Page 137 of Three Not-So-Little Words
She stops and looks at the dog for just a second. “When did you get a dog?”
“About a week ago. This is Arlo.”
“Hi, Arlo,” she greets as she follows me to the kitchen. “So, a dog, huh? You really are putting down some roots.”
“Eh, kind of. Drew has agreed to watch him for me if I go out on a job or whatever.”
“Ah, I see.” She takes a seat at a barstool that sits in front of the kitchen island. Her eyes dart to the pan on the stove. “What are you cooking?”
“Oh, uh, just some beef.”
“Beef for what?”
“Just beef,” I say, hoping she will drop it.
Realization sets in. “You made beef just for the dog, didn’t you?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Veronica Lawson, you won’t cook for yourself, but you’ll cook for your dog?”
“To be fair, the dog will probably still think it tastes good. His standards are lower than my own.”
She laughs. “Do you remember when you were younger, and I tried to teach you how to cook? My God, you were absolutely awful.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
“You literally messed up boiling water.” She laughs at the mere thought of it. “How do you mess up boiling water?”
“Uh, talent?”
“Or lack there of.”
As I’m moving the meat around the pan, I ask, “Mom, did you come here for a reason, or are you just here to bust my balls?”
“I came over to visit and just chat. We haven’t talked in a while, but the ball busting is just an added bonus.”
“Did you have something specific you needed to talk about?” I ask.
“Do I need something specific, or can I just visit my daughter?”
“You don’tneedsomething specific. But usually when you come by, you have a topic in mind. You have five kids, so you’re usually pretty to-the-point instead of just shooting the shit.”
She sighs, knowing that I’m right. “I wanted to talk to you about Michelle.”
“What about Michelle?”
“I’m worried about her. Have you talked to her lately?”
I think for a second. “Probably not in a couple of weeks aside from some random texting. Last time we talked seriously was when we went shopping, and she told me she was worried about her relationship with Eve. Is that whatyouare worried about?”
“No, I had no idea about any of that. You know, she’s been doing that whole online dating thing for a while now.”
“Yeah,” I answer.
“She told me the other day that she is just giving up on the whole idea of finding someone. She’s just going to stop trying.”
“And you’re worried about this?” I ask.
