Cassie

 

We swung, going as high as we could, giggling at that stomach dropping feeling, and kicking at the sky until our legs gave out and we both slowed to a gentle rocking.

“What do you say you run around the park a few more minutes and then we go get ice cream?” It was breaking the sugar rule, but I thought we could get away with.

Elijah used up what was left of his energy on the playground climbing, sliding and monkey barring while I watched from one of the surrounding benches. This had been my favorite park as a kid. It was only a few blocks from Grandmama’s and not much further from the house I’d grown up in with my parents. Most of the equipment had been updated or replaced in recent years. The merry-go-round that had once existed when I was a child had been torn out completely. I was pretty sure they were obsolete these days, which was too bad.

It wasn’t long before Elijah came running over, red cheeked, his dark hair a mess of curls that hung down over his forehead and ears. “Can we go get ice cream now?”

“Sure.”

“Is it the best ice cream in the whole city?” he asked.

“How’d you know?” I grinned.

“Because you know where all the best stuff is.” He said certainly.

I couldn’t help grinning even bigger. “Let’s just text your dad and tell him where we’re going.”

“Okay.” He bounced along at my side as we walked toward my car, my thumbs fumbling over my keyboard as I typed out the message I was sure would irritate Nikolai and then sent it.

I was helping Elijah buckle himself into his seat when I felt my phone vibrate. I waited until I was in the driver’s seat before I checked his reply.

What happened to following my orders? I’m pretty sure I said no more sugar.

I turned up the volume on my favorite classic rock station and then shot off another text.

Relax. He earned it playing hard at the park.

He responded right away.

One scoop.

I shook my head and moved my fingers over the keypad.

How is anyone supposed to pick just one flavor? That’s cruel.

You haven’t seen cruel yet, pet.

I read his last response and shook my head. What was with him and calling me pet? I probably should have hated it more than I did. With a tiny grin tugging at the corners of my mouth, I set my phone aside and shifted the car into drive. “Ice cream, here we come.” I met Eli’s excited gaze in the rearview and we both sang along to the AC/DC song that was playing as we drove the short distance to the ice cream shop.

From there, we ended up at the movie theater seeing the latest animated car flick.

It was better than I’d expected, although I think I enjoyed so much because Elijah’s giggle was so infectious. Every time he laughed, I couldn’t hold back my own laughter. His reactions were so dramatic. I’d forgotten what it was like to be a kid, entirely in the moment, every emotion right there on the surface, so big and honest. I couldn’t imagine everything he’d dealt with in the past several days. This had to be so hard for him. I was glad I’d been able to give him a few hours where he could swing and eat ice cream and laugh at a silly movie.

It was nearing six when we exited the theater, and once we were both buckled back into my little Toyota, I dialed Nikolai. He answered on the second ring.

“How was the movie?”

“We had a good time. You about finished?”

“Yeah, I can meet you, or you can bring him to my apartment.”

“I’ll bring him to you.”

Nikolai spouted off the address and I typed it into my phone’s GPS even though I was pretty sure I knew where it was.

“We’ll see you in about fifteen minutes,” I told him and then we hung up.

“Ready to go to your Dad’s?” I asked over my shoulder.

“Yeah,” Elijah replied softly. A few minutes passed and then he spoke again. I had to turn the radio down to hear him. “I miss my Mom, but I missed Dad too. I didn’t get to see him all the time. He was gone for work a lot and Mom didn’t like him, but I’m glad I’m going to live with him. I thought he was going to leave me with Mike.”

“Who’s Mike?”

“My step-dad. He’s cool, but he’s not . . .”

“Your dad.”

I caught his nod in the rearview.

“I don’t know your dad real well,” I told him, “but I know he loves you more than anything in the world, and I know he’s happy you’re going to live with him.” I wasn’t lying to him. I believed those things. I may have doubted everything else about Nikolai, but I didn’t doubt that this kid was his whole world. I’d seen it in his eyes when he told me I better bring him back without a scratch.

“My dad’s the best. And you want to know a secret?” he asked, and of course I did.

“Yes.”

“My dad is a super hero, like Batman.”

“Is he really?” I couldn’t fight the grin on my face. My heart might have melted even a little more when I looked into the rearview again and saw the pride and adoration on his face. That right there was almost enough to soften me toward Nikolai. Apparently, he’d done something right to earn that look in his kid’s eyes.

“Yeah, he saves people. It’s his job. And he’s the strongest and he can beat up any bad guy.”

“It sounds like your dad is the best.”

“He is.”

“You want to know a secret too?” I asked.

“Yes,” he replied like it was silly I even had to ask.

“My dad was kind of like a super hero too. He was in the Army, and he fought bad guys too.”

“My dad was in the Army too!” Eli exclaimed.

“Yeah, he was.”

“With my Uncle Spencer. I don’t know him very well. I only met him one time, but he’s cool and he’s a super hero like Dad too. They’re like the Justice League, or the Avengers.”

“You’re right they are.”

For the rest of the ride, our conversation was nothing but super heroes and who would win in fights. Most of the time, Hulk or Batman came out on top. They were his favorites. Nikolai must’ve been for watching us, either that or he had a GPS tracker in the sole of Eli’s shoe—which wouldn’t surprise me. He appeared in the parking lot of his building moments after I pulled in. As soon as the engine was off, Eli was quick to rip the buckle free and jump out of the car.

By the time I climbed from behind the wheel, Eli was already at his dad’s side.

“Did you have a good time with Cassie, kiddo?”

“I had so much fun. She took me to the park with the best swings in the whole city. They go so high, like as high as the buildings. We were flying, and then we had ice cream and went to see a movie and it was so good. There were car chases and explosions and it was so funny. You’ve got to watch it Dad.”

“Sounds like you had a good time.” Nikolai glanced at me, and was that . . . gratitude I saw on his face? No. Couldn’t be.

“Cassie’s the coolest, Dad. Next time you have to come with us.”

“We’ll see.” When Nikolai’s gaze found mine next, my smile might have been a tad smug.

“Did you hear that? The coolest.”

“Thanks for hanging out with him today,” Nikolai said, almost grudgingly.

“Any time. I had fun.” I turned to Elijah. “I’ll see you later, buddy.” He sprinted over to me before I could turn around, and squeezed my middle. I laid my hand on his back and gave him a little squeeze back, and then he darted back to his dad’s side. “Good night, guys.” As I was walking back to my car, I heard Nikolai telling Elijah they were going to Uncle Spencer and Aunt Nora’s for dinner.

My stomach chose then to remind me that the last thing I’d put in it was ice cream. It practically rejoiced when I walked in the front door at home and smelled something garlicy.

“I’m home, Grandmama,” I called through the house, shrugging out of my jacket, and tossing my purse down.”

“In the kitchen. I’m making pasta and chicken tonight.”

I found her at the stove, stirring away, multiple pots and pans with things simmering and sizzling.

“Smells wonderful. You know I love pasta. I’m sorry I wasn’t here to help you cook.”

“That’s all right dear. Why don’t you grab the bread and throw it in the oven for me, and tell me all about this boy you were with.” She gave me a cheeky grin as if I’d been out on a date all night.

A loaf of French bread lay split on a tray, slathered in butter and garlic and parmesan. I reached for it and Grandmama pulled the oven open, so I could slide the tray in. “Everything should be ready in about ten minutes. So, the boy, tell me.”

“Well, he’s incredibly handsome and charming. His hobbies include swinging and monkey bars. He’s considering a career as an astronaut or potentially a race car driver.”

“Ah, he has ambition, I like that in a man.”

“He’s a little short, but makes up for it with a big personality. Oh, and his manners are impeccable. He’s the perfect gentleman.”

“I like the sounds of this boy. You should invite him over for dinner this week.”

“As long as dinner doesn’t run into his bedtime.”

She waved her hand as if to say bedtime shmedtime.

“I’ll have to check with his father. I think he starts school here next week.”

“Do that, and find out the boy’s favorite food. If they can’t come for dinner, I’ll make it and you take it to them.”

I promised I would and then helped her finish the dinner preparations and set the table. Even though it was just the two of us, it was important to Grandmama that when I was home, we ate at the table together.

She filled me in on the latest church gossip she’d picked up at lunch with the ladies today, and everything new in the lives of so and so’s children and grandchildren. Seemed everyone was either engaged, getting married, or knocked up.

“I’m not getting any younger you know. I’d like to have great-grandbabies before I go.”

“Yeah, well I need a man for that. One who isn’t seven years old. I don’t see that happening any time soon.” I twirled the angel hair around my fork.

“What about Johnny Yi? He moved back from college. He was at church with his mother last weekend. He went to Yale. A lawyer. He would be good match for you. Let me call his mother.”

“No, Grandmama.” I dropped my fork. “I don’t want you to set me up with Johnny Yi, or anyone else.”

“When was last time you went on a date?”

“I don’t have time for dates right now, Grandmama. I need to be looking for a job and focusing on making a career.”

She lifted her tea cup to her lips and muttered around the rim, “You marry a man like Johnny Yi and you wouldn’t have to work.”

“Did you talk to Mom today?” I changed the subject before the conversation digressed any further to he-who-shall-not-be-named, and how I needed to move on, and there are good men out there, yada-yada-yada. None of which I was prepared to listen to tonight. “I want to know how the cruise went.” My parents had gone on a cruise to the Bahamas and only returned last night. I hadn’t spoken to them yet.

“Your mother said they had good time. She also said they want us to do Thanksgiving or Christmas in Florida this year.” That preceded a fifteen-minute rant about how Florida was the least festive place in her humble opinion, and who wanted to do holidays in the tropics?

By the time she let up, and I’d promised to call my mother and try to talk her out of it, we were done eating and Grandmama was ready to catch up on the latest episode of American Ninja Warrior we’d missed. I wasn’t sure which of us was more addicted to the show.

“I think I could do that,” Grandmama stated matter-of-factly halfway through the episode.

I looked at her like she’d bumped her head and woken up in crazy town. “You think you could do American Ninja Warrior?”

“If I trained for it.”

“Grandmama, you could train a year and still not be able to get past the start line.”

“Maybe not now, but twenty years ago I was pretty spry.”

“Grandmama, I knew you twenty years ago.”

“Fine, fifty years ago I could have done that stuff.”

“Mmhmm, of course you could’ve.”

“Well, it might be too late for me, but you should do it.”

“I’m not going on American Ninja Warrior, Grandmama. You better pay attention, the handsome one with the big arms is about to go.” Of course, she thought most of them were handsome, but it worked to distract her.

An hour later, Grandmama shuffled off to bed and I tackled the mess from dinner. While scrubbing pans, my thoughts wandered in a hundred different directions. What was I going to do about my job situation? Should I have let Grandmama set me up with Johnny Yi? He wasn’t that bad. We’d gone to Sunday school and then high school together. I could do worse. Maybe I was making excuses not to get on with my life. Maybe I should just give in and go buy a cat tomorrow.

My phone started ringing on the kitchen counter. I grabbed for a towel to dry my hands quickly and then tossed it back down, hurrying for my phone. Seeing Nikolai’s name on the lit-up screen, I hesitated. Why was he calling me? Was I in trouble? What’d I do? At the last second, I slid my thumb across the screen and answered nervously, “Hello.”

“Cassie?”

“Yes.” I bit my lip.

“Are you busy tomorrow night?”

“Uhhh, no,” I dragged out. “I get off work at one.” And then I planned to go around town dropping off resumes, but I doubted that would take me long. My list of places currently hiring that were a step above the coffee shop was short.

“Could you watch Elijah again for me? I have to work and for whatever reason he seems to like you.” He said this like it baffled him. I snorted.

“Wouldn’t shut up about you all night,” he continued, this fact clearly troubling to him even though it brought a grin to my lips.

“What time?”

“Can you come at three-thirty? It will be a late night. I won’t be home until after midnight, but Nora said if you don’t want to stay that late you can drop him by her place once she’s home, and she’ll keep him until I’m off.”

“It’s fine. Friday is my day off anyway, so I can stay. One condition, though.”

“What’s that?” I could hear the suspicion in his voice.

“You have to let my Grandmother cook dinner for you guys on your next night off. And you have to be nice to me.”

“That’s two conditions, and why would I let your grandmother cook for us?”

“Because you don’t tell Korean women no.”

“Too bad. I don’t need you poisoning my food.”

“Those are my conditions though.”

“So, you’re telling me you won’t watch Elijah? Let me just put him on the phone so you can tell him that.”

Before I could utter a word, his deep voice called for his son.

“No, wait,” I sputtered, but it was too late. In the next second, a much softer and higher pitched voice came on the line.

“Cassie?”

“Hey, buddy.” Damn Nikolai.

“Are you going to come over tomorrow? I told Dad I wanted you to watch me while he goes to work. He wanted me to go stay at Uncle Cam’s and Emily’s house, but I don’t know them. I told him I wanted you. So, are you going to? Please, please, please?”

I let out a resigned sigh. “I sure am.”

“Cool. You can help me fix up my new room. Dad says we’re moving out of the apartment into a new house tomorrow. He says my bedroom is twice as big as the one here. I can’t wait to show you my collection of Legos. Do you like to build Legos? If not, we can play the Wii or the Xbox. I have all the good games.”

“Sounds perfect. Can you put your dad back on the phone and I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Sure. We’re going to have so much fun.”

At the last second, I said, “Elijah, wait!”

“What?”

“Do you want to come over to my house for dinner soon?”

“Sure.”

“What’s your favorite food?”

“Chicken nuggets. Do you know how to make them?”

“Hey, what are you two talking about?” I heard Nikolai’s voice in the background and then Elijah’s voice became more muffled.

“I’m going to go to Cassie’s house for dinner. She invited me. Want me to see if you can come too? I’m going to see if she can make chicken nuggets.”

“Just hand me the phone.”

“Okay, but you have to ask if she can make chicken nuggets.”

Nikolai’s voice was almost a growl when he came back on the phone. “Nicely played.”

“Thank you, and you can tell Elijah that I do know how to make chicken nuggets.”

“Just be here at three-thirty tomorrow.” Then he hung up. He was such a dick.

A smile pulled at my lips when I thought of Nikolai and Grandmama in the same room. I wasn’t sure which one of them would come out on top. My money was on Grandmama. You should never underestimate Korean Grandmas.

Maybe dinner would be fun.