“Oh.” Grandma continued to scan the menu. “What is
“Mmhmm.” Mom nodded.
“Those are very high in sodium. Ten dollars for a salad?” Grandma chuckled. “What—they think we won’t notice because they purposely misspell everything?”
“Keep your voice down, Mom.”
A server with hot-pink hair and lip rings approached us with a big smile. “Hey, ladies. You ready to order?”
Grandma eyed her up and down, her mouth agape. “This isn’t our waitress, is it?”
The girl’s smile instantly faded as she narrowed her eyes at Grandma. “Would you like me to find someone else to wait on you?”
“Yes, please,” Grandma muttered, focusing back on the menu.
Mom held her hand up and mouthed “Alzheimer’s.” The girl plastered another big smile on her face and nodded like she understood. “Okay, well, I’ll give you ladies another minute.” She walked over to Justin’s table to let them know their meals would be out shortly.
“She doesn’t have Alzheimer’s,” I said.
Mom kicked my shin hard enough to send an ache up my leg.
“Ow!”
Grandma was too immersed in the menu to pay much attention. “Tofurky? Goodness.”
The server returned a few minutes later. “Know what you want yet?”
Grandma squinted up at her. “You again.”
The girl offered a toothy grin. “Yup. What can I get ya?”
“Just order.” Mom rolled her eyes.
“Does this
The server cocked her head, opening her mouth slightly.
“The breast,” Grandma said louder. “Is it chicken breast meat?”
Kari let a high-pitched laugh escape before burying her head in her arms. Justin shushed her and covered his eyes with his hand. Other people were looking at Grandma now. Some with wide eyes and others on the brink of laughter.
Mom nudged Grandma. “Yes.” She mouthed “sorry” to the pink-haired girl.
“I’ll have the Chix Cobb salad. Nonfat Italian dressing on the side,” Grandma said.
Mom covered her mouth and looked away.
Kari was still picking at her food when they brought out our meals twenty minutes later. Justin slouched in his chair and folded his arms across his chest, while she talked to him with animated hand gestures. He caught me staring at him and smiled. I nibbled on a seasoned fry, letting the spicy mush sink into my throat. It didn’t have the right amount of crispness.
Grandma picked up her fork, prodding at various toppings on her salad. The prongs hovered over the egg halves for a second before she stabbed one and let it dangle off the fork. “These are pellet eggs,” she decided.
“What?” Mom nearly choked on her bite of veggie burger.
“Pellet eggs.” Grandma let the egg slice plop back onto the green leaves. “They’re like rubber. And this chicken is awful.”
Justin rose from the table, tossing a wad of cash over their check. Kari got up hesitantly, finding Grandma more interesting.
“See you later, Drea,” Justin said.
I sank lower in my chair, contemplating the many ways I could avoid going to school tomorrow.
AFTER A SERIES OF DREAMS revolving around being dressed as Barney in the boys’ locker room, I woke up in need of a plan. Or at least one less thing to be embarrassed about at school.
I tiptoed into Mom’s room after she went into the bathroom and opened the top drawer of her wooden dresser. Piles of underwear were tangled around silky bra straps. Organization wasn’t one of Mom’s strengths either. A black pair of underwear fell out, but I caught them before they hit the floor. They were thin and sheer with a black ribbon encircling the waist. Apparently, they would tie into little bows on the sides of my hips. Cute, I guessed. I couldn’t even consider the bras since they’d fall right off.
The bathroom door across the hallway creaked open, and I stuffed the underwear down my nightshirt. Mom walked in, pulling her shoulder-length hair into a ponytail and singing U2’s “Vertigo.”
“Hi, Mom,” I said, heading toward the door.
She glanced from me to the drawer I forgot to close. “What were you looking for, sweetie?”
“Nothing,” I said, eyeing the hardwood floor.
“
“I’m out of clean underwear.”
Mom shrugged. “Then we’ll have to do some laundry.”
