens, who were still peeking out from under the couch.
She led the way back to the kitchen, discarded the shattered glass, washed her hands, and returned to the table.“Can I get anyone a second helping?”
Simon watched her as though he expected her to lose it, so she smiled to reassure him all was well.It was the nicest present her ex had ever given her, yes, but it was only a piece of glass, and there were others.
They ate in silence for a few minutes, then Sarah asked, “Are you looking forward to volleyball camp next week?”She had signed Riley up for as many weeklong activities as she could, to fill the summer with new experiences and keep the girl occupied.She knew both girls would be attending the camp.
“Yes,” said Sally.“Someone from the UBC team is coming to teach this year.”
“Really?”Riley grinned.“They’re a great team.”
She took another forkful of salad and listened as Sally told Riley all about what she’d read in the brochure—a brochure her daughter had not bothered to read—and listened to the pair chatter on.
