Life - Message From The Past

13- The Truth

For the first twenty minutes, Harmony spoke without a break laying out the foundation of an agreement to handle Charlie. Though she ran out of steam and eventually fell asleep mid-sentence.

Gwen looked over at Jeremy. "You know, you're in trouble?"

Pizza and Ice Cream

"I know, I know." Jeremy took a deep breath. "She is the prettiest little negotiator! How can I say no to her? How do you say no to Harmony?"

"It is called a stern look." Gwen gave her best impression of a stern face by crinkling her nose and squinting. "Like this."

Jeremy burst into laughter. "Yeah, like that'll work!" He had an idea. "I think a way to soften a negotiator is with food."

"Food? Really?" Gwen returned the laughter. "Wine and dine them?"

"Harmony's a little young for wine, wouldn't you think, Mom?" Jeremy kept the conversation light. "I was thinking pizza and ice cream."

"You sure you don't have kids?" Gwen appeared to let her guard down and was actually enjoying the conversation. "Those are my go to when I need the kids to clean their rooms or I have to give them bad news."

"Charlie loves both."

"You feed Charlie pizza and ice cream?" Gwen slapped Jeremy's hand. And as soon as she did, she pulled her hand back. The mother of three gripped the steering wheel, stared out the windshield and waited for him to move the conversation along. Every once in a while she peeked to her right.

Jeremy smiled as he looked at Gwen. Not exactly certain how to take her reaction, he sat back and let time pass trying to think of a way to keep this new feeling alive. As the hour-long drive neared the end Jeremy turned to Gwen. "What do you say we have a pizza and ice cream night?"

Gwen pointed at Jeremy. "So, you are afraid of losing Charlie!" She laughed. I can hear it in your voice."

"You better believe I am afraid of losing Charlie to your daughter!" Jeremy continued. "I am hoping homemade pizza will help my case."

"Hold on partner!" Gwen raised an objection.

"Partner?"

"I have been in your kitchen, Jeremy and you are not making pizza there!"

Jeremy frowned. "What's wrong with my kitchen? And when were you in my kitchen?"

Gwen sheepishly looked straitght ahead, shrugged, then blamed Madeline. "Maddie invited me over for coffee and it smelled as if a family of rats had died there."

Jeremy thought for a moment then came to the only logical conclusion. "Pumpkin! I am going to kill him!"

"Why Pumpkin?"

"Any time I go away he treats my home like it is his own." Jeremy looked at Gwen. "It took a week to get the smell out of the house last time."

Gwen muffled a laugh. "It may take a month this time."

"Ohhhhh, you think it's funny, eh?" Jeremy tried to appear angry but couldn't hide his laughter. "So pizza at your place tonight?"

"Tonight?" Gwen seemed surprised.

"Yeah, full participation." Jeremy explained. "We can all have fun making pizza."

"My kids don't have fun making pizza. They devour pizza like a pack of wild wolves on a wounded deer." Gwen laughed as she pulled into her driveway.

"Wanna bet?" Jeremy held his hand out to seal the deal.

"You're on, Buster!" Gwen grabbed his hand and shook it hard enough to make Jeremy notice.