Page 79 of Who I Really Am
Okay, one point for respect, but my guess is it’s wasted on Marco and Deputy Goliath.
“You a junior or a senior this year?”
“A senior, sir.”
Marco sets the empty bottle on the table and lifts little Lulu over his shoulder and starts patting. “Got any plans after graduation?”
Marco is playing it cool, but the pending inquisition is like a West Texas haboob: anyone can see it coming.
Tanner straightens. “I’ve got a scholarship. I’m going to school in California.”
Good for him, but…
“So, you won’t be around next year.” It’s not a question.
“Uh, no, sir.”
“Or the year after that…”
Rachel pops straight in her seat. “Marco!”
“You sure don’t want to get entangled in this nothing town. Something to think about.”
“Mom.”
Marina jabs Marco in the ribs. “Leave him alone, Marco. He’s a good boy.”
I spy a barely contained eyeroll from Marco as he pats away on Lulu’s diapered behind. “Hey, I’m just saying, you wouldn’t want to do anything that would blow your shot at moving on to bigger and better things, right?”
Poor Tanner. His eyes dart to Rachel, Marina. He’s on the hotseat and isn’t sure the right way to get off it.
There probably isn’t one. This is the classic lose-lose situation.
“Uh, yes, sir.”
One of Marco’s eyebrows spikes.
“I-I mean no, sir. No, I wouldn’t want that.”
Marco nods, but I catch a meaningful connection across the table between him and the brother-in-law. This isn’t over.
Tanner and Rachel both noticeably ease when the conversation moves along to other topics, and more when Marina sets a giant tub of home-baked chocolate chip cookies in the center of the table. All the little urchins come running, barely contained by their mother and father’s attempts at instilling manners.
The unmistakable melody of a diaper being filled elicits snickers from the children and a giant sigh from Maria. Still cradling the tiny girl, Marco scrapes his chair back. “Where’s your diaper bag?”
My jaw. Drops. I mean, I love my brother, but he is going to run like the wind from diaper duty, providing he and Avery eventually have the family they very much deserve.
But Maria lifts Lulu from Marco’s arms and pats his shoulder on the way past. “You’re a sweetheart, Marky, but you’ve been driving all day.”
“If you say so, sissy.” Marco stretches out in his chair, tweaking Lulu’s pink footsie as she’s carried away.
Hands intertwined, Rachel and Tanner push away from the table and take steps toward the hallway that leads to the end of the trailer I haven’t seen yet. “We’re going to do homework.”
Wait for it…
“Not in your bedroom you’re not.”
Yep, I predicted the words pretty much verbatim. See? Twins.