“You can’t read your own handwriting,” Alan added.
“You can’t wear normal colored socks,” Dean threw in.
“You can’t eat salad without gagging.”
“You can’t sing for crap.”
“You can’t do laundry.”
I laughed so hard I had to cover my mouth. I bent over, trying to catch my breath.
Colton was doing his best not to laugh with me, pretending to be annoyed with his brothers. They were trying to list more things that he couldn’t do, but he had picked up Alan’s water bottle and was threatening to spray anyone who dared go on.
“You can’t do laundry?” I asked Colton between my laughing fits.
“No!” Jimmy shouted. “Mamma tried to teach him once, and he got so frustrated with ‘all the dang buttons’ that he gave up and never tried again! He’s, like, forty years old and still can’t wash his own underwear!”
Colton unscrewed the cap of the water bottle and dumped it on Jimmy’s head. Jimmy jumped up in surprise and, without a second thought, began chasing Colton.
Colton ran as fast as he could.
I wiped a stray tear. “Oh my, I haven’t laughed like thatin…years.”
Jo and Dennis were chuckling at their boys teasing each other, probably a very familiar sight in their house.
“I’m incredibly desperate for him to learn to do laundry,” Jo said honestly. “He’s picky about how his Wranglers get washed, and it’s aggravatin’.”
I laughed again.
“We’re gonnago get the beds ready,” Jo said, leading her husband toward the campers.
I watched them leave and stood awkwardly, not sure what to do while Jimmy was still chasing Colton.
“Allegra, come have a s’more,” Dean said, popping open another camp chair.
For the past five or so years of my life, Martha was the only person I could count on to be there for me.
Sure, I had Harrison, but he wasalwaysgone on an assignment. And when he was home, we’d go out to a fancy meal or go out with each other’s companies, but that was it, no staying over, no “hey, I was just thinking ofyou so I decided to pop over,” nothing.
Martha did what she could to fill my void, between her job and her doting husband.
But tonight, having my meal paid for, having someone listen to every word I said, almost being tackled by Jo’s hugs, laughing so hard I couldn’t breathe, and having someone I’ve barely talked to get me a chair, I was overwhelmed.
Alan reached over his brother and handed me a pole with a marshmallow already stabbed on the end as I sat down. “The key is to burn it, blow it out, and bam, you’re done.”
Dean squinted at his brother. “Um, no, you psychopath. You’re only supposed to warm it up. You’re not supposed tocookit.”
I didn’t grow up with brothers or any siblings, but the more I was around Colton and his brothers, the more I learned that the general love language was teasing, so I took a risk. “You’re both super wrong.”
The twins gave me the same surprised expression.
“You put it right in the tip of the orange flame, continuously turning, until it’s golden brown all around, and then you’re done. It’s got that nice crunch, but a soft marshmallow flavor in the middle.”
“Oh, she sounds like she knows what she’s talkin’ about,” Alan muttered.
I demonstrated as I talked and held up the pole when I was done. “Like so.”
Dean grabbed a few crackers and held them open. I slid the marshmallow into the crackers, and Dean added a piece of a chocolate bar. He offered it to me, but I held up my hand.
