Page 47 of Having the Time of My Midlife

I scrunched up my nose and glanced over at my daughter, who seemed as perplexed as I was.

“I’m pretty sure she said whale,” Alana Catherine told me.

“Ain’t no conspirin’ with the other contestant,” Gram yelled. “Lordy have mercy, ain’t y’all ever watchedJeopardy?”

“Actually, no,” Alana Catherine said with a laugh. “I’m pretty sure I’ve never watched any TV at all yet.”

“That’s true,” I said. “You’re only a little over a month old. You’re more interested in my boob and your thumb than TV. And it’s been a while since I’ve watchedJeopardy.”

Gram slapped herself in the forehead. “My bad, sweeties. I feel like we’ve been busier than a cat coverin’ up poop on a cement floor. I’m gettin’ ahead of myself. Lemme take both parts of the first clue to help you understand how the game is played.”

“Excellent thinking, Gram,” Alana Catherine said.

“Okay, so if the answer is Whale of Fortune, then the question you should ask is, ‘What game show do fish watch?’ Get it?”

“Sadly, yes,” I said with a giggle. “Try another.”

“And the answer is, Cat-has-trophy.”

Alana hit the buzzer first. “What do you call it when a cat winsJeopardy?”

“YES!” Gram squealed.

I glanced over at my daughter in awe. “Is there anything you can’t do?”

She nodded. “Tie my shoes. You haven’t taught me that yet.”

“Yes! Thereissomething I can teach you,” I said, pumping my fists over my head.

My beautiful child laughed. “Yes, there is, mom. However, I wouldn’t be pumping my fists over my head if I were you… So far, I’m winning this round ofJeopardy.”

I raised a brow. She copied my look. There was no way in this Universe I could love her more than I did right now. “Fine. Challenge accepted. Gram, throw out another answer.”

“Will do! The answer is, Let’s Make a Dill!”

Alana slapped her buzzer. “What is a pickle’s favorite game show?”

“Heck to the yeseroonie!” Gram squealed.

“How did you come up with that?” I asked, wildly confused. “You’ve never seen Let’s Make a Deal.”

“Logical deduction,” Alana Catherine replied. “Gram loves game shows, so I figured all the questions would be game show-specific. She loves pickles, referenced by her use of the phrase, that just dills my pickle. She also told a pickle joke to the skunks. I figured with the word dill in the answer and Gram’s love of pickles that I was on the right track.”

“Freaking genius! My daughter is a freaking genius.”

Alana Catherine rolled her eyes, but her smile was wide. She was getting a pet skunk even if Gideon didn’t want one. He wasn’t the only one she had wrapped around her finger.

“Darn tootin’,” Gram agreed. “You sugar pies wanna do a couple more to get into the rhythm?”

“I think we’d better since mom is losing so badly,” Alana Catherine stated, then pursed her lips playfully.

“Get ready to go down, little girl,” I challenged, waggling my brows.

“I’d like to see you try,” she shot right back with a grin.

“And the answer is, Wheel of Fortune Cookies,” Gram announced.

“I know,” I shouted as Alana Catherine slapped her buzzer.

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