“We’d love to have you,” she says. “It’d be nice for Heath to catch up.”
I nudge Lucy’s back to stop fucking around because it’s not funny. “Like I said, I’m sure Miss Vesper has plans.”
“What kind of plans can you have when you’re just buying shampoo?” my sister presses, stealing a glance at what Sienna left near the register. “It shouldn’t take her all night to wash her hair, right?”
“We’re getting pizza!” Heath quips. “And pepperoni!”
“My favorite,” Sienna mutters. “But, I?—”
“Perfect,” Lucy beams. “Did you need the address? Dinner is at six.”
“Lucy,” I mutter with a growl.
Heath begins jumping up and down, and I’m about to lose my shit. “Yay, you’re coming! I can show you my bunny!”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Sienna concedes evenly. “I have some things I need to do?—”
“Well, girl, if you’re going to be making posters for tomorrow’s game, we’ve got you covered.”
Sienna finally looks up at my sister, and she appears like she’s about to snap her head off. “I wasn’t going to the game.”
“You’re not?” Heath utters, his voice a bit weak and definitely disappointed. “But…the whole…town is going to be there.”
“Not the whole town,” I correct him. “There’s no way the field could fit everyone.”
“But she has to come,” Heath argues, receiving Sienna’s attention again. “It’s for our school.”
She bobs her head. “I know, but there will be other games.”
“Yeah, bud,” I add to end this unnecessary conversation once and for all. “She can hit the next one.”
My son, the stubborn little shit that he is, does not budge. “But I want her to go tothisone.”
“Well, if she’s busy,” my sister replies, crossing her arms along her chest and lifting her shoulders dismissively. “Then she’s busy, buddy. Let her buy her shampoo and go home.”
“I had plans,” Sienna defends, appearing a bit torn that she’s breaking my kid’s heart and tearing up her own because coming to a game would mean seeing me. “But I’ll make a sign next time?—”
“But this one is important,” Heath retorts tersely, getting upset that he’s not getting his way.
Which is wild because, for a kid who was quiet all year, he sure has a lot to say about his teacher.
“Maybe she doesn’t know anything about baseball,” Lucy says. “It’d be boring for her.”
“I know baseball,” Sienna mutters.
“Besides, buddy”—Lucy pats Heath’s shoulder—“more pizza for us.”
“But I have to show her my bunny.”
“She doesn’t want to see your bunny today.”
“But she has to.”
Lucy is making this worse, and I’m about to throttle her.
“Okay,” I cut in. “How about we go?—”
“Miss Vesper isreallybusy,” Lucy rebukes like an asshole. “We’ve already taken enough of her previous time.”
