Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 117574 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 588(@200wpm)___ 470(@250wpm)___ 392(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 117574 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 588(@200wpm)___ 470(@250wpm)___ 392(@300wpm)
I turn the camera back to me. “What’s up with you?”
“I’m having fun and wanted to say hello to you. You haven’t been texting back or returning calls.”
“Sorry, I’ve been super busy.”
“There’s a certain tiny redhead here who’s been dying to say hello to her Uncle Auggie all week.” Mom chuckles at something off screen. “Yes, love. Okay, he’s all yours.”
My bespectacled, five-year-old niece, Ripley, grabs the phone and overtakes my screen. “Hi, Uncle Auggie!”
“Hey, there, cutie pie! What’s new?”
It’s all Ripley needs. Without further prompting, she tells me everything going on in her happy life. Everything about the amazing time she’s been having with Grandma Gigi and Grampy during their visit.
“Wow, that’s so cool,” I say.
“Who’s dat?” Ripley asks, her little eyebrows raised behind her glasses. She points at Charlotte sitting next to me, half visible on my screen.
“That’s my friend, Charlotte.”
“She’s pretty. She has hair like Mommy and me.”
“Yes, she does. Charlotte.” I nudge her leg. “Say hi to my niece, Ripley.”
Charlotte says hello, and what follows is a much lengthier chat with Ripley, and then my mother, and then my whole family, than I’d ever intended or foreseen.
“How did you two meet?” Mom asks Charlotte. She’s the one holding the phone now. The group is doing exactly what we are—they’re sitting around an outdoor fire feature in Max and Marnie’s stunning back yard with a bottle of wine.
“We’re neighbors, actually,” Charlotte says. “I just moved into the building.”
“Oh, how wonderful,” Mom says, her face aglow.
Uh oh. Time for me to change the subject. Mom is clearly pumped to see me sitting at a gathering with a pretty woman and another couple. And since she’s got a glass of wine in her hand, there’s no telling what she might say next.
“Okay, we have to go, Mom,” I interject. “Have a great time, everyone.”
“Before you go,” Mom says, “did you get a summer internship yet?”
“No, but I interviewed for a pretty good one today during on-campus interviews. I’ll keep you posted.”
“Text me all about it!” Mom says, when it’s clear I’m going to dip.
“I will. Bye now.”
“Wait! Can you come down and visit for a few days during spring break?” Mom says. “We all miss you.”
“I’ll see if I can swing it. I’ll text you, Mom. Love to everyone.”
“Pweeeease come!” little Ripley’s voice begs nearby.
“I’ll do my best.”
“Bye, Charlotte!” Mom calls out. “It was lovely to meet you, honey!”
“It was lovely to meet you, too, Gigi!” Charlotte calls back. “Auggie says the nicest things about you!”
“We’ll have you over for dinner when we get back to Seattle!"
“Sounds fun.”
Jesus Christ.
After another round of goodbyes, I finally hang up. “Sorry about that. She’s dying to have another set of grandkids.”
Everyone chuckles.
“My mother’s the same way,” Charlotte says. She pokes my leg playfully. “You didn’t tell me about your interview today. Tell me all about it.”
“There’s nothing to tell. I don’t have the position yet.”
“Is it a place you’re excited about?”
“Yes and no. The vets there are really experienced, so I’d learn a lot, but it’s not the kind of place I’d prefer to wind up, long-term.”
Remorse washes over Charlotte’s face, and I know she’s blaming herself for my blown interview at the place that was my top pick.
I take her hand and whisper, “That’s water under the bridge, McDougal.”
Tessa asks, “What kind of place do you want to wind up, Auggie?”
I briefly explain my professional goals to the group, and my ultimate long-term dream of owning my own veterinary practice that mostly services nonprofits, rescues, and animal shelters, and everyone—Ryan, Tessa, and Charlotte—expresses admiration for my goals.
“If you don’t get the internship you interviewed for today,” Ryan says, “hit me up. The wife of a buddy is a vet. Maybe she can hook you up.”
“Thanks. I appreciate that.”
Ryan addresses Tessa. “I should probably put the kids to bed, huh? We’ve got an early flight tomorrow.”
“Yeah, good idea. I can do it, if you want.”
“Nah.” He touches his wife’s baby bump and winks. “Relax. Catch up with your bestie who’s been MIA lately.” He playfully glares at Charlotte before getting up from the fire pit. In short order, Ryan’s on the lawn wrangling his kids for bed, at which point Zach asks me to come upstairs to help put him to bed.
“I want to show you my cars,” Zach explains.
“You’re not gonna play cars right now, bubba,” Tessa calls out to her son. “You need to get lots of sleep for our big day tomorrow.”
“I just wanna show him,” Zach says.
After getting nonverbal permission from Tessa, I say to Zach, “I’d love to see them.” I’m still holding Charlotte’s hand, so I kiss the top of it before releasing it and whispering to Tessa, “If I wind up being lured into playing cars for a few minutes, please forgive me.”
“I’m thoroughly expecting it,” Tessa says with a chuckle.