and Els and the other cook got no argument from any of us. We’d had enough boxed and canned food to last the rest of our lives.
At least I had.
But still. Pizza and ice cream once in a while was fine with me.
Back home on Mercer Island, Mom hugged all of us, looking totally relieved that we’d survived Costco unscathed. After everything we’d been through, letting her kids go to Costco was probably more nerve-wracking for Mom than we’d ever know.
I helped talk Lucas into a nap and then went to watch some television in the den. I liked that our new house didn’t have humungous rooms like our mansion did. I loved all the windows and natural light, and the small rooms were just … homier. The den had a huge flat-screen TV mounted over the gas fireplace, both of which were on. Leather recliners sat on either side of a large leather couch, and Lexie sat in one, watching some talk show where people were screaming at one another. She quickly wiped her eyes and shifted so she faced away from me.
I plopped down in the other recliner. “This stuff will rot your brain.”
Lexie tried to sound upbeat. “These people are crazy. See that woman? She’s married to that guy, but she thinks the other guy is the father of her baby. They’re going to find out the results of the paternity test right now.”
I wanted to ask her how she was, why she was so sad. Instead, I just asked, “How can you watch this crap all the time?”
She shrugged. “Sometimes they have people find their long-lost relatives.” She pointed at the screen. “This one girl went looking for her real parents after her adoptive ones died, and it turned out her biological mother was actually the gymnastics coach that she already was living with! Is that crazy or what?” She looked like she wanted to say something else, but Eddy walked in and started digging through the DVDs. “You guys want to watch a movie?”
Lexie murmured, “When my show’s done.”
I opened up the ottoman nearest me and pulled out a white blanket.
Eddy kept looking through the DVDs as Lexie and I sat there, not saying anything. Finally the credits started rolling. Lexie glared at Eddy and then looked at me. “Eli? Can we talk?”
“Um, yeah?” Weren’t we already talking?
Her eyes flicked over to Eddy, then back at me. “Alone?”
Eddy stopped what he was doing and looked at her. “I’ll go get us something to drink. You two have your little talk.” He left.
Lexie said, “Is he mad?” She didn’t sound like she cared if he was or not. She and Eddy had not exactly bonded in the past few weeks, and I was beginning to feel like I was their intermediary. So it made things worse when she made a point of leaving Eddy out of our conversations.
I shook my head. “Why can’t you talk in front of him?”
Lexie glanced around a bit and then leaned closer to me. Her voice was a whisper. “What would you think if I wanted to find my real parents?”
I froze. “What?” Lexie was adopted, but it wasn’t something I thought of very often. She was just my sister. It was easy to forget the rest.
She nodded. “My biological parents.” She pointed at the television. “So many people have been reunited. It’s really cool.”
I shook my head. “Listen, just because people on these stupid shows do that doesn’t mean you should. Those things are probably fake and set up anyway.”
Lexie watched the show for a little bit. “Yeah. I guess.” She didn’t exactly look convinced, but I hoped that she meant it, and the subject was done. She tilted her head a bit and the corner of her mouth turned up. “It was a good day, wasn’t it?”
“Costco.” I snorted. “Who’d have thought?”
Her face lit up when she smiled. “I was very happy to get my industrial-size box of Tic Tacs.”
Eddy came back holding sodas and plates, along with the pound of mango salsa and huge brown bag of tortilla chips he’d chosen at Costco. He handed me a plate, poured some salsa onto
At least I had.
But still. Pizza and ice cream once in a while was fine with me.
Back home on Mercer Island, Mom hugged all of us, looking totally relieved that we’d survived Costco unscathed. After everything we’d been through, letting her kids go to Costco was probably more nerve-wracking for Mom than we’d ever know.
I helped talk Lucas into a nap and then went to watch some television in the den. I liked that our new house didn’t have humungous rooms like our mansion did. I loved all the windows and natural light, and the small rooms were just … homier. The den had a huge flat-screen TV mounted over the gas fireplace, both of which were on. Leather recliners sat on either side of a large leather couch, and Lexie sat in one, watching some talk show where people were screaming at one another. She quickly wiped her eyes and shifted so she faced away from me.
I plopped down in the other recliner. “This stuff will rot your brain.”
Lexie tried to sound upbeat. “These people are crazy. See that woman? She’s married to that guy, but she thinks the other guy is the father of her baby. They’re going to find out the results of the paternity test right now.”
I wanted to ask her how she was, why she was so sad. Instead, I just asked, “How can you watch this crap all the time?”
She shrugged. “Sometimes they have people find their long-lost relatives.” She pointed at the screen. “This one girl went looking for her real parents after her adoptive ones died, and it turned out her biological mother was actually the gymnastics coach that she already was living with! Is that crazy or what?” She looked like she wanted to say something else, but Eddy walked in and started digging through the DVDs. “You guys want to watch a movie?”
Lexie murmured, “When my show’s done.”
I opened up the ottoman nearest me and pulled out a white blanket.
Eddy kept looking through the DVDs as Lexie and I sat there, not saying anything. Finally the credits started rolling. Lexie glared at Eddy and then looked at me. “Eli? Can we talk?”
“Um, yeah?” Weren’t we already talking?
Her eyes flicked over to Eddy, then back at me. “Alone?”
Eddy stopped what he was doing and looked at her. “I’ll go get us something to drink. You two have your little talk.” He left.
Lexie said, “Is he mad?” She didn’t sound like she cared if he was or not. She and Eddy had not exactly bonded in the past few weeks, and I was beginning to feel like I was their intermediary. So it made things worse when she made a point of leaving Eddy out of our conversations.
I shook my head. “Why can’t you talk in front of him?”
Lexie glanced around a bit and then leaned closer to me. Her voice was a whisper. “What would you think if I wanted to find my real parents?”
I froze. “What?” Lexie was adopted, but it wasn’t something I thought of very often. She was just my sister. It was easy to forget the rest.
She nodded. “My biological parents.” She pointed at the television. “So many people have been reunited. It’s really cool.”
I shook my head. “Listen, just because people on these stupid shows do that doesn’t mean you should. Those things are probably fake and set up anyway.”
Lexie watched the show for a little bit. “Yeah. I guess.” She didn’t exactly look convinced, but I hoped that she meant it, and the subject was done. She tilted her head a bit and the corner of her mouth turned up. “It was a good day, wasn’t it?”
“Costco.” I snorted. “Who’d have thought?”
Her face lit up when she smiled. “I was very happy to get my industrial-size box of Tic Tacs.”
Eddy came back holding sodas and plates, along with the pound of mango salsa and huge brown bag of tortilla chips he’d chosen at Costco. He handed me a plate, poured some salsa onto
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