Page 43 of Booked for the Holidays
Mac snaps a picture of the finished product on her phone, and her smile dims as she stares at the device. “Hey, BB? Can I ask you something?”
“Sure. If you ask me about quantum physics I might not have the answer, but I’ll help you find it.”
Her chuckle is stilted and I frown, concerned about what question she might have. “There are some girls at school who have been kind of mean to me lately,” she starts. “I thought we were friends, but all they talk about is how they think it’s dumb Dad owns a hardware store while their parents work in an office. I–I never know what to say when they start talking about it. It’s why I thought about getting him a suit jacket for Christmas. He’d look more professional. More like their dads. Do you think that would be a good idea?”
Embarrassment laces the admission. The toe of her shoe scuffs the floor, and she sniffs, wiping her nose. It took courage to share this with me, and I’m so flattered she thinks I’m a safe person to talk to. Before I can think twice or debate if I’m overstepping, I gather her into my arms and give her a hug. Small hands wrap around my waist and she squeezes me tight.
“Oh, sweetie,” I breathe out. “Let’s get some hot chocolate. I’ll order us some pizza and if you feel like sharing what’s going on, I’d love to listen. If not, we can just sit and not talk about anything. How does that sound?”
Mac sniffs again and pulls away, giving me a grateful look. “Perfect.”
SEVENTEEN
BRIDGET
Ten minutes later,we’re both holding mugs of steaming hot cocoa; marshmallows for her, none for me. We take a seat in a pair of recliners facing each other and Mac pulls her legs to her chest. Her chin drops to the top of her knees and she sighs.
“First things first. Dinner. What kind of pizza do you like?”
“Pepperoni and green pepper,” she answers.
“Get the heck out. Those are my favorites, too. Let me order and text your dad, then I’m all ears.”
Bridget: Hi! It’s Bridget.
Theo: Is it? Your name at the top of my screen wasn’t a dead giveaway.
Theo: What’s up?
Bridget: How’s everything going? Are you doing okay?
Theo: We’re moving faster than I thought. We should be wrapping up soon.
Bridget: Oh, good! Mac finished her homework. Man, the algebra shit is hard, isn’t it?
Theo: It makes me feel woefully inept. Thanks for helping her, by the way.
Bridget: I’m not sure how much help I was. She can run circles around me.
Theo: Don’t worry. She does the same with me.
Bridget: Phew. I wanted to see if you could pick up pizzas for us if I order them. Maybe on your way back over?
Theo: Yeah. Let me know when and where. I’ll grab them.
Theo: And how much too. I’m not letting you pay for them.
Bridget: Oops! Too late. Thirty minutes from Antonio’s up the road.
Theo: It’s like you purposely want to piss me off.
Pizza ordered, I toss my phone to the side and give Mac my undivided attention. “Do you want to talk?”
She nods and heaves out a sigh, a heaviness settling in the air. There’s a maturity to her emotions, like she’s lived far longer than her age dictates.
“I love my dad,” she starts. “A lot.”
“I know that.Heknows that,” I assure her.
