Mason enters first. He assesses the floor littered with shoes, Zoe’s play kitchen stacked with various wooden pots, pans, and cups in the corner, and the bookshelves bulging with too many chapter books.
“Ladies.” He nods, folding his thin arms across his T-shirt. “Carol, this place is messy.”
“Mason, that’s not nice,” Lee scolds.
Carol laughs. “Sorry, bud. Zoe isn’t as neat as you are, I’m afraid.”
“You should tell Zoe that it has been scientifically proven that if you are messy as a child you will be messy as an adult. You’re training her to think this is normal.” He motions to the mess. “Is this normal?”
Carol nods. “I’m afraid so. This is, in fact, normal.”
The ladies smother their laughter as Mason dramatically steps over strewn toys to get to the patio door.
“Oh my God, I love him so much, I could cry,” Grace says, wiping away tears.
Noah lifts his hand. “Messiness aside, it’s nice to see you all again.”
They say their hellos, and Lee approaches Noah. “How did it go?”
“Really well. Mason now knows everything there is to know about sperm whales. And Komodo dragons.”
“Wonderful.” She laughs. “I’m sure that will come in handy someday.”
“Why don’t we head outside?” Carol asks. “What can I get you to drink, Noah?”
“A beer would be great. Or whatever you have.”
They step onto the deck, and Carol makes the proper introductions. Carol checks on Charlie and the food and yells to the kids that Mason is here.
She’s been taught to announce him. Lee appreciates it, even if Mason doesn’t engage. The girls keep playing, but Luca comes running and waves.
“Hey, Mason. Want to come play?”
Mason rocks to his toes and thrusts two fingers of each hand into the pockets of his navy pants. “Did you know that the largest lizard is the Komodo dragon? It grows up to ten feet long and weighs a hundred and seventy-six pounds.”
“Oh.” Luca looks to his mother for help. “Dragons are cool.”
“They are total carnivores and eat deer, snakes, pigs, fish, and water buffalo. Adults are cannibals and even eat their own species.”
Luca looks alarmed. “They eat other dragons?”
“Hey, Mase. Let’s maybe cool it on the facts,” Noah suggests.
“Yes,” Mason says emphatically. “In fact, nearly ten percent of their diet is made up of their own newly hatched Komodo dragons.”
“They eat their own babies?” Luca whispers. “Sick.”
“They do eat their own babies. They even—”
“Okay, okay. Time to play,” Lee says.
Luca shrugs and bounces back to the swing set, where the girls take turns sliding before seeing who can climb the ladder the fastest. Mason edges into the backyard, as if dipping a toe into an icy pool. He slinks toward the swing set, stops, and makes a beeline for the garden instead. Lee opens her mouth to warn him not to step on any of the flowers, but Carol anticipates what she’s going to say and drapes a hand on her arm.
“He’s fine. He can’t hurt anything. I showed him where he can and can’t step. He’s always great at following directions.”
She had? When? Lee looks for Noah. He is speaking animatedly to Grace. Her best friend holds her thermos to her lips and lowers it. Noah leans in almost affectionately, and Grace laughs at something he says, her fingers near his forearm. A stab of jealousy disrupts the moment. Why is Grace allowed to touch him, but he rebuffed her so blatantly when she tried to get close? She knows it’s not the same thing; she’s essentially Noah’s boss. And she wants her friends to get to know Noah. That’s the entire reason she invited him. Plus, Noah and Grace have known each other for years. So why is she so bothered? Nothing has changed … except her own feelings. She brushes away the envy as Grace walks over, and the women fan in a semicircle on the deck. The men finally join them, beers in hand.
“So, let’s finalize this trip, ladies!”
The guys groan, everyone except Noah, as the women launch into lavish detail about the massages they will have, the hikes they will take, and the utter kid-free relaxation.
“And you’re leaving us poor, defenseless men to take care of these little monsters? The inhumanity!” Fred exclaims.
Carol turns to Noah with a timid smile. “And you’re okay with staying?”
“Of course.” He nudges Lee with his elbow. “We’ve already discussed it, right?”
Lee looks into his eyes. “We did.”
“Yay, it’s settled then,” Alice exclaims. “We’re all going. Our first girls’ trip without kids. It’s a miracle.” She glances at her watch. “And it only took about a hundred years to get here.”
Carol narrows her eyes at Alice. “The real miracle will be if you don’t overpack. We are taking one car, which means one suitcase per person.”
“What? I don’t overpack, do I?” Alice asks. She flattens a hand against her chest.
“Oh, please. You are the definition of overpacking,” Grace adds.
“So, I won’t overpack.” She makes an X over her heart. “Cross my heart.”
“And hope to die?” Lee teases.
“Oh totally,” she says. “Hope to die.”
Fred jumps in to change the subject. A few minutes later, Lee glances to the sliding glass door. When did Mason go inside?
He stands, forehead flattened against the panes, arms and legs splayed like a starfish. She waves to him, and he stares back, not blinking, frozen, a complicated child lost in a set of thoughts she can’t possibly comprehend.
Lee thinks about the trip, about leaving her little boy, and something catches in her chest. She truly wants to go, needs to give herself a break, but can’t imagine being away from him for even one night. She studies her friends, their lightness almost infectious. She tips her head to the sky and takes a cleansing breath.
She glances at Noah, who is laughing at something Grace said. The trust she has for him … it is unparalleled. She should go. She deserves some fun.
He will take good care of her son.