Page 39 of I Got You

The toothpick structure crumbles and crashes to the floor. Maggie groans and puts her head in her hands. After a moment, her head pops up like she’s recovered.

“Oh hey. There’s spaghetti on the stove if you want some. I have to run Teddy to karate, and then we’ll be back. Make yourself at home.” She spreads her arms wide with an apologetic smile.

She turns to Garrett, resting her hands on his shoulders. “Bud, we’ll get this to work. Let’s take Teddy, and on the way, we’ll see if we can figure out what we’re doing wrong. Ok?” Garrett nods, his shoulders slumped with frustration. “Go get your shoes on.”

“Liv, we gotta go! Get your shoes on, any shoes, princess,” Maggie hollers as she tries to quickly clean up the sticky mess.

I set my keys down, surveying the kitchen again. “I can take Teddy if you tell me where I’m going.”

Maggie stands with a handful of marshmallows and sticks. “Are you sure? I have to pick him up. They won’t let him leave with anyone but Cole or me.”

“Yeah. Then you can help Garrett with…whatever that is.”

She rubs her neck with one hand. “Wait. Do you know anything about building a bridge?” She looks around to make sure Garrett isn’t in the room. “I’m about to lose my ever-loving mind. I was never good at this kind of stuff, and he’s so discouraged.”

I majored in architectural design, but no one knows that. “You go, and I’ll see what I can do if he can tell me what we’re doing.”

“He can explain it much better than I can.” Maggie rubs a hand over her face. “Ok. Hank should be home soon, and he’ll find the food. Are you sure about this?” Her brow scrunches, and she bites her lip.

“Yes. Go.” I nod towards the door. “Oh, and you should make sure that I’m on the list to pick the kids up and whatever else there is.”

Maggie stares at me for a long second before she nods, grabs her purse, and heads out to the garage.

Garrett returns to the now silent room and me.

I point to the pile of toothpicks. “Come on, partner. Tell me what you have going on here.”

We both sit down at the island, and he grabs a piece of paper, pushing his glasses up his nose.

“We’re supposed to build a bridge with just toothpicks and marshmallows. It’s for the science club. They’ll measure to see whose can hold the most weight. It’s due Monday, but I don’t want to wait, especially seeing that we can’t even get one to hold together.”

I take the paper from him, reading the rules and requirements. “How often do you have these kinds of assignments?”

“One a month. Usually, I can do most of it myself. Maggie tries to help, but…she’s not very good.” He says quietly like he doesn’t want to offend her even though she’s not here.

“Ok, well, let’s get to work and see what we can do.” I find my glasses and then hold out my fist. He bumps it with a small smile.

An hour later, I take another bite of spaghetti as we sit back, examining our standing structure that holds the weight of four Hot Wheels.

“What do you think?” I ask.

“Do you think it would hold more if we put more reinforcements underneath?” His tone is much brighter than when we started.

“Let the marshmallows dry out and harden, then see if you can add more cars.”

“Ok. I’ll wait until tomorrow.” Garrett takes the cookie sheet holding our bridge to his room, and I hear the garage door open. Seconds later, Teddy and Liv race through the door with Maggie trailing behind.

I rinse my dish and put it in the dishwasher, where I placed the sink full once Garrett got going on his bridge.

“How’d it go?” Maggie asks from behind me. I turn to look at her, realizing that in a matter of time, I’ll have to try to sleep next to her.

I clear my throat. “Good. We have a standing structure that I think he’s happy with. He’s a smart kid.”

She stands perfectly still, staring at me. “Um…what are those?” She points to my face.

I know she’s referring to my glasses, but there’s no way I’m giving in. “What?”

“Um, those things on your face.”

---