Page 55 of Having the Time of My Midlife

“Until the end,” my child replied.

“The bitter end,” Gram added with determination.

My lips tugged up as I bared my teeth in what felt like a feral grin. “Turn up the music and light the fireworks,” I growled. “This party is about to pop off.”

“Like the Higher Power’s head,” Alana Catherine added on a snarl.

My eyes widened. My daughter had her father’s penchant for violence and my dogged determination to do whatever it took to get the job done.

“What?” Alana Catherine shrugged and gave me a sheepish smile. “Nothing’s impossible, including decapitating the Higher Power, if you believe.”

I chuckled. “I believe,” I told her. “I believe.”

The Higher Power was the creator of all things, and I wasn’t foolish enough to believe that defeating It would be a cakewalk, but Alana Catherine’s faith in me—in us—gave me hope.

And for now, that would have to be enough.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Gram pointed to the bleachers.“There are three open seats in the front row. Come on.”

We followed her over and sat amongst the cardboard audience.

“Why don’t we just stay on the stage?” I asked. “We know we’re going to be chosen as the contestants.”

“Not how the game works,” she said. “We’re gonna play by the rules until the Higher Power breaks ‘em.”

I didn’t question her wisdom. We were a triad—the past, the present, and the future. In order to come out on top, the power of three was the law.

The theme song blasted through the speakers. It was loud, and I slapped my hands over my ears. Normally, the tune made me smile. It reminded me of Gram. Today, it was terrifying.

The same announcer voice fromJeopardybellowed through the sound system. “This isThe Price is Right!Gram, come on down!”

Gram stood, pumped her skinny arms over her head, and ran down to one of the three podiums on the floor at the edge of the stage.

The announcer wasn’t done. “Alana Catherine, come on down!”

My daughter mimicked her great-grandmother with the fist pump and ran to the second podium.

And the final call came. “Daisy, come on down!”

It was painful to act excited, but I did it. However, I did it my way. Instead of fists over my head, I shot the bird with both hands in the air while I ran down to my podium. The little acts of defiance were getting me through this trial and keeping me from becoming unhinged.

With flashing lights and canned cheers, Bob Barker walked out onto the stage. I’d expected him to have attractive girls with him who displayed the items during the show, but he was alone. It was suspect, but I kept my cool. Jumping to conclusions wouldn’t help the cause.

Bob Barker bared his teeth at us in what I think he thought was a smile. It wasn’t.

“That’s a Fake Bob,” Gram said under her breath. “My Bob had a lovely smile. This guy looks like he just swallowed a turd whole.”

I almost choked on my spit. Gram had a way with words like no one else. She was also correct. Fake Bob Barker wasn’t happy to see us. He snapped his fingers, and a human-sized box wrapped in shiny silver paper lowered from the ceiling. It was released to the floor with a thud. Bob walked over to the box and stared at it for about a minute too long. None of the other hosts had used magic. Fake Bob was no ordinary host.

I knew what was in that box—or rather, who was in that box. It was Steve. I could feel his energy. The desire to just take the box, Gram and Alana Catherine and leave this fucked up plane was intense. My daughter, recognizing my inclination, placed her hand in mine and squeezed.

“Not yet,” she whispered. “Soon, but not yet.”

I nodded jerkily. I pushed back my emotional rage and concentrated on the logistical aspects. Emotions made one sloppy in battle. There was no room for error, and I wasn’t going to be the catalyst for failure.

Fake Bob slowly turned to the audience and made direct eye contact with me. His eyes flashed silver and gold. It was usually stunning and something I’d never seen. I was positive we were finally in the Higher Power’s presence. It was time to start playing the real game. Not knowing what it was or the rules were was dangerous, but we were here to win.

---