We parted ways on the sidewalk.
I made my way to my Rover alone, got in, started it up to get the heat going, grabbed my phone and called Mickey.
“Hey,” he greeted.
“Hey back,” I replied.
“You done with him?”
“Yes.”
“It go okay?”
“For me and Conrad, it went swimmingly. It was still not an hour packed with fun.”
Mickey chuckled.
I enjoyed listening to it for a few seconds before I shared, “He’s decided not to move to Texas, Mickey.”
He spoke my thoughts. “Good for the kids, sucks for you.”
“Yeah,” I mumbled and turned our conversation to brighter horizons. “Lawr’s here. Your kids are with Rhiannon. Any chance you’d be able to go out to dinner with us tonight?”
“Seein’ as your brother’s around and that doesn’t happen often, I could talk to a guy, get him to take my shift at the house.”
“I’d like that Mickey,” I told him softly.
“Then it’s done, Amy,” he replied, also softly. “Now, gotta go. I’ll come over after I get home and shower. Be there around six.”
“Okay, honey.”
“Later.”
“’Bye.”
We rang off.
I went home to report about the lunch to Lawrie and then hang with him and my kids.
Mickey came over at around six and we all went out to dinner, Auden and Pippa declaring we just had to introduce Lawrie to Tink’s.
Lawrie had no problem with the establishment at all. He enjoyed the burgers. He enjoyed being with his little sister, her kids and the man she loved.
Pippa ended our evening by begging Mickey to come over the next night for a dinner she was going to cook for him and her uncle.
Since his shift at the firehouse was during the day, he agreed.
Thus before Lawr was on the road in his rental to go back to the airport on Sunday, he’d had a good dose of the life his little sister was leading.
And after he gave the kids their tight hugs and good-byes, when he hugged me, he said in my ear, “Really fucking good to see you this happy, MeeMee.”
I tilted my head back and caught his eyes. “Happy to be this happy, Lawrie. I’ll be happier when you officially separate from Mariel and ask out Robin.”
He sighed.
I smiled.
And with my kids standing beside me in the drive of our fabulous home, we waved away their Uncle Lawrie.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Do What I Gotta Do
“Okay, what is your problem?” Alyssa asked me, brushing varnish on my nails.
I focused on her. “I’m sorry?”
“Babe, you’re here but your mind’s so far away it’s a wonder you aren’t drooling,” she told me.
My eyes shifted to Josie sitting next to me in her pedicure chair.
“We’ve been chatting for fifteen minutes, you haven’t said a word, and Alyssa called your name three times,” she said. “You didn’t even blink.”
“Oh God, I’m so sorry,” I mumbled, horrified.
“So, what’s goin’ on with you?” Alyssa asked.
I looked to her. “Tonight, the kids and Mickey are all spending the night at my house. Movie night and together night. They live across the street but Mickey feels we’re heading toward that time where they’re gonna have to get used to an us that’s blended, so he’s renting a bunch of movies. We’re having a pig out fest of crappy foods while lazing around the TV. And since I have two guests rooms instead of his one, his kids are staying over.” I paused for the dramatic affect the next words needed. “With Mickey sleeping with me.”
“Oh my,” Josie whispered.
“Big shit, sister,” Alyssa decreed.
It was.
The good news was that it said a lot, Mickey pushing for this (and he’d pushed).
It said a lot in a variety of ways.
It was close to Christmas. The last three weeks had been bumpy, though not for Mickey and me.
It began with what we expected coming true.
Polly had not taken Pippa’s defection well.
She especially didn’t take it well when she learned that Ash and Pippa’s dad and mom were dating, which meant they shared an association.
Thus, her bullying went into overdrive with specific targets, both Aisling and Pippa.
The surprise came when this had the positive effect of Ash and her posse taking Pippa in.
Mickey had been wrong about that. But then again, from reports I demanded from Pip, Polly had not thrown her abuse up a notch, more like fifteen. It was relentless and it was ugly. Ash got it too. Her friends saw it. The whole school saw it. And Auden reported things were “simmering” and about to blow because it was hitting extremes.
Polly was not stupid enough to do this when Auden or his buds were around, for Joe (to Pippa’s delight) had seen the tail end of one episode and waded in, making it clear to Polly he didn’t want to see it again.
This didn’t delight Polly, Joe defending Pippa, and only served to heighten the madness when Polly was safe to let loose.
Polly also had learned not to be stupid enough to do it when Kellan was around.