Page 28 of Inside Out
She smile warmly and closed the distance between us, resting her forehead on my shoulder as I hugged her gently. “I’m so happy when you boys come for a visit. It’s like having your father alive all over again.”
“We’ll try to get here more often once Marcus’s season is over.”
“Quit hogging the boys,” Gramps said from the doorway. I lifted my head and met his joyful gaze.
“Hi, Gramps,” I said, stepping back from Gram’s embrace. “It’s good to see you.” I hugged him too.
“It’s been too long. I hope you guys are in the mood for smoked beef brisket, potato salad, macaroni and cheese, and homemade peach cobbler,” Gramps said eagerly.
“I thought I smelled smoked meat when we got out of the car,” Marcus said, rubbing his hands together gleefully.
“I got a smoker for my birthday,” Gramps responded excitedly. “This is his maiden voyage.”
“Smells delicious,” I said, following him inside with Marcus and Gram behind me.
“We’ll have every stray cat and dog in a five-mile radius prowling and howling in our back yard before the day is through,” Gram teased.
“It’ll be worth it,” Gramps said.
His smoked brisket was every bit as good as it smelled, and the side dishes Gram made were delicious. During the meal, Marcus talked about the game from the day before and was pleased to hear they had watched the game online. I noticed he didn’t discuss the turmoil he felt about committing to the draft nor did he bring up Camilla or Manny. I told our grandparents I loved my new town and job but didn’t say anything about Rome. It was still too new.
I offered to help Gram clean up just as I had with Rome the night before, but unlike him, she didn’t refuse. Gramps and Marcus went into the living room to watch the Bengals game while I followed Gram into the kitchen. I could tell she had a system down. Her movements were fluid and graceful as she pulled down the plastic containers and lids from the cabinets. I started rinsing dishes and stacking them in the dishwasher while Gram stored the leftovers in the refrigerator. We worked quietly until we finished our tasks and the only dishes left to wash were the ones that wouldn’t fit in the dishwasher.
“I’ll wash, and you dry?” she suggested.
“Sure,” I agreed then watched as she filled the sink with soapy water. I wouldn’t say she was stiff and uncomfortable, but I could tell something was on her mind. She sank her hands in the sink and silently looked out the window for at least a minute or maybe two. “Something wrong?” I asked her.
“Wrong? No. I do my best thinking when I have my hands down in the soapy water washing dishes. I start mentally planning for things I need to do the next day, but I don’t want to waste our precious moments together. It sounds like you’re having a great season coaching tennis. I saw where Blissville is in line to win their league title for the first time. You must be so proud of the kids.”
I nodded. “I certainly am. I had no clue what to expect when I accepted the job. I just knew they had one hell of a science program that I wanted to be a part of. There were some things I didn’t plan for.”
“Such as?” she gently prodded while washing a serving dish.
“I was asked to compose music for the school play this year.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful. What production will they perform?”
“It’s calledInside Out, and it was written by three of the senior kids. They began writing it when they were in eighth grade. Over time, they’ve updated and fine-tuned it. One of the kids, his name is Curtis, wrote the lyrics for the songs, but needed help coming up with the melodies. These kids are really special, Gram.”
“What’s the play about?” She listened as I gave her the overview, shared parts of scenes, and even quoted some of the lyrics. “Oh my,” she tearfully said, placing a soapy hand over her heart. “It sounds so powerful and to think kids wrote it.”
“I have a feeling it’s going to be an amazing production.”
We rejoined Marcus and Gramps in the living room after the kitchen was spotless once more, but we didn’t stay long. Marcus had studying to do, and I needed to do laundry and grade papers. We hugged our grandparents goodbye and promised we would be back soon.
We kept our conversation light on the way home and even sang along with the radio. I’d had enough thinking for one day and just wanted to enjoy the time with my little brother. Instead of driving him back to his dorm, he asked if I would drop him off at the diner where Camilla was working.
“I want you to meet her,” Marc said. “Her shift ends soon, and if you’re lucky, her mom will be there with Manny and you can meet them too.”
My brother was over the moon for this girl and her kid. The logical part of my brain that focused on equations, formulas, and problem-solving worried Marc was taking on too much for his age. He had big decisions he had to make about his future. He’d already applied and was accepted to several law schools, and there was the allure of playing professional football. On top of that, there was his obvious affection for this young lady and her little boy. I feared it was just too much all at once.
Then we walked into the diner, and I saw the way Camilla looked at my brother. I didn’t need to read the name tag on her uniform to know which of the waitresses had snagged Marc’s heart because the huge smile on her face told me everything I needed to know. She wasn’t looking at a meal ticket or an escape from an unhappy life; she was looking at the man she loved. Her heart was in her dark, shining eyes. And Marc? His entire demeanor changed right before my very eyes. He wasn’t the swaggering football hero or the smart-ass kid brother I knew and adored, he was a man who was in love. It softened his edges and gave him a completely different kind of confidence than playing football did. He was wise beyond his years because he had already realized what was important in life.
Camilla came around the counter, and Marc picked her up and twirled her around like some rom-com movie I’d never admit to watching on Hallmark. The gesture was more poignant when Marc did it instead of some movie heartthrob because it was a move we’d seen our dad make with our mom. Our life hadn’t always been easy, but we’d had each other.
“I’ve missed you, love,” Dad said after he set Mom down.
“I just went to the grocery store for ice cream and Chips Ahoy,” Mom countered, blushing happily. “I was gone twenty minutes tops.”