Page 105 of Mom Ball

Once the silverware is in place, the lady says, “I’m Marsha, and I’ll be serving y’all tonight.” She pulls a pad from her back pocket. “I can start getting drink orders, then y’all can help yourselves to the buffet.”

She goes around the table taking orders. I’m too slow to sit down and get stuck between Tami and Morgan’s drama queen daughter, Sofia. That should be fun. Tami orders black coffee, then immediately falls asleep on the table.

“Where were you when we came in?” Georgia asks Carlton.

“In the corner watching that.” He points to the opposite wall. It’s one of those fake mounted fish that sings and moves its mouth and tail. Carlton laughs when it begins a new song. “Have you ever seen one of those?”

“Yeah,” I say dryly.

Then I semi-smile to not sound so cold. I’m glad we won and that I have something to eat other than boiled peanuts, but I’d much prefer eating at home with Nate and Timothy rather than having drunken Tami crowd my space.

Easton clears his throat and offers to pray. We all bow our heads and listen best we can among others talking and the fake fish belting out “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.”

When everyone stands to fix their plates, I take my phone and check the signal. It’s not halfway bad, so I stand. Marsha stops with a tray full of drinks. When she comes close to me, she glances at the phone. “Women’s bathroom, second stall, is about the only place you’ll get good service.”

“Thanks.” I smile.

“That way.” She tilts her head to the right.

I squeeze through the crowd corralled around the buffet that includes many of the tall guys from the other end of the restaurant. Now that they’re standing, I can see “Apple Cart County Community College” and a basketball on their clothing. No wonder she laughed at us saying we were with the team.

There’s a clog near the end of the buffet, and I almost get stuck between two guys twice my height digging in the cracker barrel. I squeeze through and see a sign for the restrooms.

A picture of a fish with long eyelashes and lipstick catches me off guard, but also gives a clear sign I’ve found the right restroom. The door opens to Adrianne, Morgan’s sister-in-law.

“Hey, girl.” Her makeup eerily resembles the fish on the door, except it makes her look pretty instead of scary. “I don’t think I’ve seen you here before.”

“First time.” I nod.

“We bring Grandpa Joe most Fridays. It’s his favorite spot.”

“That’s sweet. We’re with Timothy’s baseball team. Just played a game at Moonshine Park.”

“You look good to come from there.” She wrinkles her nose.

I laugh. “Good seeing you.”

“You too.” She smiles and shimmies past me.

I enter the restroom, and another woman comes in behind me. When the first stall comes open, I tell her to go ahead. She beams like I’m a good Samaritan. In reality, I’m waiting on the magical service stall.

When the girl in it walks out, I rush inside. I lose a bar when I sit, so I stand and call Nate.

He answers right away, but it’s loud. I stretch upward and gain another bar. Since I don’t want him on speaker, I stand on the toilet seat.

“Hey.” The toilet beside me flushes.

“Where are you?”

“Catfish Camp.”

“Sounded like a toilet.”

“Their bathroom, to be more specific.”

The woman who honored me earlier with a sweet grin gives me a scowl when she sees me standing over the stall from the mirror above the sink. I drop my gaze to the toilet and hope I never see her again.

“Where are you? Sounds loud,” I say.

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