when you move on to the next girlfriend, they get upset when they never see the other ones. Pat, Eddie, James, and Jeff’s kids have all made comments. Christopher’s especially sensitive.”
Joey scratched at his head. “I guess I never thought of it that way.” He sat back down and pressed into the chair. It hadn’t occurred to him that his life impacted his family. “You make it sound like I have a revolving door and a new girl walks in every moment.”
Caitlin shrugged. “It feels that way to us sometimes. Try explaining that to a child.”
Nora hovered near the entryway of the living room. “Is the intervention over? What did I miss? Christopher made me play his video contraption with the music on.”
Kevin rose. “Come on,” he said to Nora, “I’ll fill you in on what’s happened so far while we get dinner on the dining room table.”
Nora smiled and winked. “Not done yet?” She held her arms out for Kylie. “I’ll take care of her, sugar. It’ll give you more time to straighten this out.”
When Nora was out of earshot, Joey muttered, “There’s nothing to straighten out. No big deal. So I won’t bring all my dates here.”
His family shook their heads almost in unison. His parents’ unusual silence magnified their disapproval.
Joey spoke up louder this time. “Okay, so I’ll only bring girls here that I’m serious with.”
“You’re never serious with anyone,” Caitlin quickly pointed out. “Remember, oh what was her name, Kristen, or Kirsten . . .”
“Kirstie,” Eddie shouted from the phone. “Yes, you two were inseparable for about a month. We never saw you apart.”
“Until, he found out that she didn’t like dogs. That was the end of Kirstie,” Caitlin said, shaking her head.
“How could I be with a woman who doesn’t like dogs?” He turned to his parents for support. “You know if I was allowed a dog in my condo, I’d have one. When I own my place I’m going to get a dog.”
“I don’t know why you don’t just move back home. You’re here all the time anyway. Could save so much money if you weren’t paying for that apartment,” his father grumbled.
“Dad, when are you going to accept the fact that I’m a grown man?”
“Uh, maybe when you stop bringing your laundry here, and eating Mom’s cooking every night.” Caitlin jabbed him in the arm.
“I don’t eat here every night.”
His sister rolled her eyes.
His dad spoke next, taking a moment to find the right words again. “Your friends come and go, and until you’re serious about someone, we ask that you don’t bring them here.” His father nodded and patted his stomach. “Now that that’s settled, Natalie, why don’t we get dinner on the table?”
His mother smiled in agreement. “Yes, Nora’s probably texting away and Christopher’s probably filling up on bread.”
His father put an arm around his mother’s shoulder and led her toward the kitchen.
Joey knew that must have been hard for his parents to say and he didn’t take offense, but he didn’t get why everyone made a big deal about it. “I’m not even dating someone now.”
Caitlin opened her eyes wider. “That’s hard to believe. You didn’t have a date last night?”
“Nope. I helped Alex paint her townhouse and we ate Chinese takeout. She’s having a hard time getting over George. She’s trying to get a fresh start.”
“You actually did the painting?” Caitlin asked, clearly doubting him.
“Why’s that so hard to believe? I’ve painted before.”
Caitlin let that sink in, then shook her head. “True, but you helped out a friend on a Thursday night instead of going out. What’s come over you?” She pressed the inside of her wrist to his forehead. “No fever.”
Eddie chimed in again, his voice sounding suddenly tinny. “Maybe our squirt brother is growing up. Now if we can only get him to do his own laundry.” Eddie laughed through the phone. “I’m going to hang up now. Got to get back to
Joey scratched at his head. “I guess I never thought of it that way.” He sat back down and pressed into the chair. It hadn’t occurred to him that his life impacted his family. “You make it sound like I have a revolving door and a new girl walks in every moment.”
Caitlin shrugged. “It feels that way to us sometimes. Try explaining that to a child.”
Nora hovered near the entryway of the living room. “Is the intervention over? What did I miss? Christopher made me play his video contraption with the music on.”
Kevin rose. “Come on,” he said to Nora, “I’ll fill you in on what’s happened so far while we get dinner on the dining room table.”
Nora smiled and winked. “Not done yet?” She held her arms out for Kylie. “I’ll take care of her, sugar. It’ll give you more time to straighten this out.”
When Nora was out of earshot, Joey muttered, “There’s nothing to straighten out. No big deal. So I won’t bring all my dates here.”
His family shook their heads almost in unison. His parents’ unusual silence magnified their disapproval.
Joey spoke up louder this time. “Okay, so I’ll only bring girls here that I’m serious with.”
“You’re never serious with anyone,” Caitlin quickly pointed out. “Remember, oh what was her name, Kristen, or Kirsten . . .”
“Kirstie,” Eddie shouted from the phone. “Yes, you two were inseparable for about a month. We never saw you apart.”
“Until, he found out that she didn’t like dogs. That was the end of Kirstie,” Caitlin said, shaking her head.
“How could I be with a woman who doesn’t like dogs?” He turned to his parents for support. “You know if I was allowed a dog in my condo, I’d have one. When I own my place I’m going to get a dog.”
“I don’t know why you don’t just move back home. You’re here all the time anyway. Could save so much money if you weren’t paying for that apartment,” his father grumbled.
“Dad, when are you going to accept the fact that I’m a grown man?”
“Uh, maybe when you stop bringing your laundry here, and eating Mom’s cooking every night.” Caitlin jabbed him in the arm.
“I don’t eat here every night.”
His sister rolled her eyes.
His dad spoke next, taking a moment to find the right words again. “Your friends come and go, and until you’re serious about someone, we ask that you don’t bring them here.” His father nodded and patted his stomach. “Now that that’s settled, Natalie, why don’t we get dinner on the table?”
His mother smiled in agreement. “Yes, Nora’s probably texting away and Christopher’s probably filling up on bread.”
His father put an arm around his mother’s shoulder and led her toward the kitchen.
Joey knew that must have been hard for his parents to say and he didn’t take offense, but he didn’t get why everyone made a big deal about it. “I’m not even dating someone now.”
Caitlin opened her eyes wider. “That’s hard to believe. You didn’t have a date last night?”
“Nope. I helped Alex paint her townhouse and we ate Chinese takeout. She’s having a hard time getting over George. She’s trying to get a fresh start.”
“You actually did the painting?” Caitlin asked, clearly doubting him.
“Why’s that so hard to believe? I’ve painted before.”
Caitlin let that sink in, then shook her head. “True, but you helped out a friend on a Thursday night instead of going out. What’s come over you?” She pressed the inside of her wrist to his forehead. “No fever.”
Eddie chimed in again, his voice sounding suddenly tinny. “Maybe our squirt brother is growing up. Now if we can only get him to do his own laundry.” Eddie laughed through the phone. “I’m going to hang up now. Got to get back to
Similar Books
