Mary and Halley (sequel to When Mary Met Halley)

twenty one

We put the kids to bed and I called Hazel's rehab to find out what the hell was going on. They told me she had a pass for the day and night and assured me she was passing the random drug testing. I told them they were mistaken, and they gave me false assurances and platitudes, and I ended the conversation because it was going nowhere.

I went back into the living room. Leif was in the big chair with a sleepy Paramjeet, whose top half was laying on a pillow across his lap as he braided her hair. "Hi," she said morosely when she saw me. The teens were cleaning up in the kitchen, at Nate's insistence. 

I liked that kid more and more every day.

"Hey, welcome back to the world," I told her gently as I sat on the couch next to my girlfriend, who fell across my lap in much the same position as Paramjeet.

"So tired," Halley groaned. 

"So full, you mean," Leif corrected, patting his stomach with the hand not holding the braid. "Not that you did more than pick at your food, Rapunzel. But me? Oh my God, I may never eat again."

"Yeah right; you'll be in the pie within ten minutes, watch," I countered. 

"I might be, in the cherry one at least," he admitted, licking his lips and correcting a mislaid strand. "And the apple. Mayyybe a little pumpkin. Wait, is there pecan?"

I ignored him and finger-combed the gold tresses under my own hand, eyeing Paramjeet. "You hungry at all?"

She shrugged. "Maybe in a little while." 

There was a burst of laughter from the kitchen and we heard Nate singing. "Be our guest, be our guest, put our service to the test! Tie your napkin 'round your neck, cherié, and we'll provide the rest." His sidekicks joined in with exaggerated French accents to match his. "Soup du jour, hot hors d'oeuvres, why, we only live to serve, try the grey stuff, it's delicious! Don't believe me? Ask the dishes!"

We all had to smile at them as they continued it for another verse. Noah had plugged in the air mattress in the teens' room after refusing Nate's offer of the new bed. The three beds now took up the room wall to wall, serving to remind me that we really needed a bigger house. "This house is too small," I mused aloud. One of the Fast and the Furious movies was on, the volume low since no one was really watching it.

"We need a mansion. Ooh, or a hotel," Leif enthused. He was done with Paramjeet's hair and was looking at his phone. "We could totally use a hotel."

"Um, no," Halley said sleepily, her voice a little raspy, which was hot. She'd gotten up at five to start cleaning and cooking and hadn't woken me up until almost nine. I was so spoiled. I shuddered to remember what life had been like before her; luckily I could barely recall. "Who would even clean that? And I don't think we need to encourage you whoring around, but nice try."

"Ohh, she's got jokes, kids." He made a face. "Funny lady. Whatever, dude. We could use some of the rooms for like homeless people, that's up your alley." He finger shot me. "And, like, injured crows and shit. The siblings could have their own floor, it'd be perfect."

"You're high," she assured him, her eyes closed now. "Mmm," she said about my fingers in her hair. 

"True," he allowed, eyebrows going up as the teens went by; Joey with two plates full of desserts leading Nate, who was giving Charlotte a piggy-back ride, with Noah bringing up the rear carrying sodas and another plate of pie. 

Paramjeet sat up and Joey stopped abruptly so that Nate ran into him. "Dude!" he exclaimed.

But my little brother was distracted by the little crush he'd always had on my beautiful friend. "Hey, Paramjeet," he said casually, and we all cringed a teensy bit inside for him.