Page 129 of The Man I Hate

It made perfect sense to me, too.

For the time being, that’s all that mattered.

Anna

Although the stay at home order was lifted, most of our routines remained. If nothing else, the pandemic taught us the value of doing things together, as a family.

It was our last Sunday in Sherman Oaks. In two more days, we’d be moving into our new home. As excited as I was to move to the beach, leaving the place where everything changed wasn’t going to be easy. I took every inch of the home into view, coming to terms with the fact that the next Sunday dinner would be in a different place.

Marge pressed the tines of her fork through her lasagna. “It smells wonderful, Anna.”

“She cooks a mean lasagna,” Hap said. “But it’s no surprise. She’s half wop.”

“Hap Rourke!” Marge barked. “That was uncalled for.”

“It’s okay,” I said.

“It most certainly is not,” Marge argued.

“What do you want me to do?” Hap laughed. “Apologize?”

“I don’t want an apology,” I said, glancing at Marge. “That’s just Hap being Hap.”

“Well,” Marge said, directing her disappointment to Hap. “You should refrain from calling people derogatory names.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Hap said. “When I’m exposed to public scrutiny.”

Marge shook her head in mock disgust.

It was nice to have everyone at the dinner table. I knew Marge wasn’t Braxton’s mother and that Hap wasn’t my father, but they were as close to our parents as we were going to get. Being at the Sunday dinner table was almost like I was at home in Oklahoma, on the farm.

Filled with the warmth of what only a family could offer, I checked everyone’s plate. Hap, as always, was shoveling food in his mouth like a prisoner in the institution’s chow hall. Braxton was picking at his food, but it wasn’t surprising. He’d gained all the weight that he’d lost, and then some. According to him, he needed to be on a diet. Marge was being Marge. Eating tiny bites while she talked, she made no effort to set any records regarding food consumption.

Marge dipped her bread in the lasagna’s sauce. She lifted it to her mouth. “When’s the big day?”

Before I answered, Braxton started choking.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

After coughing himself red-faced, he finally caught his breath. He reached for his wine with one hand and pointed to his throat with the other. “Went down…wrong.”

I shifted my attention from him to Marge. “We close on the home the day after tomorrow,” I replied.

“Then you’re off to Oklahoma to get your things?”

“We’ve already rented the U-Haul,” I replied. “It’ll be a fun road trip. We’re bringing back the things I can’t live without, and we’re meeting with 2 different people who are interested in buying the dealership. We’re figuring 3 days to get there, 3 days in Tulsa, and 3 to get back.”

“I’ve got the house to myself for 9 days,” Hap said, grinning a sly grin. “I’ll be watching those sunsets naked as a jaybird.”

Marge shot Hap a glare and then looked at me. “I hope the sale goes well.”

“Me, too,” I replied. “It’s sad and exciting at the same time. Closing one chapter and opening another.”

The thought of selling the dealership was disheartening. It was my life’s accomplishment. I glanced at Braxton. Losing the dealership allowed me to gain a partner for life. It was a trade I’d make 1,000 times over.

Marge nibbled at her bread. “You can always start another dealership here. If that’s your desire.”

“I know. I’m not sure what I’ll do. For now, I’ll be decorating the new home. There are bedrooms galore.”