Read Online Yours, Mine & Ours by Jennifer Greene - Free Book Online

coaxed into supervising a rest period for Darling and Princess. All three had conked out for a good hour’s snooze.
    Amanda wrapped a purple scrunchie in Molly’s hair, making a tidy ponytail that matched her own. She was also wearing a purple-and-white shorts set. Personally, she was a little freaked to do the matching mom-daughter clothing thing, but Molly had claimed it was the “most important thing to her in the whole world.”
    â€œWe’re going over there for dinner,” Amanda explained, “because we want to show Mr. Mike and Teddy that we’re gracious.”
    â€œWhat’s gracious? ” Molly studied her mom as Amanda put on mascara.
    â€œBeing gracious means… Well, things weren’t going too well between us all this morning, right?”
    â€œYou’re not kidding. I couldn’t believe Teddy peed in the yard. I didn’t see his penis, but I still saw him peeing. And then his dog hurt our dog. And then they were so dirty .”
    â€œWell, honey, Darling wasn’t really hurt by their Slugger. That was something else. But the point—about our going, about our being gracious—is that strong girls don’t run away where there’s a problem.”
    â€œWhy not?”
    â€œBecause the problem’s still waiting for you when you stop running. So it’s just a whole lot easier if you just deal with a problem right when it happens.”
    â€œBut I don’t have a problem. They have a problem. Can I put on that stuff on my eyes, like you?”
    â€œNot mascara, lovebug. But we’ll do blush together.” Molly immediately lifted her face and closed her eyes, waiting for her mom to brush her cheeks. Immediately she peered at herself in the mirror.
    â€œI look beautiful,” she said with awe.
    â€œYes, you do. You look beautiful, but even more important, you’re going to be gracious, and polite and on your best manners.”
    â€œWhy do I have to be on my best manners again?” Molly insisted.
    â€œBecause they’re neighbors. And we want them to be good neighbors. So we’re going to show them that we’re nice people. Everybody has problems come up, honey. Friends, neighbors, family. Disagreements don’t disappear if you ignore them.” She’d been an expert at doing just that, all her life, and particularly in her marriage. So for damn sure, Molly wasn’t goingto make the same mistakes. “We’re going to be on our very, very, very best behavior, okay?”
    â€œGot it. We’ll show ’em. I’m going to be so good you won’t believe it. I’m going to be so good you’ll probably want to get me an outfit for my American Girl doll. I’m going to be so good that you’ll let me stay u—”
    â€œWe’re both going to be on our best manners because it’s a good idea. But we’ll talk about that other stuff when we get home.” Amanda didn’t want to commit to bribery. Unless she had to. In the meantime, there was still a ton to get ready before heading next door. Darling had to be walked—on a leash. Princess expected a treat right before dinner. Amanda had to unearth the picnic basket, then start stacking the dinner—the hot plate of lasagna, silverware, napkins, a warm towel-wrapped loaf of Italian bread, a chilled bowl of fruits for salad. There was also carrot cake with a butterscotch sauce, but she couldn’t carry it all at once. Truthfully, she couldn’t carry what she had now.
    â€œI’ll help, Mommy.” Using her most virtuous voice, Molly reached for the napkins.
    â€œThanks, honey.” Amanda tried to keep the irony from her tone, took a breath, and off they went.
    â€œGood grief,” Mike said when he opened the back door. “Amanda, I figured you’d bring a pan, not a whole feast. You didn’t have to go to all this trouble—”
    Oh, yeah, she did. Looking at that