Page 154
Story: The Mirror
And if she bought a few things as well, she told herself she did so to be supportive.
“You’re running out of stock,” she said to Trey when he had a minute.
“Yeah, it’s good to see. I had to tell her what Wes did, and she’s been pretty down. This is going to lift her up again.”
“If you and Owen aren’t worn out after this, come to dinner. Stay the weekend.”
“Dinner sounds great. The weekend even better. I’m sorry I haven’t had any time in the last few days.”
“For a good cause. I’m going to get Cleo away from here before she buys something else. Come up when you can.”
“Hey.” He pulled her in, kissed her on the lawn where strangers and neighbors, clients and family browsed what was left.
In the end, Trey and Owen helped load up the borrowed folding tables.
“Thanks, Mom, seriously.”
“Neighbors help neighbors, but you’re welcome. I’ll see the money’s deposited, and the firm can cut Marlo a check on Monday morning.”
“Great. Got a total there, mistress of the cashbox?”
“I do.” Walking over, Anna handed her mother the cashbox. “Three thousand, three hundred fifty-eight dollars and fifty cents.”
“That’s a damn nice haul,” Owen commented.
“It is, but that’s not all. And remind me whose idea it was to put out that giant pickle jar that saidFor Marlo and the kids, with their picture on it?”
Trey gave her a brotherly eye roll. “Yours.”
“That’s right, I nearly forgot. And I’m going to admit it wasn’t just hormones that had me tearing up when Bob Bailey stuffed a hundred in there. Fifteen hundred and eighty-three dollars—for a grand total of forty-nine hundred forty-one dollars and fifty cents.”
“Make that five thousand and whatever.” Owen dug out his wallet. “Hell, I’ve only got eighty-five on me. I’m keeping the five. Lend me twenty.”
With another eye roll, Trey pulled out his wallet, passed Owen twenty.
“And here’s another hundred and fifty-eight dollars and…” Trey dug in his pocket. “Fifty cents. That makes it an even fifty-two hundred.”
Teary, Anna kissed them both.
Seth jogged up. “Deuce and I got the trash bagged up and stowed in the back of the truck. What’s this?”
“With these last contributions, fifty-two hundred goes to Marlo.”
“Let’s make it fifty-five. Solid number.” He took out a money clip, peeled off bills.
“Show-off.”
Grinning at Owen, he passed the bills to his mother-in-law.
“You’re very good boys,” Corrine said. “I’m proud of you, and of my very good girl. Proud enough I’ll spring for pizza and a bottle of Chianti.”
“Baby girl says: Pizza, yum.”
When Anna put a hand on her baby mound, Seth laid his over it. “So do Mom and Dad.”
“Gotta rain check that, Mom,” Trey said. “Owen and I have an earlier invite to dinner at the manor.”
“What’re they making? Because,” Owen said, “pizza.”
“You’re running out of stock,” she said to Trey when he had a minute.
“Yeah, it’s good to see. I had to tell her what Wes did, and she’s been pretty down. This is going to lift her up again.”
“If you and Owen aren’t worn out after this, come to dinner. Stay the weekend.”
“Dinner sounds great. The weekend even better. I’m sorry I haven’t had any time in the last few days.”
“For a good cause. I’m going to get Cleo away from here before she buys something else. Come up when you can.”
“Hey.” He pulled her in, kissed her on the lawn where strangers and neighbors, clients and family browsed what was left.
In the end, Trey and Owen helped load up the borrowed folding tables.
“Thanks, Mom, seriously.”
“Neighbors help neighbors, but you’re welcome. I’ll see the money’s deposited, and the firm can cut Marlo a check on Monday morning.”
“Great. Got a total there, mistress of the cashbox?”
“I do.” Walking over, Anna handed her mother the cashbox. “Three thousand, three hundred fifty-eight dollars and fifty cents.”
“That’s a damn nice haul,” Owen commented.
“It is, but that’s not all. And remind me whose idea it was to put out that giant pickle jar that saidFor Marlo and the kids, with their picture on it?”
Trey gave her a brotherly eye roll. “Yours.”
“That’s right, I nearly forgot. And I’m going to admit it wasn’t just hormones that had me tearing up when Bob Bailey stuffed a hundred in there. Fifteen hundred and eighty-three dollars—for a grand total of forty-nine hundred forty-one dollars and fifty cents.”
“Make that five thousand and whatever.” Owen dug out his wallet. “Hell, I’ve only got eighty-five on me. I’m keeping the five. Lend me twenty.”
With another eye roll, Trey pulled out his wallet, passed Owen twenty.
“And here’s another hundred and fifty-eight dollars and…” Trey dug in his pocket. “Fifty cents. That makes it an even fifty-two hundred.”
Teary, Anna kissed them both.
Seth jogged up. “Deuce and I got the trash bagged up and stowed in the back of the truck. What’s this?”
“With these last contributions, fifty-two hundred goes to Marlo.”
“Let’s make it fifty-five. Solid number.” He took out a money clip, peeled off bills.
“Show-off.”
Grinning at Owen, he passed the bills to his mother-in-law.
“You’re very good boys,” Corrine said. “I’m proud of you, and of my very good girl. Proud enough I’ll spring for pizza and a bottle of Chianti.”
“Baby girl says: Pizza, yum.”
When Anna put a hand on her baby mound, Seth laid his over it. “So do Mom and Dad.”
“Gotta rain check that, Mom,” Trey said. “Owen and I have an earlier invite to dinner at the manor.”
“What’re they making? Because,” Owen said, “pizza.”
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107
- Page 108
- Page 109
- Page 110
- Page 111
- Page 112
- Page 113
- Page 114
- Page 115
- Page 116
- Page 117
- Page 118
- Page 119
- Page 120
- Page 121
- Page 122
- Page 123
- Page 124
- Page 125
- Page 126
- Page 127
- Page 128
- Page 129
- Page 130
- Page 131
- Page 132
- Page 133
- Page 134
- Page 135
- Page 136
- Page 137
- Page 138
- Page 139
- Page 140
- Page 141
- Page 142
- Page 143
- Page 144
- Page 145
- Page 146
- Page 147
- Page 148
- Page 149
- Page 150
- Page 151
- Page 152
- Page 153
- Page 154
- Page 155
- Page 156
- Page 157
- Page 158
- Page 159
- Page 160
- Page 161
- Page 162
- Page 163
- Page 164
- Page 165
- Page 166
- Page 167
- Page 168
- Page 169
- Page 170
- Page 171
- Page 172
- Page 173
- Page 174
- Page 175
- Page 176
- Page 177
- Page 178
- Page 179
- Page 180
- Page 181
- Page 182
- Page 183
- Page 184
- Page 185
- Page 186
- Page 187
- Page 188
- Page 189
- Page 190
- Page 191
- Page 192
- Page 193
- Page 194
- Page 195
- Page 196
- Page 197
- Page 198
- Page 199
- Page 200
- Page 201
- Page 202
- Page 203
- Page 204
- Page 205
- Page 206
- Page 207
- Page 208
- Page 209
- Page 210
- Page 211
- Page 212
- Page 213
- Page 214
- Page 215
- Page 216
- Page 217
- Page 218
- Page 219
- Page 220
- Page 221
- Page 222
- Page 223
- Page 224
- Page 225
- Page 226
- Page 227
- Page 228
- Page 229
- Page 230
- Page 231
- Page 232
- Page 233