Page 22 of Gaming with the Gargoyle in Hallow's Cove
“Oh! Thank you so much!”
We are farther down Main Street now, and I can see a crowd of kids, gathering around the owner of our local information center. Naiadelia’s a mermaid that runs a birdwatching tour, and considering how many of the children are flapping their wings, I’m betting she has organized a nighttime excursion.
Hayley must follow my vision, because she nods her head toward her. “What’s her deal?” She asks. “I tried to get some information from her when I first moved here, you know, considering she’s the information center owner. But, she was really standoffish with me. I’m glad she’s nice to the kids at least, but I couldn’t seem to figure her out. She seems single, but she definitely wasn’t on the dating app scene when I was.”
“She hasn’t been the same since her mate, Damien, died. He was the only other human in school growing up, but I was a few years older. She’s cordial to me, now, but anytime I suggested that we do anything together she told me no thank you. For a bit, I wondered why she hasn’t gone back to the mermaids, but Gabe told me they are like… really mean.”
“She’s just always alone,” Hayley says. “It makes me feel so bad.”
“Me too, but she doesn’t seem to want friends.” I link my arm with Hayley’s, grateful that I’ve actually started developing the sort of female friendships I’ve always dreamed of. The guys are great but I’ve always wished for a group of girl-friends.
“Yeah! Though, I hope for her sake that she finds a friend or something.”
“Me too.” I squeeze her arm. “Everyone deserves a friend.”
Maybe in the next couple of days, I could find some alone time with Hayley to talk things out. I certainly can’t figure out where my head is at with my mom, and even though I normally confide in Jake, the whole situation kind of feels like I need a girl’s perspective.
I see Brooks and Sydney in the distance, and mentally add Sydney to my list. I don’t know her as well, but she is the most experienced with pregnancy out of the three of us. She’s currently showing, which looks absolutely adorable in the overalls she’s wearing. It looks like she’s dressed up as a farmer, complete with Brooks’s cowboy hat, and Brooks is wearing some of Sydney’s normal business wear. And I’m not talking about him wearing a man’s suit, he’s got on a pencil skirt, a blouse, and a cardigan tied over his shoulders. It’s too bad he has hoofs, because the way he is walking it looks like he could work some heels. In front of him in a stroller, is their daughter, Laney, who is also sporting an outfit swap. Laney is dressed up as a duck, with an adorable little hood. Snuggled into the stroller next to him, fast asleep, is Chicken, Brooks’s pet duck, dressed as a chicken.
“Hi Hoffmans!” Gabe calls out. Baby Laney is so cute it’s not even fair. And it’s a shame he’s not awake for snuggles.
“It looks like somebody can’t hang,” Jake says, motioning at Chicken and Laney.
“Nope, though of course he will probably be up to party for an hour or two around two,” Sydney says, with a wry smile.
Hayley raises her eyebrows at me and smirks.
Growing up, I know my mom always felt kind of isolated here. Most of the kids in my school were monsters, so sometimes that meant my friends' parents were upwards of a hundred years older than my mother, or other times it meant they were much younger. I’ll have something my mom really lacked, Mom friends that I can relate to.
We all travel down to Jake’s luge, which has a handmade sign claiming that it’s going to open at eleven. Considering how strong his moonshine is, it’s probably a good idea to wait that late. The goal is to be at least tipsy by midnight, but I know that if I started drinking his moonshine too early, I would be passed out by then.
Because Jake’s thrift store and the bodega are so close to the game store, we’ve meandered our way back. A group of kids stand in front of our vending machine, and they seem to be having a good time. Jonas stands off to the side, chatting with that fairy who has been coming to the game shop more frequently.
Jake pulls some lawn chairs out for us and we set them up, spending the next several hours talking and playing casual party games like Mafia or Love Letter.
Sydney sits on Brook’s lap half the time and Jake and Hayley seem to be constantly touching one another. Meanwhile, I’m sitting next to Gabe, like I always do, but now it’s not me and the guys. Now, it’s me, Gabe and two couples who have everything I want for us. We still have a good time, but the entire time, I can’t help but imagine how much better it would be ifwewere that way, too. Gabe touches me a few times, but mostly, he’s more tense than usual. He pays a lot of attention to me, sure, but it’s like he’s also unsure how to act… or he’s embarrassed of me.
Around 11:30, once the luge has opened and cheeks are flushing up and down main street, as the adults prepare for the changeover, my mother spots us. She waves and walks over, her eyes cataloging Gabe’s loincloth, my habit, and his arm around my shoulders. She raises a brow and smiles at me. And once again, I’m regretting that all of this is only for the baby. Because as much as my mother complained about how Gabe was hurting my chances, apparently she doesn’t mind if my chances are with Gabe.
“How’s it going, kids?” she asks us, as if we aren’t all closer to thirty than not.
“Great! I think it’s going to be our most successful year yet!” Gabe says.
“Is it? That’s wonderful!” My mother says.
“Yeah, we’re probably close to running out of prizes in the vending machine, but all of the kids seem really excited!”
“Well, as long as everyone is happy!” She meets my eyes, and I feel like she’s talking about more than the vending machine.
“Yes, absolutely.” I assure her, because what can Ireallysay? Gabe and I are going to need to figure all this out. What will we tell people? How will it actually work? The past few weeks have felt like a dream, but my mother’s appearance has brought reality crashing back down on me. Gabe runs over to help some kids with the vending machine and my mother pulls me aside.
“Finally! I wasn't sure how much more nagging I couldstand!”
“Me neither… wait… what do you mean ‘finally?’”
“Gwennie, I know you, maybe better than anyone. So, I knew that if I told you to date Gabe, you’d run inexactlythe other direction.” She cups my face with her hand. “Your dad and I were so surprised when you started dating Preston, because you and Gabe had always been ‘G&G.’ He told me to trust you, to let you figure it out on your own, and I’vetried, but I’ll bedamnedif I wasn’t at the end of my rope with you two! You’re perfect for each other, and I’m just so happy you see it now.”
“Oh! Haha! Yeah, it’s new but… it feels right.” And… it does.