Page 59 of A Me and Him Thing
Ren starts to unlock the door with his key, but it opens before he can do so. Standing in the foyer are his kids. “Dad!”
He enfolds them both in a group hug. Then he picks up his daughter, and ruffles his son’s hair in a friendly manner, making him laugh. “I missed you guys. I swear, every time I see you, you’re bigger. I need you to stop growing and be my babies forever. What’s Grandma feeding you, anyway?”
Ah, there’s the man I know and love. He’s still in there.
“Grandma made waffles,” his daughter tells him. “I helped because it’s waffle Sunday.”
“You’re even more amazing than I thought. I can’t wait to gobble them up.”
His daughter smiles, but he’s lost their attention. They’re both staring at me.
Ren sets his daughter down. “Ethan, Kate, this is a good friend of mine. Her name is Bree. She’s going to join us today.”
Ethan mumbles a soft hello, and Kate continues to look at me with wide eyes. “Your hair is red.”
“Yes, it is. Since the day I was born. It’s nice to meet you Ethan and Kate.”
“Nice to meet you too,” Ethan says politely. He even reaches out to shake my hand. Manners are alive and well in this house.
“You’re such a gentleman.”
“Thank you, ma’am.”
Ethan’s coloring matches Ren’s. He has large brown eyes, olive skin, and dark hair. He also seems tall for his age. I think he’ll be the spitting image of his father as he grows up.
Kate, on the other hand is small and delicate, maybe just a little too skinny. She has Ren’s brown eyes, but her hair is light brown, and her skin tone is fair. She must take after her mother.
“Hi, Kate. You’re the cutest thing ever.”
She smiles shyly. “You’re so pretty, and you smell good.”
“It’s perfume. I’ll share some with you if you’d like.”
“Okay.” Her smile grows. “I’d love to try some perfume.” Uh-oh, Ren has a burgeoning young lady on his hands. I wonder if he’s prepared.
“Ren, is that you?” a feminine voice says from the kitchen.
“Yeah, Mom, it’s me.”
“Come on in, breakfast is ready.”
We leave the foyer and step into a large great room, which includes a state-of-the-art kitchen that’s open to a living room with a huge U-shaped couch and big-screen TV. It’s spacious andairy, modern and updated. It’s the kind of home I pictured Ren in.
Ren’s mom is at the stovetop, putting the finishing touches on breakfast. Ren’s father is sitting at the dining table, a laptop in front of him. They both look up as we enter, huge smiles on their faces.
Those smiles fade immediately when they see me.
I wasn’t expecting that.
“Mom, Dad, this is my friend, Breanna Kingston. She’ll be joining us today.”
“Just call me Bree.”
Neither one reacts for a few awkward moments.
Ren’s mother smooths her brown bob. “Oh, I-I didn’t know you were bringing someone today, Ren.” She forces a smile. “I’m Susan. Please, have a seat. There’s plenty to go around. Waffle Sunday is our tradition.”
She’s trying to be friendly, but it feels forced.
