Read Online Dedication by Emma McLaughlin - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Emma McLaughlin
Ads: Link
It’s so built up. It’s all so—”
“Oversized, gaudy, trumpeting the end of civilization as we know it.”
“I was going to say ‘much.’”
We haltingly circle the football-stadium-size parking lot a few times, a salt-crusted sea of cars stretching out before us over every inch of asphalt. I bite the inside of my lip and look around pointlessly for a spot.
“Screw it.” She pulls onto the snow-covered meridian abutting the lot and takes the key out of the ignition. I crane my head, calculating the hundreds of yards of frozen vehicular tundra to get to an entrance. But she’s already heaved her purse onto her shoulder. She gets out, slamming the door closed, and I jog against the wind to reach her and take her arm. She squeezes my mitten with her elbow and we duck our heads down for the trek.
“She said they’d be in the food court!” I shout back as we round the corner into the bustling atrium lined with queues of hungry, holiday-addled families. “There!” I point to where I spot them sharing a burger at the far-end table. As we make our way over I watch Laura laughing at something with her boys and have that momentary pang of awe and jealousy—will I be at the boys’ wedding still thinking, “Oh my God, Laura made them”? Or worse, still be the spinster aunt with three hundred godchildren because everyone took pity on me? I raise my hand and wave; she beams.
“Fairy K, my dog threw up! I’m eating a cheeseburger with fries!” Mick stands on his chair to announce these two updates with equal emphasis over the blaring bossa nova of the carousel. Laura laughs again, putting down her yogurt as he hurls his forty pounds into my arms. “You’re wet.” He puts his small hand to my cheek and pulls it away to examine. I return his feet to the vinyl.
“Claire wanted us to get some exercise.” I wipe the sheen of sleet off with a McDonald’s napkin as Mom tears open her coat. Then I lift Keith up in turn, ruffling his bangs with my chin.
He kicks his miniature blue moon boots out for me to examine. “Yours are brown.”
“Pretty stylin’.” Grinning at my borrowed Lands’ End ensemble, Laura stands to engulf us both.
“Mommy! You’re crushing me!” Keith wriggles down our legs.
“Kate Hollis standing in the Croton mall—and without a fake nose.” She laughs in my ear. “Look at you, being all brave.”
“Look at you,” I murmur as I pull back, my hands going to her rounded belly, and again, the pang. “You look beautiful.”
“Please, minus the braces, I’m having a second puberty. Actually, make that a third. Do you know what it’s like to be buying Clearasil at thirty?” She leads Keith back to his seat and licks a napkin to wipe the ring of ketchup from his mouth.
“You’re radiant, Laura,” Mom insists, helping her consolidate the fast food detritus. “Pregnancy suits you.”
“Well, drink me up ’cause this is my final round.” She hands me the tray of wrinkled wrappers, which I carry across the floor and dump in the trash, stopping short as a posse of toddlers runs past. I pull back, narrowly avoiding felling a laughing mother in hot pursuit. She steadies herself, giving me a once-over.
“Katie?” I’ll be taking that fake nose now, please. She stops, blowing her bangs up and allowing the kids to race another lap. “Katie Hollis?”
I blink for a moment at the thick red hair and glowing skin. “Jeanine?”
“Oh my God, Katie!” To my utter surprise, she lunges, wrapping me in a hug, her poncho emitting a musky trace of incense. “That is so bizarre.” She releases me, smiling with her whole face. “How are you?”
“I’m good, thank you,” I laugh, her enthusiasm contagious. “How are you?”
“This is so crazy.” She scoops up one of the lapping boys to the hip of her leggings. “Anne and I were just talking about you in the car on the way over!”
“And is this your son?” I rub the pink cheek of the child squirming in her arms,
“Oversized, gaudy, trumpeting the end of civilization as we know it.”
“I was going to say ‘much.’”
We haltingly circle the football-stadium-size parking lot a few times, a salt-crusted sea of cars stretching out before us over every inch of asphalt. I bite the inside of my lip and look around pointlessly for a spot.
“Screw it.” She pulls onto the snow-covered meridian abutting the lot and takes the key out of the ignition. I crane my head, calculating the hundreds of yards of frozen vehicular tundra to get to an entrance. But she’s already heaved her purse onto her shoulder. She gets out, slamming the door closed, and I jog against the wind to reach her and take her arm. She squeezes my mitten with her elbow and we duck our heads down for the trek.
“She said they’d be in the food court!” I shout back as we round the corner into the bustling atrium lined with queues of hungry, holiday-addled families. “There!” I point to where I spot them sharing a burger at the far-end table. As we make our way over I watch Laura laughing at something with her boys and have that momentary pang of awe and jealousy—will I be at the boys’ wedding still thinking, “Oh my God, Laura made them”? Or worse, still be the spinster aunt with three hundred godchildren because everyone took pity on me? I raise my hand and wave; she beams.
“Fairy K, my dog threw up! I’m eating a cheeseburger with fries!” Mick stands on his chair to announce these two updates with equal emphasis over the blaring bossa nova of the carousel. Laura laughs again, putting down her yogurt as he hurls his forty pounds into my arms. “You’re wet.” He puts his small hand to my cheek and pulls it away to examine. I return his feet to the vinyl.
“Claire wanted us to get some exercise.” I wipe the sheen of sleet off with a McDonald’s napkin as Mom tears open her coat. Then I lift Keith up in turn, ruffling his bangs with my chin.
He kicks his miniature blue moon boots out for me to examine. “Yours are brown.”
“Pretty stylin’.” Grinning at my borrowed Lands’ End ensemble, Laura stands to engulf us both.
“Mommy! You’re crushing me!” Keith wriggles down our legs.
“Kate Hollis standing in the Croton mall—and without a fake nose.” She laughs in my ear. “Look at you, being all brave.”
“Look at you,” I murmur as I pull back, my hands going to her rounded belly, and again, the pang. “You look beautiful.”
“Please, minus the braces, I’m having a second puberty. Actually, make that a third. Do you know what it’s like to be buying Clearasil at thirty?” She leads Keith back to his seat and licks a napkin to wipe the ring of ketchup from his mouth.
“You’re radiant, Laura,” Mom insists, helping her consolidate the fast food detritus. “Pregnancy suits you.”
“Well, drink me up ’cause this is my final round.” She hands me the tray of wrinkled wrappers, which I carry across the floor and dump in the trash, stopping short as a posse of toddlers runs past. I pull back, narrowly avoiding felling a laughing mother in hot pursuit. She steadies herself, giving me a once-over.
“Katie?” I’ll be taking that fake nose now, please. She stops, blowing her bangs up and allowing the kids to race another lap. “Katie Hollis?”
I blink for a moment at the thick red hair and glowing skin. “Jeanine?”
“Oh my God, Katie!” To my utter surprise, she lunges, wrapping me in a hug, her poncho emitting a musky trace of incense. “That is so bizarre.” She releases me, smiling with her whole face. “How are you?”
“I’m good, thank you,” I laugh, her enthusiasm contagious. “How are you?”
“This is so crazy.” She scoops up one of the lapping boys to the hip of her leggings. “Anne and I were just talking about you in the car on the way over!”
“And is this your son?” I rub the pink cheek of the child squirming in her arms,
Similar Books
