Page 22 of If Our Hearts Collide

Donna smiles with pride. “Finally, someone gets me.”

We all watch as Germain carries out a big box to the patio. “This arrived just in time,” he says, using a retractable blade to slice through the packing tape.

Donna pulls back the flaps and peers inside the box, scrunching up her nose in disgust. “I’ve been a victim of a hate crime.”

Graham shakes his head. “Mom, falling for an MLM pyramid scheme is not a hate crime.”

We all laugh.

“It is when they were supposed to send me light-up medallions,” she snaps, holding up the most obnoxious handmade beaded necklaces made of fraying yarn.

“I could only imagine what you’d do if a man pulls up with a van and offers to show you his puppies in the back,” Nic mutters.

Donna shakes the plastic disk on a string in front of him. “These don’t even light up. Scammers.”

“Anyway,” Germain says cheerfully, probably trying to distract his wife, “let’s start the games. Partner up.”

And everyone does, with Penny and me having no logical choice but to choose each other.

“I play to win,” she says with a giggle.

I raise my eyebrows in challenge. “I do as well.”

“We are on the same team.”

“So make sure you bring it.”

“Oh, I plan to.”

Donna flitters about, handing us each a paper airplane and a strip of paper. “The goal is for one person to fly the airplane and the other person to move the runway in order to safely land that airplane.”

“Sounds simple enough,” Claire says, nodding to Nic.

“I’ll fly it.”

She props her hands on both hips. “We’ll take turns.”

“Then I’ll brace myself for the crash and burn.”

She smacks him on the arm, making us all laugh.

“You must be at least three yards away from the takeoff position and the start of the landing strip. The winning team is the first team to safely land the plane. Get ready. Get set. Go.”

Penny flies the paper plane while I move the strip as it is midair to see if we can land it safely.

Fail.

“Try again. You’re doing good,” I encourage.

The plane takes off and falls short of the strip.

After another two tries and adjustments, we land the plane.

“Victory!” she chants, jumping up and down.

Donna keeps track of the win on the scoreboard, and then starts pulling out supplies for the next challenge.

I help her carry over a stack of mini folding tables and set them up in partners across from one another. Each table on the left has a bowl of tennis balls set up as the centerpiece. The accompanying tables each have three empty tennis ball containers arranged in rows.

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