Everyone starts smiling because we know that when all three of our living grandparents get behind a plan, it is impossible to fail.
Kent turns to me. “Looks like we got ourselves a plan. House remodel, check. National parks for Mom, check. Amazing star-gazing opportunity for Dad, check. Dream road trip with their parents, check. Good work, C-Dog.”
I fight the urge to smirk because I love when I come out of left field with a plan that saves the day. None of my siblings would admit it, but that happens more often than not.
I look down at my phone and am surprised to see a text from my dad.
Dad: Just a heads-up, the rumor mill is saying that this year they are choosing a winning team from the interns. Wanted to let you know. I hear you are paired with Megan. I hope that’s a good thing.
I groan more with each word I read.
“Are you in labor?” Kent asks, laughing.
“No,” I grumble. I turn my phone around, so he can read it.
“Shit. I guess it’s time you and Megan kissed and made up.”
I feel my face heat and am thankful for the darkness. The last thing I need is my brother asking me why I just blushed. My siblings know we aren’t friends anymore, but they don’t really know all the details. Lanie kept saying we just outgrew each other. Di always says that we’ll be friends again someday.
“I guess so,” I mutter. Vera stirs and starts crying.
Tabby sighs and begins to get up, but I stop her. “Let me,” I offer.
“You don’t have to ask twice,” she says. “I think she just needs to be walked a bit to fall back asleep. Here, I’ll take this off and you can walk her.” She pulls Vera out and hands the wailing kiddo to Kent.
She untangles herself carefully from the contraption that Vera is in and places it on my shoulders, showing me how it works, plopping Vera back inside it, and fastening her in before patting my shoulder. “Thanks.”
I grin and look down at my niece who’s momentarily stopped crying as she assesses me. “Come on, stinker. Let’s get you back to sleep.”
I walk toward the front of the house. I need to get away from everyone for a few moments and process what Dad just told me. A million feelings are swirling in my head right now. Can Megan and I get over whatever shit happened before to beat out the other teams? And what about these brewing feelings I’m having for her? What the fuck is that about?
“What do you think, V-bug?” I ask my niece as I kiss her forehead.
She looks up at me. She’s still sniffling but her tears have stopped and she’s looking around as we walk.
“I just don’t know how to unravel all the shit between us,” I state. “You know what I mean?”
Vera coos at me.
“I knew you’d understand,” I say, grinning at her because she’s just fucking cute and you can’t help but grin at her. She grins back at me.
“Come on, sleepyhead. Stop fighting it and go back to sleep. Trust me, one day you are going to regret not going to bed early.”
She yawns and I pat her back as she slowly lays her head against my chest. I lean down and kiss the top of her head.
I walk the empty streets of Banneker as I ponder my future, with Megan in it.
Megan
I sigh as I listen to my sister rattle on about some project at her job. It’s her birthday week and she wanted to have a small family party, so here I am. I should be studying. Instead, I’ve been mentally going through the checklist of assignments I have to work on during this entire meal and dessert.
“Hello?” Connie’s voice pulls me out of my mental task.
I look over at her and she’s glaring at me. “How. Is. Your. Internship?”
I glare back at her. “It. Is. Fine.”
She rolls her eyes. “You’ve barely said one word all night. I thought you’d have a million interesting NASA things to talk about.”
Our mom is in the kitchen wrapping up the leftover cake for us to take home. Dad is still sitting at the table watching us like we are alien creatures. Dad is the silent type. Unless you get him talking about his favorite vineyard or which micro-brewery has the best ale. Then, clear your calendar because you’ll need the time.
“Yeah, sport, how is the internship?” he prods.
Mom’s head pops back around the corner. “I want to hear about it. Give me thirty seconds.”
I wait for her to come back in and take a seat.
“It’s good. As you know, I’m working on the Mission to the Moon project,” I start and then pause as I realize I’ll have to explain who I’m working with because if I don’t, they are going to eventually find out and it’ll be weird. “Clark Moore and I are partnered up to help double-check design elements on this rover device they want to use to gather samples and whatnot.”
As soon as I say Clark’s name, they all look at each other. I groan internally because Clark is a bit of an “elephant in the room” when it comes to conversations with my family. When we stopped hanging out, my parents started questioning me like crazy. I would make up excuses. Then, I started complaining about how arrogant he was and how I wanted to get an award he won or how I got the part in a class play and he didn’t. Mom once asked why we had become so competitive with each other. I just said we were, and she didn’t press it. I suppose it must be weird for them. I mean Connie is only a few years younger than Kylie, so they used to play a little bit as kids. And my parents and Clark’s parents have always been friends. But Clark and I, we were two peas in a pod. I never really thought about how the end of our friendship might have affected the rest of our family members.
I frown and look back up at them.
“Anyhow, I think it’s going to go well.”
“You’re working with Clark?” Connie asks, her mouth hanging open in shock.
I shrug. “Yeah, I mean we have the same major and we both want to work at NASA, so I guess we were bound to cross paths eventually.”
“Uh, didn’t Mr. Moore write you a recommendation letter for that?” Connie inquires.
I nod.
“And you were competing against his son for a spot?”
I shrug again.
“Is that like, ethical?”
I glare at my sister. “Yes. And besides, we both got the internship. There were six spots. It’s not like we were competing for one spot.”
“Well, it all sounds very exciting,” my mother says. Mom is an accountant. Although after Dad’s store started doing well, she went part-time so she could help him maintain the books. She’s the chatty one in the family, always making small talk about anything.
“It is. It’s a great opportunity and I like the team I’m assigned to,” I state. I push back from the table. “I’m so full. That was great, Mom. I think I want to take a walk before I head back. Connie, do you need help getting stuff out to your car?” I ask.
She shakes her head as she looks at the gifts on the table. “I got it. I should probably head home. My friends want to meet me for drinks later.”
“Well, happy birthday,” I say as I awkwardly hug her before going outside. Connie is so different from me. She’s bossy. She’s very outgoing. I think she’s the main reason I got into the sorority. She’s an alumnus. It’s like the only thing we have in common. I glance down the street and decide to head toward Main Street. I like to walk by the old houses on the side streets. Something about the way they are all filled with unique character and so lovingly restored makes me happy.