Mama seemed to purposefully set my drink in the seat next to Papa, so Kevin had no choice but to sit on the other side of me. Something I hoped my father appreciated when Kevin reached for my hand before leading another dinner prayer.
After we said our “Amens,” Kevin scooched his chair closer to the table and commented, “This looks delicious, Carol. I’m glad Jessica has learned from the best.”
My mother smiled and said, “Thank you,” as she reached for my father’s plate to fix. Her smile faltered, however, when Kevin continued.
“She gets her looks from her mother, too.” He turned toward me. “That’s a good thing. My father always told me to check out the mother to make sure she’s going to age well.” His grin made my skin crawl when he told my dad, “And Carol’s definitely aging well, ‘eh, Ed? Is she still nice and tight in all the right places?”
What. The. Hell?
I braced myself for Papa to leap out of his chair, grab Kevin by the collar, and throw him out on his ear.
But my dad just chuckled uncomfortably and asked, “How was work, Jess?”
I couldn’t help but smile as I thought about my day. “It was great. I made cinnamon rolls, scones, cookies, and brownies today, and even baked two pies.”
I purposefully omitted the cupcakes. That was a memory I didn’t want to share with anyone.
“That’s great,” Mama said. “You’ll be in charge of dessert from now on.”
Kevin slid a forkful of meatloaf in his mouth before talking. “I assume since you started your job, you can also work out. You should probably think about that; I’m sure being around all those baked goods isn’t going to help you lose that baby weight.”
While I’d been thinking the same thing, Mr. Roberts could stick it. He didn’t get an opinion about my weight.
But, taking my cues from my parents, I just laughed awkwardly and changed the subject.
The second I heard Ruthie’s cries from upstairs, I leapt to my feet and excused myself. I couldn’t get out of there fast enough.
I took my time nursing Ruthie, andoops! She spit up on me as I was burping her, so I had to change into comfy clothes before giving her a bath.
Darn.
I was really hoping Kevin would be gone by the time I got back downstairs to help Mama with the dishes.
Alas, no such luck.
I heard his voice coming from the living room and made a beeline toward the kitchen. It was spotless when I walked in, and Mama was standing at the sink, scouring the coffee pot.
“Hey, do you need help with anything?”
“No, I’m done. I just wanted to make sure everything’s ready for breakfast in the morning before going into the living room.”
Yeah, kinda like I’d wanted to make sure every inch of Ruthie had been cleaned, dried, lotioned, and powdered before coming downstairs.
“You don’t have to take me in the morning. I’ve got a ride.”
Mama stopped and looked up at me. “With who?”
“Alan said he could come get me.”
“No, I’ll take you. I’ve got to go into town, anyway.”
I knew if I argued, it’d raise her suspicions, so I shrugged like I didn’t care, even though I was secretly crushed.
“I just thought I’d save you the trip, but if you’re going into town anyway…”
What a letdown. I’d been so excited about those five minutes completely alone with Alan.
It shouldn’t even be that big a deal—we’d be alone at the bakery all day. But it wasn’t the same since anyone could—and did—walk in at any time.
