Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 64493 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 322(@200wpm)___ 258(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64493 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 322(@200wpm)___ 258(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
“Um, scrambled is good. Thanks. I’ll make coffee.”
“Wash your hands, honey.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I agreed, rolling my eyes behind her back.
“Don’t roll your eyes at me. And please set a third plate. Your brother should be here any moment, but not Mary-Kate. She’s having pancakes with Margaret.”
“Margaret,” I repeated.
“Yes, my friend, Margaret.” Ding dong. “Open the door for your brother, honey.”
This was a lot.
I let Ronnie in, grunting at his overly cheerful, “Good morning.”
“Why are you here? Why is Mom here?”
Ronnie shrugged. “Dunno. Margaret came by with her niece’s puppy and invited Mary-Kate over for breakfast, and then Mom called. I think we’ve been summoned, but as far as I know, we haven’t broken a lamp or knocked any ugly porcelain figurines off a shelf.”
I chuckled in spite of my mood and followed Ronnie into the kitchen. I started the coffee and chatted idly about the game with Ronnie while Mom scrambled eggs at the stove and popped bread into the toaster. When she was done, she piled our plates with a bit of everything and pointed at the table under my kitchen window.
I picked up my fork and tried not to flinch at her eagle-eyed Mom gaze over the rim of her mug. “Thanks for breakfast. Can I ask why you’re really here now?”
“No, because I don’t think I can say what I need to say without crying.”
Ronnie and I shared an alarmed look.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Nothing is wrong. But I was thinking about your dad yesterday. He would have loved—”
To my absolute horror, my mother burst into tears. “Hey, it’s okay, Mom.”
She fanned her fingers in front of her eyes and blinked away tears. “I know, I know. The things you two have done with the diner and the rink…you’ve taken this small slice of him and me, and you’ve created something so beautiful. Dad would be so proud of you both.”
“Thank you,” we said in unison.
“Ronnie, he’d tell you he never could have imagined building a hockey league the way you’ve done. Seeing people come from miles around on a summer day…that was extraordinary. He would have been in his absolute element at the diner afterward too.” Mom reached for my hand and squeezed it. “And he’d tell you that you can still be anything you want to be, Nol. You don’t have to stay here for us. You’re not stuck. You can go to LA or—”
“Whoa.” I frowned and shot a quick glance at Ronnie who shrugged in confusion. “LA. Where is this coming from? What makes you think I want to leave?”
She pursed her lips thoughtfully. “That’s not it. I overheard Vinnie’s friend compliment the food last night and he might have mentioned it was on par with anything he’d had in the finest restaurants throughout the country.”
“He might be an Applebee’s fan, Ma,” I joked, hoping to steer us into light and happier topics. My chest hurt already.
“Nothing wrong with Applebee’s,” Ronnie piped in.
Mom twitched her nose. “He meant it was fancy…and special. Truthfully, I think a summer with Vinnie has been good for you. He’s a cosmopolitan man about town now. I heard he has houses in California and Colorado, and he’s jetting off to a swanky black-tie event in Miami, and…you’re here. But you don’t have to be, honey. Dad would tell you the same thing. He’d tell you to spread your wings and follow your heart and your happiness. And yes, I know you came home for a reason. We needed you and you dropped everything and made sacrifices you weren’t ready to make, but it’s not too late to live the life you’ve always dreamed of.”
I swallowed hard. “Thanks, but…I’m not going anywhere.”
“I don’t want you to go, but I don’t want you feel trapped, so…that’s something I needed to say.” She reached out to cover each of our hands, squeezing my pinky finger till it went numb. “You’re true leaders, good friends, great men, and wonderful sons.”
I kissed her hand. “Thanks, Mom.”
She sniffed noisily. “I’m sorry to be a sap, but he’s been on my mind…never more so than yesterday. Seeing you boys and Vinnie together—oh, honey, he’s smiling from heaven. I just know it. Now help me clean up.”
Mom gathered our dishes, commenting on the size of the strawberries from the Ellis’ farm and a recipe she was trying to shake out of JC. Her conversation was background music that didn’t require input. I cast a questioning glance at Ronnie, but he seemed to be lost in his own thoughts.
After she left, he hung back for a third cup of coffee, promising to pick Mary-Kate up within the hour.
“What do you think that was all about?” I asked, refilling his mug.
Ronnie arched a brow and sighed. “I think she really misses Dad, and that was Mom-speak for thank you for not growing up to be total dickheads.”