Mom came out a moment later.“Darling, I thought I heard your voice.”
She looked me up and down quickly, and I knew on the spot that this wasn’t all a coincidence.Dad probably did need help, but he could have just asked Finn.He didn’t need both of us here.
“How are you feeling?”she asked.
“Perfectly fine.All healed.”
“I’m here.Sorry I’m late,” Finn called, coming up the next second.
“You’re not late.I just arrived.”
“Just in time for my pie,” Mom said.“Not as good as Amy’s, but it’s good, too, if I do say so myself.”
She set the plate with the pecan pie on the rattan outdoor table.I grabbed a slice and immediately dug in.
“How is it?”Mom asked.
“It’s good,” I managed with my mouth full.
“Even better than the one you and Amy baked at your house?”She smirked, and I choked on my next bite.
I looked at Finn, who shrugged.“Hey, don’t blame me.I didn’t spill the beans.”
Mom started to laugh.“He really didn’t.”
I was getting suspicious.“How do you even know?”
“Well, from Wyatt, of course.He mentioned it when I last spoke to him.He was very miffed about it, which is silly.”
She gave me another smile but didn’t say anything else, which was strange.Mom usually didn’t have a problem saying what was on her mind.
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“I forgot what it was,” I admitted.
“Is it better than Amy’s?”Mom prodded.
“No,” I admitted truthfully.Amy’s pecan pie was perfection.
She sighed.“I’ve got to keep practicing, then.”
Finn looked at me with a strange expression and turned to Dad.“Right.Ah, instructions your nemesis again?”
“Yeah.”I gave them to Finn to look over while I finished eating.
“Why didn’t you buy some lumber and screws and build it from scratch?”
“I’m wondering the same,” Dad grumbled.
“You can always send it back,” Mom suggested.
Dad blinked.“That’s a good idea, dear, but since the boys are here, I think we’ll get the hang of it.”
“All right.I’ll go back in the house.My show is starting, but you let me know if you need anything.”
“Enjoy your show, Mom,” I told her.“We’re all good.”
Finn and I exchanged a glance as he and Dad bent over the instructions again.Back in the day, Mom suggesting sending back the shed would have escalated into a shouting match.Then again, everything was a fight all the time back then.For the life of me, I couldn’t understand how they were making it work now.
