Page 117 of Falling in Love with Two

My phone chimes next to us. When I pick it up, I see it’s a text from Jack. I hope he’s not asking me to come to work. There’s no way I can leave Leah right now.

When I open it, though, I see it’s a photo.

“Aw, look.” I hand the photo to Leah. “Liz and Jack had their baby.”

She looks at it and starts grinning. “Man, she’s cute. Do they have a name?”

“Beth Lynn Barrett.”

“I like it. I’m surprised she didn’t tell the family she was in labor.”

I laugh. “I’m not. Liz is independent to a fault. She probably didn’t even tell Mom. And if we listen closely, we can probably hear Mom screaming at Liz right this very second.”

“Ouch.”

“Yep.”

She looks at the photo again. “At least something good came from this shit storm of a day.”

thirty-eight

I Knew I Smelled a Rat

Dylan

“Hey, Dyl. What are you doing here?” Mom asks as she wipes off a glass. “Don’t you usually work on Tuesdays?”

“I do. I’m just on lunch,” I tell her.

“Aw, so you came to see your mom? That’s so sweet.” She gives me a fake smile.

“Sure. It has nothing to do with the fact that you’re working at your bar that sells food which I need to eat for lunch.”

She gives me a blank stare. “You sure know how to make me feel all warm and fuzzy.”

After scrawling a few things on her notepad, she rips off the top page and hangs it in the window. “Your food will be out in a minute.”

“I didn’t tell you what I wanted.”

“Dylan, you’ve been coming in here since you were a kid. In all of those years, you’ve always gotten the same thing.”

“That’s not true,” I argue.

“A cheeseburger with lettuce, ketchup, and mustard. French fries with a side of ranch. And hold the pickle spear.”

I purse my lips together. “Lucky guess.”

That earns me an eye roll.

I say, “I actually wanted to talk to you about something.”

“I knew I smelled a rat. Is this the kind of talk I need to be liquored up for?”

“Depends on what you need to be liquored up for,” I reply.

“Hey, with your sisters, I never know what to expect.”

“True. But I’m clearly the best child…and your favorite.”

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