“Yeah, just about a change in meeting times for the support group.” He gestures with a nod toward Brad as he heads down the stairs to join the others on the lawn. “What did he want?” he asks when we’re alone.
I lean into him, comforted by his warmth and strength. “He said he wanted to talk.”
“I won’t leave you alone again.”
“It’s okay, I told him I have nothing to say.”
“I’m still not leaving you alone.” He slides his arm around my waist. “Let’s go have some fun.”
We make our way to the lawn, and all my aunts, uncles, sisters and husbands and their kids are paired up—the littlest ones are in strollers or their parents’ arms, of course. My mom hands out the homemade cards with her written instructions for the games, and smiles at us all. She loves having everyone home and I’m really glad I came.
“We have a series of tests,” she explains, and I glance around to see obstacle courses set up. They do it differently every year. This time it looks like we have to climb through a tube, swing across bars, and build something, although I can’t figure out what it is until I glance at the card.
“A marshmallow launcher,” Callan says with a laugh. “What is that?”
“I guess we’ll figure out when we reach it.”
“Oh, look a hacky sack juggle,” Nicole says to her husband Adam. “Your soccer days are going to help with that one.”
“You’ll have to take that one, too. I can’t juggle anything,” I say to Callan. “Looks like we finish off with a scavenger hunt. Some fun search clues here.”
“Your family really gets into this,” he says with a frown.
“You don’t want to play?”
“No, I do. I just wish Kaitlyn was here. She’d love this.”
“Next year we will bring her, and until then, we could set something up like this at the Boys and Girls club,” I say and he nods, like he too is aware that there won’t be a next year for us.
“This would be a fun activity for the kids at the club,” he says, cementing the fact that yeah, there will be no next year.
But I’m not going to think about that or worry about it. Right now, we’re playing a role to get Brad off my back, and having fun with each other while we do it. Mom holds up a white flag as we all stand at the end of our tube.
“Ready, set go,” she says, and I drop to my knees to go first. I hurry through the tunnel, feeling like a kid again and when I jump from the other side, I realize I’m the last one out. For a brief second I brace myself, then realize it’s Callan I’m with and he’s not about to get me in private and belittle me. It’s just a game, for God’s sake. I actually feel sorry for the girl with Brad, even if she looked at me like she wanted to hurl me from the deck. I wave for Callan to go. He makes it through much quicker than I do. I’m pretty good on the bars, so I finish them quickly, but my sister is still ahead of me. So is everyone else.
“I have no equal,” Amanda yells, and I’m laughing so hard by the time Callan finishes the bars and we reach the marshmallow launcher, I can barely read the instructions.
“Here, let me,” Callan says. “Okay we have a cup, a pair of scissors and a balloon.” He scratches his head. “How do we make a marshmallow launcher with this?”
I stare at the supplies for a few seconds, my mind racing. “Oh, I’ve got it.” I do numerous craft activities with the kids at school and the club so this one I can figure out pretty easily. I cut the cup and the balloon. Then I knot the balloon and tug the rubber around the cup until it’s snug.
“Oh, that’s cool,” Callan says. “Smart girl.”
I beam at the compliment. Silly, I know but he makes me feel so good about myself, and I’m honestly having a blast with him, and he doesn’t really seem to care if we win or not. I like that. “Now I need to shoot three into this bucket, which you have to put on your head,” I say.
“Let’s do it the other way around. It will be harder for you because of my height.” All around me cheers and laughter ring out as the couple and kids try to beat everyone else at getting their marshmallows into the bucket. I hold mine on my head and stand behind the line marked in the grass. I lean forward a bit to make it a bit easier for Callan.
“Cheater,” Amanda calls out. “Gemma is leaning, Mom.”
“Oh my God, do you have to tell Mom everything?” I say, with a laugh.
I stand to my full height, and Callan launches the first marshmallow, hitting me right in the eyeball.
“Ow,” I say, and put my hand over my face.
He laughs. “I’m sorry.”
“You don’t sound like you’re sorry.” I shoot back and playfully give him the stink eye with my one good eye.
He tries to hide a chuckle. “No, really I am.”
“Oh, you’re one of those are you.”
He tries again and it bounces off my nose. Working hard to hide a laugh he says, “One of what?”
“You know those weird people who laugh when someone hurts themselves.”
“I am not that person,” he says, and launches another marshmallow. This time it goes into the bucket. “Got it,” he says and cheers.
“Don’t cheer yet. Amanda and David are on the move. He’s nailing that hacky sack.”
“We’ll catch up there. I’m good at it too.”
He launches a couple more marshmallows and he finally gets them all in. We drop everything and I give David a little nudge as
