one summer at the lake house | #Wattys2016 #tbpa2016

VI. her

h e r s a t u r d a y;

Dinner had gone surprisingly smooth. Embarrassing stories were exchanged along with some laughs. Edison and I were each allowed one glass of wine at the dinner table. I was on edge most of the dinner because of the fact that Jackson was basically breathing down Edison's neck but he didn't seem to notice. He was too focused on me.

   "Ice cream!" Dillion cheered, his chin smeared with mash potatoes.

   I laughed as I continued clearing everyone's plates from in front of them. "Alright booger," I told him with raised eyebrows, stopping to wipe his face with his bib.

   "What a cute little nick name!" Mrs. Baker cheered, smiling in my direction.

   Mr. Baker quickly followed up by saying, "We tried calling Edison the Cookie Monster when he was younger but he loved his name too much. Our little Einstein." His wife nodded in agreement.

   I looked over to see Edison run his palm down his now red face and grumble things into his flesh. I couldn't help but giggle at how cute he would become when he was embarrassed.

   "He loved his sweets but he felt so cool being called Edison, named after Thomas Edison of course," His father added with a triumphant smile.

   Pop found this a great time to mention, "Lo is named after her grandfather on her mom's side. Jackson's a junior and Dil was my wife's favorite from The Rugrats. I had never met a grown woman who enjoyed a cartoon until her!"

   "Whatever Pop" –I placed the dishes in the sink– "Mom told me that you thought if you gave me a boy's name it'd make me tough, you wanted all boys!" I laughed.

   "Not true! But you're a damn good athlete so I'm not gonna complain!" Pop chuckled.

   I took a homemade chocolate cake and ice cream from the fridge. I served everyone a slice of cake and two scoops of vanilla ice cream. I found the time to bake the cake when Dillion went down for a nap the day before. He had been pestering me about playing with him that I barely had time to help Pop prepare the dinner we had just finished.

   I took my seat across from Edison and smiled at him. He quickly returned the gesture, we had barely spoken the entire dinner. We spent most of our time keeping our families in check.

   "So Edison where do you go to school?" Jackson asked before biting into half of his cake. I narrowed my eyes in his direction, he was going to start pushing my buttons and I was in no mood.

   Edison shrugged nervously saying, "Prospect. I'm about an hour from home."

   Jackson hummed lightly as he leaned back in his seat. "Oh Lo haven't you competed against Prospect? How far was it, six or seven hours?"

   I glared at my brother wanting nothing more than to clock him in the ear like I had done the night before. I had to just enjoy the sight of his swollen ear as I replied, "Yea just about."

   "Seems a little far for" –Jackson motioned between Edison and myself– "whatever you two are calling this."

   "Jackie?" Pop asked nudging his son. He was sitting across from Dillion at the other end of the table but right beside Jackson. Pop turned his attention to the Bakers, "I apologize for this idiot. He doesn't know how to hold his tongue, gets it from his mother."