“Uh, guys?” I said. “Hate to break up the party, but that stuff down at the Grange tonight starts in twenty minutes. And we’re forty minutes away.”
“What’s going on at the Grange?” Kyra said.
We all looked at Mark, who was sighing and groaning to himself.
“Shit, I forgot,” Mark said. “There’s some party or something happening down there tonight.”
“Oh, well, you guys have fun,” Kyra said.
“Oh, no,” Rowan said. “You’re coming with us. Memories, remember?”
“Yeah, you really should come,” Ethan said. “It’ll be on us.”
“You can ride with me,” I said. “It’ll be fun.”
“I don’t know,” Kyra said. “I just got in, and I don’t really wanna change.”
“Why would you change?” I asked. “You look just fine. You’ll need a coat, though. Snow’s cold tonight.”
“Ha, ha, ha,” Kyra said, grinning. “So funny.”
“He tries,” Owen said.
“Fine, fine,” Kyra said. “I’ll go. Under one condition.”
“Name it,” Owen said.
“No one leaves me by myself. I used to hate it when you guys ditched me like that.”
“When did we ever ditch you?” Ethan asked.
“Multiple times at the waterhole, right in the middle of football games, after school when I’d be waiting for you guys to come outside.”
“Was there food involved in those moments?” Ethan asked. “Because if food’s involved, then heaven help you.”
“Yeah, food’s a pretty big thing in our house,” Rowan said.
“Whatever,” Kyra said. “As long as I’m not ditched, I’m game.”
“Yeah, no ditching my daughter, or her complaining will be the least of your worries,” Mark said.
“I don’t even know how I’m supposed to react to that,” Kyra said.
“Wonderful,” I said. “Then it’s settled. You come. We don’t ditch you. It’s all on Owen.”
“Hey, that wasn’t the agreement,” Owen said.
“That’s what you get for being the quiet one, Mr. I.T. Consultant,” I said.
“You run your own security consulting company, and Ethan over there makes more money turning cycles than I’ve ever seen,” Owen said.
“I’ll pay for myself, thank you very much,” Kyra said. “I’m more than capable of doing it. I have a job, you know?”
“Well, throw on a coat, or you’ll be late,” Mark said.
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were trying to get rid of me, Dad,” she said.
“I just want you to remember what it’s like to smile, sweetheart.”