Page 26 of All It Takes

“We’re just planning a dinner party,” Phoebe commented to Tiffany.

“We are? Tell me when, and I’ll be there. Are we all having coffee together?” she asked.

Phoebe replied, “We’re just getting some to go. Archer’s parents are here, and his mom is at the house making omelets for breakfast before they fly back to Fireweed Harbor this afternoon.”

“We’re just picking up as well,” Chase said.

“We’re out of coffee at the house,” Hallie chimed in. “I wasn’t in charge of grocery shopping this week.”

Tiffany’s eyes glinted with mirth as she glanced at her brother. “I think you forgot the coffee.”

He shrugged, looking sheepish. “I did.”

I was relieved at the bustle of multiple people ordering. It was hard enough to keep my attention off Tiffany. I was also relieved that Ross had a running list of questions for Chase and me about video games. He even planned a time each week for us to play together.

Chase looked at me. “Dude, he’s better than both of us. I’m going to have to brush up on my skills.”

Ross thought that was hysterical.

Not much later, I was with Tiffany and Ross at a table. He wanted to play a game on my phone. After conferring with Tiffany via text even though we were sitting at the table together, I decided to let him. I would have to look into things about screen time for kids. I felt like I had literally been thrown into the deep end of parenting and was barely treading water. I figured I could keep Ross alive, but that might be it at this point.

“So how’d it go last night?” I asked after I’d handed my phone over to him.

Ross looked up. “Good. I like my room.” He glanced back and forth between us, a small smile teasing at the corners of his lips when he added, “I think it’s funny you want the room to match at your house.”

I gestured toward Tiffany. “All credit to Tiff on that.”

Something chased through his eyes, and I worried. He’d just lost both of his parents. Here he was with us, and it must’ve felt strange. Even though we knew his parents well, we didn’t know him well. I remembered vaguely what it was like when I was his age. We must’ve seemed like complete strangers. I only hoped we could stumble our way through this, and it would be okay for him.

Tiffany chatted with a woman who paused by the table, and I took the moment to surreptitiously look at her. Her dark hair was pulled up this morning in an artful twist with a few locks dangling along the side of her neck and cheeks. I wanted to lean over and press my lips to the soft skin just behind her ear. I had cataloged so many tiny details about her last night, including that she shivered in my arms and goosebumps prickled across the surface of her skin when I’d kissed her right there.

The woman glanced at her watch. “I have to run. We’re so glad Alice is here, and the vet clinic is back to full force.” The woman’s hand fell onto Tiffany’s shoulder, and she squeezed lightly. “It’s good to have you back in town. I know your father is thrilled.”

They said their goodbyes, and Tiffany glanced at me. “Customer from the vet clinic,” she explained. “She knows my dad somehow, and I’m not even sure how.” She shrugged.

“Life in a small town,” I offered.

She smiled over at me, and an unfamiliar sensation slipped through me with a sense of warmth spinning around my heart.

Ross clenched a fist and whispered, “Yes!”

“You over there kicking butt and taking names?” I teased.

His eyes lifted to mine, and he grinned as he nodded. “How long can I play?”

I glanced at Tiffany, unsure how to respond. She shrugged. “Carry on. I think Wes and I have to brush up on rules like this.” She paused, her hesitation incremental, but I sensed when she made the decision to go ahead. “What were your parents’ rules about phone games and video games? According to Wes and Chase, you’re pretty good, so obviously, you got to play.”

An odd expression crossed his face, perhaps sadness mixed with a hint of relief, maybe that someone mentioned his parents. I knew I was tiptoeing around that topic. The therapist had suggested we make sure not to avoid mentioning them because that might make him afraid to talk about them. She had gently pointed out that grief took its own course for everyone and explained that trying to pretend it didn’t happen didn’t help anyone.

Ross’s small shoulders lifted as he took a breath. I noticed his fingers tighten incrementally along the edges of my phone as he looked back and forth between us. “I could play. Dad played video games.”

“He sure did,” I interjected. “He and I used to play online at the same time sometimes.”

Ross looked at me, his eyes widening and a smile stretching across his face. “That’s cool.”

I dipped my chin in acknowledgment. “Your dad was a cool guy.”

Ross’s gaze sobered again as he offered, “As long as I did my homework and chores, I could have an hour and a half of either TV or video games.” He looked around the café. “If we were out and about like this, Dad would let me play on his phone.”

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