Saturday morning, the washing machine began clunking and banging in the laundry room. Sleepily, Kaia walked into the kitchen and glared at Andrew, who was standing by the washer, frowning.
“You woke me up,” Kaia complained.
“It wasn’t me—it’s this damned washing machine,” Andrew said. “Why does it keep doing that? No matter how I load the towels, it’s unbalanced.”
Kaia shrugged. “I don’t know. It happens to Mom sometimes, too.”
“What does she do?”
“Same thing you’re doing. She moves the stuff around until it’s balanced.”
Andrew rolled his eyes. “Gee, thanks.”
Kaia smirked. She eyed the dirty clothing in the basket on top of the dryer and nodded toward it. “Whatever you do, don’t shrink my good shirts and sweaters,” she warned him, then turned into the kitchen to get breakfast.
Andrew looked at the basket of clothes that Kaia had pointed out. Maggie had a system. The clothes were separated in four baskets: whites, towels, shirts, and jeans. There was also a pile of clothes on the floor that belonged to Kyle, all splattered with grease from his job at the motorcycle shop. Andrew had figured out how to wash the whites and the towels just fine, but he was at a loss with all the rest. He knew Maggie hung some of the clothes to dry so they didn’t shrink, and he knew that some jeans were hung and others could go in the dryer. But for the life of him, he didn’t know which went where.
“Kaia? Do you know how Mom washes and dries all these different clothes?” Andrew called out to his daughter, who was sitting at the kitchen table, eating cereal and watching the small television.
Kaia looked over at him. “Not really. You can’t put my jeans or tops in the dryer for the full amount of time. They need to be hung after about fifteen minutes of drying. That’s all I know.” She returned her attention to the TV show.
“That’s a lot of help,” Andrew mumbled to himself. Why in the world was laundry so complicated? He reached for his phone in his jeans pocket, hesitated a moment, then went ahead and hit Maggie’s number on autodial.
“Hi,” Maggie said.
“Hi. I didn’t wake you, did I?”
“No, I was just getting up. What’s up?”
“I’m knee-deep in laundry here, and I’m afraid that I don’t know what I’m doing. Can you help me with this so Kaia doesn’t yell at me for ruining her clothes?”
Maggie chuckled. “I can help you with that. Do you have a pen and paper handy?”
“Really? Are you serious? Is doing laundry so difficult that I need to write it down?”
“Only if you want to remember everything,” Maggie told him. She then started explaining what he needed to know: separating darks and lights, which clothes to put in the dryer for a full cycle, which ones to do for fifteen minutes and then hang dry. She told him which cycles to use, when to use fabric softener, and how long to dry certain items. Before long, Andrew had filled a page and a half of notebook paper with instructions.
“Geez, I never realized how much work goes into doing laundry. I thought you just put the stuff in the machines and took it out.”
Maggie smiled. “Yeah, it’s pretty crazy. So what’s on the agenda for you and Kaia today? Besides laundry, of course.”
Andrew frowned. He hadn’t really thought of doing anything besides figuring out the laundry and maybe going out for dinner. Most Saturdays, he was involved with one of his community meetings or events and didn’t do much with the family. He’d canceled going to most of his meetings for the next couple of weeks so he could be home with Kaia. He knew he wouldn’t be able to do this for long, though. He had to get back to his community obligations.
“I’m not sure. What do you and she usually do?” Andrew asked.
“Well, sometimes, we go bowling with the residents from the group home. Other times, we go roller-skating at the rink, or we just go shopping and have lunch. She loves going to the bookstore and looking at the latest releases. Also, there’s an arcade at the bowling alley that she likes to play games at. I guess it just depends on what you want to do.”
“Bowling, huh? Kaia mentioned that yesterday in the grocery store. Since when do you like to bowl?” Andrew asked. He’d never gone bowling with Maggie or the kids.
Maggie laughed. “It started when I began taking the residents from the group home there to practice for Special Olympics. They needed volunteers to bowl with them, so I did, and when Kaia was older, she volunteered. Kyle did for a couple of years, too. Both kids are actually quite good.”
Andrew racked his brain, but he couldn’t remember Maggie or the kids ever talking about bowling. “Why didn’t anyone ever tell me you three bowled so much? Where was I?”
“I’m sure the kids mentioned it to you. I remember them telling you scores every now and then. I guess you were just too busy with your own work and commitments to pay attention.”
Andrew was quiet a moment. Maggie didn’t sound resentful, but the amount of time he spent away from home volunteering was a bone of contention between them, and he was aware that this conversation could quickly turn from warm to cold. Instead of continuing on this topic, he changed the subject.
“Maybe I’ll take Kaia bowling, if she wants to go. It might be fun,” Andrew said, keeping his voice cheerful.
“That’s a great idea. But watch out. Your daughter is as competitive as you are, and she has the upper hand. Don’t let it get you too mad.”
Andrew laughed. “I know all about her competitiveness. She’s a killer on the tennis court.”
After ending the call, Andrew thought about their conversation as he started a new load of laundry. There was so much he hadn’t paid attention to around the house and his family, because he’d left everything for Maggie to do. Truthfully, he’d always thought she’d had it easy being home with the kids and only working part-time. But after the past few days, he’d come to realize how much she actually juggled. He felt like a heel for not appreciating all she did and taking her for granted. It was a hard thing for him to admit—he was a proud man—but he decided he had to tell Maggie he appreciated what she did for the family the next time they spoke.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
After talking to Andrew, Maggie showered and went downstairs to meet Bobbi for breakfast. After enjoying a variety of delicious foods again, the two of them planned to meet at noon and go shopping at an outlet mall that carried designer dresses for a fraction of the original cost.
“We’re going to look hot tonight,” Bobbi declared before heading off to another workshop. Maggie doubted she’d ever be considered hot but didn’t argue the point with Bobbi, who seemed so excited about the banquet that night.
Twelve o’clock found Maggie and Bobbi back in the minivan, heading to the mall. Maggie wished she had the Mustang instead, but she couldn’t pick it up until Monday, after all the paperwork was complete.
Bobbi gave directions, and soon they were parked at a large factory-outlet complex.
“I take it you’ve been here before,” Maggie said.
Bobbi nodded. “Like I said, I come here every year for the convention, so I know this place well.”
Bobbi led Maggie into one of the many designer dress shops. She started digging through the racks of dresses, pulling them out one by one and handing them to Maggie. “You’re a size eight, right?” she asked as she continued pulling out short, sparkly dresses.
“More like a size ten,” Maggie said, but Bobbi gave her the once-over and shook her head.
“Definitely an eight,” she said.
“What makes you so sure?” Maggie asked.
“I worked in a fancy dress shop while I was going to beauty school. I can guess a woman’s size by just looking at her.”
After loading Maggie’s arms with dozens of dresses, Bobbi led her to the dressing rooms. She stopped in front of a row of shoes, consi
dered them a moment, and then picked out a pair of high-heeled sandals. She carried them to a dressing room and set them on a chair. “You can’t try on dresses without the right shoes,” Bobbi announced. She grabbed the dresses from Maggie and hung them on the hooks on the walls, then turned to her.
“You want me to try on all of these?” Maggie asked, staring dumbfounded at the dresses hanging in the room.
“Sure. We’re here to have fun and to find a dress. You’re sure to find one you like.”
Maggie gave in. “Okay. But what about you? Aren’t you going to try on dresses?”
“You bet I am. I just wanted to get you started first. I knew if I’d left you on your own, you’d have picked out one dowdy black dress to try on. This way, you’re sure to find something fun.”
“Hey, do I really seem that boring to you?” Maggie asked, insulted.
Bobbi chuckled. “Of course not. But from what I can tell, you’ve spent too many years taking care of your family and not thinking about yourself. I want you to have a good time tonight, and you will if you pick out a great dress.”
Maggie realized that Bobbi was right. She hadn’t done anything like this in a long time. So, in the spirit of fun, she began shimmying into the dresses Bobbi had picked out for her.
Soon, Bobbi was in the dressing room next to Maggie’s with a pile of dresses of her own, and they were both moving in and out of their rooms, modeling their latest outfits. Maggie laughed at many of the dresses she tried on. Some were much too short, or too tight, or too bright. One even had purple feathers sewn onto it. They laughed, groaned, occasionally oohed and aahed, and enjoyed every minute of it.
Maggie finally settled on a deep-blue, strapless satin dress that hit slightly above the knee and wasn’t so tight that she couldn’t breathe. The black sandals Bobbi had chosen for her to try were perfect with it, so she kept them, too. And the dress and shoes were affordable—they cost less than a pair of jeans. She decided she should hit one of the casual shops at the mall to pick up some jeans and tops as well, since she had lost some weight and her clothes were getting loose.
“Well, it’s not the most outrageous dress you tried on, but it does suit you,” Bobbi said of Maggie’s choice. “You’ll definitely turn a few heads tonight.”
“I’m not looking to turn any heads,” Maggie assured her. “But it will be fun dressing up for a change.”
Bobbi had chosen a more daring dress that was tight, short, low-necked, and turquoise blue with sequins on it. She’d also purchased a pair of silver platform sandals. Maggie had to admit, the dress suited Bobbi’s outrageous style.
As Maggie went off to purchase jeans and tops, Bobbi headed out to shop on her own. An hour later, they met at the van. Maggie asked if Bobbi had found anything else to buy.
Bobbi looked at her sheepishly. “I hope you don’t mind, but I bought some hair color and highlights for you. Please, please, please let me trim and color your hair for tonight. I promise you won’t be sorry.”
Maggie looked in the rearview mirror. Her hair used to be shiny blond, but now, it was dishwater blond with gray at the roots. She couldn’t deny that it needed a little help.
“I guess I can’t go driving around in that new Mustang next week with this hair,” she told Bobbi with a grin.
“Yippee! You’re going to be the belle of the ball tonight.”
Maggie rolled her eyes. She might feel like a princess in her new dress, but she certainly wouldn’t look like one.
Kaia stood on the approach, positioned her feet, held her ball at waist level, then walked four paces down the lane and released the ball. It dropped smoothly and rolled toward the pins, hitting another strike dead-on.
“That’s strike number three. You’d better catch up, Dad, or I’ll beat you again,” Kaia said.
Andrew frowned. He’d lost by a large margin in game one, and she was already kicking his butt in game two in the first three frames. He knew he had a huge competitive streak, but he hadn’t realized how big it was until Kaia started beating him today. Yet part of him was filled with pride at how well his daughter played the game.
“You’re really good at this,” he said, trying to be a good sport.
“It’s a lot harder than it looks,” Kaia replied. “People think that just anyone can bowl, but it takes practice.”
“Hmm. I guess I’d better practice more,” Andrew said. He stood on the approach, positioned himself in line with the pins, then took four steps and released the ball. The ball thumped loudly on the lane and rolled to the right, only knocking down the ten pin.
Kaia laughed.
Andrew took a deep breath, turned around, and walked over to Kaia. “Okay, smarty-pants. What did I do wrong?”
“First off, you don’t aim the ball. You position it, using the dots and the arrows on the lanes. Where you position your feet on the approach will help determine where the ball will roll. Also, you want to keep your wrist straight when you release the ball. If you twist it, the ball will spin off in a different direction. Oh, and don’t try to hit the one pin—that usually ends in a split. Try to direct the ball to hit between the one and the three pin for a strike.”
Andrew stared at his daughter. “Who taught you all this?”
Kaia shrugged. “Mostly Carl and Cindi. Carl has been bowling for years and has won several tournaments for Special Olympics.”
Andrew turned back to the approach, lifted his ball, and positioned his feet in the middle of the approach.
“No, Dad. Start over on the right side, but run your ball over that arrow,” Kaia instructed. She pointed to where Andrew should throw the ball. “You still want to hit it like a strike so you can pick up the spare.”
Andrew sighed but did as he was told. He moved over closer to the right side of the lane, took four steps up to the line, and rolled the ball over the arrow Kaia had pointed out. His ball hit perfectly between the first and third pins, and all nine pins clattered down for a spare.
“I did it,” he said with a big smile as he turned toward Kaia, then realized how loudly he’d said it. He cringed as several people in the bowling alley looked up and stared at him.
Kaia smiled smugly. “Told you.”
Andrew didn’t care who stared at them or how smug Kaia was. He was having fun with his daughter for the first time in years, and that was all that mattered. Overtime at work or committee meetings didn’t compare to seeing the smile on his daughter’s face.
After they had bowled a few games, Andrew offered to take Kaia out for pizza—and she was all for it. He called Kyle to see if he’d like to eat with them.
“Thanks, Dad,” Kyle said. “But I already have plans.”
“I’ve barely seen you this week. Can’t you eat with us this one time?” Andrew asked.
“I’ve already told Ashley we’d go out to eat and to a movie tonight,” Kyle said.
Ashley? Andrew’s brow furrowed. He remembered meeting a girl once. Kyle had brought her home to watch a movie on television, but Andrew couldn’t remember her name. “Why don’t you and Ashley come to dinner with us? Then you can go to your movie.”
Kyle hesitated, and then finally agreed.
“So fill me in on Ashley,” Andrew said as he and Kaia headed out to the car.
“Geez, Dad. Where have you been? Kyle has been going out with Ashley for the past six months.”
Andrew ignored Kaia’s tone—it was getting easier to ignore the more time he spent with her—and asked, “What’s she like?”
Kaia shrugged. “She’s nice. She doesn’t come out to the house very often, but Mom and I have had dinner with Ashley and Kyle a few times. They graduated together, and she goes to college with Kyle.”
When Andrew and Kaia met the young couple in the pizza place, Andrew suddenly recognized Ashley as the girl who’d come to the house. Kyle was quiet at first, but Ashley happily
answered Andrew’s questions, and she and Kaia joked around. Andrew liked her. She was outgoing and friendly and had a cute smile. And when Kyle looked at her, Andrew saw a sparkle in his eye. He imagined it was the same way he used to look at Maggie when they’d first started dating. He was happy Kyle had a special girl in his life.
Andrew enjoyed spending time with the kids. It had been a long time since they’d sat around like this and just had fun, talking. Ashley told a funny story about a customer’s antics at her part-time job at the movie theater, and Kyle talked about a Harley-Davidson motorcycle he’d worked on at the shop. Andrew rarely heard stories from the kids anymore, and he really enjoyed them. It surprised him how grown-up they’d become.
When Maggie had been gone before, to handle her father’s and then her sister’s affairs, Kaia had stayed with a friend, and Kyle was already driving and working after school. Andrew hadn’t had to deal with taking care of the kids then. Now, he realized that he’d missed out on spending time with them. He should have taken vacation time to be home with the kids. How is it that I never realized what I was missing? Maggie’s leaving had actually given him time to reconnect with the kids, and even though he’d resented having to do so at first, he was really enjoying it now. He hoped to do more of this in the future.
Maggie sat still in front of the bathroom mirror as Bobbi ran goo through thick strands of her hair and folded strips of foil over them. She looked like an alien. But Bobbi assured her that the highlighting was going to brighten her hair and make her look years younger. They had already dyed her hair a soft blond color to cover the gray, and now she was highlighting it. Maggie liked having the gray gone but was afraid that highlighting might overprocess her fine hair.
“Don’t worry,” Bobbi kept assuring her. “I’ve done this a million times.”
Maggie watched Bobbi work and admired how skillfully she managed her hair. She was happy she’d run into her that first morning. Bobbi was like a breath of fresh air, with her bubbly personality and positive attitude. She was a pretty woman, especially when she didn’t pile on the makeup, and she seemed to love her life and her job. Maggie wondered why Bobbi hadn’t yet found the right person to share her life with.
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