Page 44 of The Summer We Mended
It was quite comical to Anna.She knew that Margot didn’t mean any disrespect to her mother, but she also knew that if this was left up to Lily, game night wouldn’t be happening.It would be good for everyone to get back to the basics.
A few minutes later, Margot hung up the phone and grinned back at Lily.
“Game night is happening,” Margot declared, turning to Lily, who stood at the edge of the room, arms folded.“Like old times.Right, Lil?”
Lily gave a tight smile, her eyes scanning the counter where the kids had clearly left behind sticky trails of juice and dinosaur limbs.“It’s just… with so many people and food and… all the noise… I wasn’t expecting…”
“Oh, come on,” Margot interrupted, her voice light and teasing but firm.“You love it.You used to go all Martha Stewart every Saturday night.”
“That was before…” Lily muttered under her breath.
Anna bit back a smile.She felt her mother’s anxiety, but she was also grateful for Margot’s way of pulling joy out of people, whether they wanted it or not.She knew that Margot would do everything she could to make sure Lily was comfortable throughout all of it.
“Besides,” Margot continued, undeterred, “it’ll be good for everyone.Especially the kids, all three of them miss their dads.”
Lily’s expression softened a fraction, but she still looked overwhelmed.
Anna moved beside her and placed a gentle hand on her arm.“Margot will keep Aunt Claudia in line.She’ll keep it easy.Just pizza and some wine.Low-pressure.”
“What’s game night?”Blaze asked as he walked into the kitchen.
“Just what it sounds like, bud,” Anna answered.“The adults and kids play board or card games.”
“Oh, do we get to play?”
“Of course,” Margot answered quickly with a grin.“There’s something more important than the board games, though, and that’s snacks.Let’s pick out what you guys want, and I’ll run to the store.”
“Ice cream?”Nora asked.
“Of course, nothing is off the table,” Margot giggled.
“I’ll remember that if they’re bouncing off the walls at bedtime,” Anna answered playfully.
“Are you going to play, too, Mom?”Nora asked.
“I am going to dinner with Aunt Jess and maybe Uncle Cody—I need to call him.Maisie will be here to play with you.”
“Yay!”Nora exclaimed as she clapped excitedly.
Margot started toward the kids as she clapped her hands.“Perfect.I’ll get the kids set up in the sunroom with something that doesn’t require batteries or a screen.Jess and Anna can grab dinner with Cody and be back in time for round two of Cranium.”
At the mention of Cody, Lily smiled softly.“I hope that he comes along.He needs that.”
“I guess I’ll call him now and work my guilt magic,” Anna said teasingly.
Anna stepped outside on the front porch to call Cody, who lived in Aquinnah.He answered on the third ring.
“Hey, Anna.What’s up?”
“Hey, Cody.Want to join Jess and me for dinner tonight?Or come over for game night at Mom’s?”
He laughed.“Neither, thanks.”
“That wasn’t a choice,” she said, smiling.
“All right, all right.I’ll meet you for dinner.Where are we going?”
“How about Offshore Ale Co.in Oak Bluffs?It’s a good halfway point, and they have great beer.”
