Remington POV
"Where did you learn to throw like that?" Alice laughed at my expression when I approached her on the baseball field. The thunk I heard when the ball slammed into Benji's mitt echoed across the park and made all of us take notice. She shook her head, shrugging, but I saw her blush even in the dim light of dusk.
Liss knew she had talent but didn't want to show off.
Benji was like the Energizer bunny today in spite of how busy we had been plus his cast and the crutches plus boot combo he had to deal with. I could tell Liss was exhausted and eager to collapse in bed but he needed this extra adventure after dinner so of course she went along to tie up a great day for her brother.
"Had to learn how to pitch so I could help that one become the best catcher they'd ever had," she grinned, nodding toward Benji before tossing the ball to me and stepping aside. "Go for it."
My pitch was far softer than hers and I heard laughter from my dad and Jesse when it pitifully hit Benji's glove. He hollered and teased me before throwing the ball back to me. I thought I heard him say something about how he'd call me a girl but that would be mean to his sister. Liss grinned, fixing my posture a bit, then stood back so I could try again. I felt a difference this time and continued to change how I threw, altering my pitch and trying new hand holds as well based on Benji's directions to try for a knuckleball he was dead set on teaching me.
We spent about an hour at the park, tossing around the baseball and chasing fireflies. Liss and Benji clearly had this down to a science and were well versed at their own catch rules. My dad and I agreed we would have to get new mitts for ourselves to participate properly but borrowing from Benji would work for the time being. Jesse said he had one at his folks place somewhere in the garage and promised to go dig that as well as his old bats and other gear out of their storage unit.
By the time it was too dark to see the ball we realized we should make our way back. Thankfully there were plenty of street lights plus it was a short walk, so I reached my hand for Liss as we walked down the sidewalk. She smiled, "Shall we?"
I nodded, "We shall. I'm exhausted."
Alice's eyes grew wider and she nodded faster along with me, her voice lower, "He has always had tons of energy, but I really did think maybe the crutches would slow him down a little." Her face was drawn and tired, dark circles more noticeable today than before.
I pulled her closer, "So, plans for tonight?"
She let one of her long, happy sighs, "Warm caramel brownie with a glass of milk to wash down my pain meds while we probably watch a movie or something similar. You?"
"Same. Can't wait. We probably should have been taking the pain meds all day, right?"
Alice shrugged, stepping carefully over sidewalk cracks as she walked which made me smile. "I mean, I guess? They said it's up to us when we need it." Her eyes met mine and I saw a glimmer of concern, "I don't want to take this stuff too much and get hooked so I'd almost rather wait until night time."
"Just take two pain pills and fall asleep while you're buzzing? " I asked, laughing.
She giggled, hopping over another sidewalk line, "I mean, I had some awesome dreams in the hospital thanks to those meds. It was not a bad time at all." We approached their house and she looked around the quiet neighborhood, surprised, "Wow, that was a fast walk!"
"You really are close to everything here," I commented. The house was in the middle of their street and I did not know many people that lived nearby besides Jesse, but had a feeling there were other old friends lurking that I would become reacquainted with soon.
Alice let out a sigh, "Gorgeous night?"
Her question made me laugh and she joined, continuing, "I don't know why I asked that as a question. It's in the seventies and has been stunning all day. Of course it's gorgeous."
I grinned, sliding my arm over her shoulders and leading her to the porch, "Oh, Liss. Your brain needs a break."
She nodded, "I feel like all I've done the last few months is think."
"How long ago did you two decide to move here?"
"About a year, so every day has been spent doing something regarding the move whether that means packing or research or whatever."
My jaw dropped at her answer and I stopped before we were at the porch. Alice turned and looked at me with a curious look on her face. "What?"
I stuttered a minute, "I mean, I guess... I don't know..." Liss laughed at my flustered expression while I kept talking, "I just... you literally have been overthinking like this constantly for a year?"
"Try twenty two years, but yeah." Her dull tone made me laugh but I knew she was serious. Alice let out a sigh and sat down on the porch steps, taking a sip of her water. "I'm so glad we picked a good location. Benji will be all over town in no time once he's out of that boot. At least that's one less thing to worry about now, that we have a house and we are moved in." She leaned back on her elbows and studied me a minute while I shifted my weight between my feet. "So, how do you feel, Remi?"
I shrugged, "About?"
"Being out of the hospital."
I moved next to her and plopped down, letting out a grunt which made her giggle, "Good. I know I'll feel better after I get a hot shower and my pain meds. Maybe I'll get a snack, too." I nudged her with my shoulder, smiling, "My dad's exhausted so he won't be awake for long. I'm gonna try to just take things a day at a time so I don't get overwhelmed. Feels like the best way to go."
Lissy nodded, her head dropping further than usual which showed me how tired she was. I yawned and saw her do the same as the lights of a car came down the road.
Jesse pulled into the driveway while we chatted and I stood, "See ya in the morning?"
She opened her mouth like she was going to say something, then paused, before finally speaking up. "Hey... uhh... What sounds good for breakfast?"
I hummed, shrugging as I backed away toward the car, "I mean, you got that really good beef bacon and I saw your Belgian waffle maker..."
Alice while she stood and walked toward me, "Deal. See ya in the morning, Remi!"
Benji and I passed each other as he made his way to the house and I patted his shoulder, saying a quick "Good night, Benj," before continuing to the car. The exhaustion was painful by the time I sat in Jesse's backseat, to the point where I struggled to get out of the car when we got home.
Jesse parked in the driveway and stepped out along with me. Our eyes met, and he asked, "So, how should we do this?" before letting out a big yawn.
I laughed, clapping him on the shoulder, "You need to go to bed as bad as I do, man! You worked all day and were up early plus played chauffer."
"If you can get the chair together for me I'll be just fine, boys," my dad said as he opened the passenger door and pivoted himself around so his feet were on the ground. "The ramp is no problem when I'm alone and I can manage. Remi won't have to help much when he is still healing as well."
I smiled at Jesse and started putting the chair together, following my dad's directions and getting my backpack from the car. We said our goodbyes and after a few minutes had my dad settled in the house.
It was so different from what I remembered.
We moved into this place after mom left us but less than a year after Reese died. The three bedroom house was the perfect place - close to school for me and just right for my dad to have a home office. It was all one level with an attic that I knew was crammed with boxes of baseball cards and old photo albums.
The place was a bit further out than most of town but still close enough so I could run to Alice and Benji's house without any issue. My usual running route in Atlanta is a 5k path and their house is barely more than that distance from our house. Most of this town looks the same but it was nice to see more developments further out past where our place was, especially since that meant bigger stores and more to do. The two screen theater had expanded to include ten screens and an additional drive in theater, plus newer technological advancements like electric car charging areas and wireless internet available in entire stretches of the downtown area.
Oh, shit... what restaurants do they have now? Maybe it's a good idea to scout those out for your first date with Alice...
I smiled when I thought about where to take her for dinner and made a note to do a little digging into the new downtown hot spots when I had a chance.
It was weird to be back, especially since it felt so different now.
We made our way inside and I dumped my backpack in my room before heading to the kitchen. My dad wheeled himself into the spacious living room and started sorting through the mail, shuffling papers and pulling out a couple items he must need to address.
"You good if I get a shower?" I asked after grabbing us each a glass of water and setting his on the dining room table next to a stack of mail.
He nodded and looked up, "Of course. Make yourself at home, son. This is your place as much as it's mine. I'll get changed then just be watching television."
I smiled and made my way back to my bedroom. My suitcase was thrown on the bed where I left it this morning. Dana drove us here after we left the hospital, most likely hoping we would stay and relax for awhile, but was extremely unhappy when she learned all I had to do was dump my stuff at the house before heading to Alice's.
After digging fresh clothes from my bag I took a look around my bedroom.
Everything was exactly as I left it when I last stayed here during college.
The cork board on the wall was organized with certificates and photos. I laughed when I saw a random candid shot of Dana and I from college, especially when I realized it was a picture I had never seen before. I recognized it from a party at her sorority and knew it must have been taken by one of her friends, but the fact that it's in my room made me cackle.
That bitch must have brought this photo one day when she was here to help dad and put it on my cork board in my bedroom just to make sure I saw it... what a manipulative, gaslighting move... wow...
I took a photo with my cell phone and made a mental note to show it to Liss when I told her about Dana.
This little event would be a good indicator to her of the kind of girlfriend Dana was when she and I were a couple.
In high school she had a California dream about going to the coast and becoming an actress. She studied theater and singing, even did ballet, but just never had the talent or motivation to really succeed. Her attitude also sucked, but the biggest issue was how selfish Dana was in every decision she made. Even her choice to be a nurse was selfish. She spent her days in home health care but used it as a way to get attention from others by wearing scrubs 24/7 and using her badge to get complimentary coffee all the time.
My memories of our relationship were not completely terrible, but the majority of our time together was exhausting. It was always about me giving and Dana taking. I had a ton on my plate in high school with sports but she never once came to any of my games to support me. Just remembering that fact brought back visceral anger at how stupid I was to think she could ever be what I needed long term.
I grinned, thinking about all the moments I spent with Alice over the last few days and how thoroughly selfless she was in that time.
After taking a quick shower and changing clothes I wandered back into the living room and found my dad. He was falling asleep in front of CNN so I whipped up a ham and swiss sandwich then grabbed my pain meds.
"Thanks for stocking up the fridge for me," I set down a bottle of Arctic Cherry Gatorade on the end table next to my sandwich after falling onto the couch. The fridge and freezer were full of my childhood favorites like sports drinks, pizza rolls, and nacho toppings. His effort was appreciated even though I ate far differently and enjoyed salads and veggies as an adult. He was well aware of this fact after visiting me so much in Atlanta but I had a feeling this was an excuse for him to get away with having junk food around
My dad watched as I swallowed my meds and dug into my sandwich, laughing as I ate the whole thing in a couple bites then went back to make another.
"May as well grab one for me, also!" He hollered from the living room while I was in the kitchen. I laughed, doing as requested, and bringing us each a sandwich when I returned.
My dad passed me the remote so I flipped over to ESPN for some sports updates then caught a replay On Demand of Pardon the Interruption. It felt nice to let my brain just zone out after being so busy and overstimulated in the hospital for days on end.
"So..." my dad started, but then paused. I waited and laughed after he didn't say anything further for a minute. He groaned, "Fine, okay, I just... Remi, are you sure you want to go to Alice's tomorrow."
"Of course." I answered, sitting up a bit straighter. "Why wouldn't I want to go there?"
"I just want to make sure you have time to heal, son. That's all."
His gentle tone reassured me and I smiled, "So it's not that you object to Alice as a possible girlfriend or... like..."
My dad beamed, "Absolutely no objections there. She is lovely, inside and out." He paused again, letting out a long sigh, "She reminds me so much of Clara."
I tilted my head, "Who?"
My mom's name was Diane. She and I speak once in awhile via Facebook. Their divorce was clean cut when she left and finalized quickly but in the end she wanted nothing to do with me.
He smiled, pulling a journal from his side table and passing a photograph to me. I saw a black and white photograph of my dad with a beautiful blonde woman, smiling at each other. They looked so young that I was instantly confused. My dad had joy in his eyes that I haven't seen probably ever.
A look of pain crossed my dad's face but he spoke softly, "Son, I never wanted to have to admit this to you, but I'm a weak man. I was not faithful to your mother. I made many mistakes when I traveled for work but Clara... she was never a mistake." He had a wistful look of love on his face when he said her name and looked toward the photo in my hand, "She was... Remi, she was just special. The world was just brighter when she was around."
His eyes met mine and I heard a plea in his voice that I don't remember ever hearing before.
There were so many questions in my head but only one broke through.
"Did mom know?" My eyes met his and he nodded.
"It's why she left. I finally told her."
"She didn't leave because of me?" Confusion washed over and I saw the same on his face at my words.
"Why would your mom abandoning us after your brother died have anything to do with you?" The question sounded so simple but had tortured me for years. He continued, "Remington, do you actually believe that ... that she left ... because of you?"
"Reese died because of me so of course." My answer was clear and he sat back in his seat like I had punched him.
Silence.
Complete silence.
I opened my mouth to speak but he stopped me, "No. Just... no." My dad sat forward and raised his hand with each word to punctuate just how serious he was. "No, I cannot allow this to happen for another second. This. Is. Not. Your. Fault. It has never been your fault."
All I could do was nod and allow the words to wash over me.
They didn't sink in or absorb.
I just listened as he continued, talking about how marriage is difficult but they tried for years.
How he cheated on and on while he was away for work but Clara is the only one who was long term. Dad said she was his one true love but he broke things off a couple months before Reese died since he knew it would ruin his marriage.
"I had to choose between you guys and your mom or Clara. I chose all of you... but then..." his voice trailed off and I felt a deep sense of sadness at the pain he was sharing with me now.
Reality sank in after a moment, though, and the acrid taste of bitterness crept over my tongue. I spit out the words like they were poison, "So, do you regret your choice?"
Silence.
This time I knew the answer was one I did not want to hear.
I blinked back tears, allowing myself to process all I now knew about my father.
When I looked up, his eyes were trained on the ground but he spoke sharply. "Remington? She's gone. I found out, years ago. She died. So... in the end.... I'm alone, just like I was supposed to be." The sadness in his words was stifling, but more than that I felt a deep sense of regret.
He continued, "Ultimately, I got what I deserved."
I stood, stretching gently as my body tried to move after being still for awhile.
"Dad? I'm gonna go get some sleep. I love you, okay?" The words came out easier than I thought they would and were completely genuine. I placed a hand on his shoulder as I walked past and his hand gripped mine a moment.
"I love you, too, Remi. So much." His voice quaked and I caught my dad's eye, seeing a mixture of relief and pain and grief.
I smiled and squeezed his hand, "Sleep well, dad."
The walk to my bedroom was short but after so many revelations I was exhausted. My head started to get fuzzy as the pain medication kicked in and I was thankful to finally lay down. I grabbed my phone, noticing a couple texts, and grinned when I saw the messages waiting for me.
Benji sent a photograph of a random hair brush along with the caption "No exaggeration, I could not love a human baby more then I love this brush." I laughed when I read it and had no idea what he was quoting but knew it has to be from something. A quick google search told me it was a quote from "Blades of Glory," which was a hilarious movie, so I sent him a text back just saying "Benji, Help yourself to the Mane n' Tail all you want. Also, is tomorrow gonna just be Will Ferrell appreciation day? Cause I'm game."
I chuckled, moving on to the message Alice sent and smiling softly as I read her text.
Alice: "Thank you for all your help today. I'll try to save one of these brownies for you but I may end up eating the rest. Hope you get some good sleep. Gonna go crash now. XX"
I laid back in bed with my hands on my chest as I thought about what an incredible day we had.
A massive yawn crept out as I was thinking about how to respond and I realized I should reply before I shut my eyes. I typed quickly and edited fast, realizing that we were at the point where I didn't need to second guess anything. We're good, and this is just a quick note saying goodnight.
Remington: "I am glad I got to be there to help you unpack a bit. Tomorrow will be more relaxing but we need to get Benji and my dad to relax with a movie so the two of us can figure out desks and all that for the office. Sweet dreams, my Liss X"
I could almost hear the soft happy sigh she always let out before I fell asleep.
Benji: "I mean, it's your funeral, but okay..."
Remington: "Benj, would it really be THAT bad?"
Benji: "It's really nice that you want to make her coffee, but just don't be surprised if she hates it..."
I laughed and shook my head, sure that the Aero Press coffee I planned to make for Alice would be fine. My dad and I had been up at a decent hour, so I threw a few things into my bag and planned to get a ride to Alice and Benji's place when he was picked up for his appointment in a few minutes.
Dana pulled up in front of the house and parked but did not turn off the car, opting instead to load up my dad's wheelchair without even saying Hi to him or me. I was glad my dad was able to move around on his own pretty well but it was frustrating to see someone hired to do a job for us treat him poorly.
She was never that kind in general, but seeing how abrasive she is to her home health patients has been eye opening to say the least. I knew better than to expect more, but hoped my being around maybe she would be a little more conscientious. That California dream was a stupid joke when we were kids but now she whines about not being Insta Famous when she's canceled for promoting flat tummy laxative tea to underage users.
I try to steer clear of social media but caught wind of a mess she caused some high schoolers by peddling that stuff and encouraging a toxic eating disorder outbreak. Dana was directly responsible for supplying the laxative tea to the teenagers and threw a fit about being 'canceled' when in reality she was only held accountable for perpetuating lies on her Instagram about products. The entitlement of some people in this town still makes me furious, but her attitude on top of that is even worse.
"You coming along, baby cakes?" Dana asked, cooing at me. She moved closer and I backed away, hitting the wall and coughing.
"Just to Alice's. Jesse can come get me unless you're able to give me a ride. Then when dad is done with his appointments he wants to be dropped off there also, right?" Dana made a rude face and gestured to the car, allowing me into the back seat.
I knew she'd call my bluff. Jesse was working and not around to drive me over but she didn't know that. Dana didn't want me to spend time around Alice but she knew I'd find my way there eventually.
My dad smirked, "Well, I have my physical therapy appointment to get to, then some blood work I have to get done, but I should be there in time for lunch." He grinned and winked at me before shutting the passenger door and buckling himself into the car.
There was loud laughter coming from the house when we arrived. I waved at my dad and Dana as I hopped out of the car and walked up to the house, the sounds of "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" by Wham! blaring on speakers in the kitchen. Liss had the screen door open along with windows and was doing the jitterbug with Daisy on the kitchen counter while Benji rocked out on the kitchen floor.
It was an adorable scene.
Benji saw me first and laughed instantly, stopping himself and watching the girls along with me. They were in their own little world as the chorus began again and each sang "Wake me up, before you go-go!" into wooden spoons.
"Wow," was all I could think to say. Benji cackled laughing while Daisy and Alice both snapped out of their dance party and realized they were being watched.
"Hey!" Alice laughed, continuing her dance and reaching for me, "Come on! It's funner up here!"
Daisy looked embarrassed but I just shook my head at Alice, "I'm not coordinated enough for table dancing..."
Daisy snorted, while I helped both girls down from the counter a minute. "Okay so breakfast time now? The waffle batter should be ready now." Daisy commented once standing on solid ground.
"Good call, Dais," Liss said, smiling as she grabbed a clean cloth and wiped down the counters they had just been standing on. They quickly got the waffle iron set up and a batch of waffles going while also getting bacon on a pan then in the oven. I sat at the counter on a stool next to Benji and dug into my backpack, pulling out the Aero Press gear.
Alice watched me carefully and noticed what I had instantly. "No way! I have a ceramic pour over rig but these are so cool!" She leaned on the counter and picked up one of the pieces, flipping it around. "Will you show me how it works?"
"Of course. Just get me caffeinated." I grinned, yawning.
Daisy slid me a cup of black coffee, "It's just from the Mr. Coffee thing there but Liss said it's good enough."
Alice laughed and made a face, "I didn't have to add sugar." The call back to our hospital breakfast with shitty coffee that needed cream and sugar to be palatable made both of us laugh. We may not have know one another for long but we already have plenty of inside jokes.
Benji finished grabbing a few tupperware containers of fruit and sides from the fridge before finally sitting down. I noticed he was in another old faded baseball t shirt while Alice was wearing a really long gray tank top with leggings. She bent over to check the bacon and I took a good look at her ass before Daisy caught me and glared, wagging her finger at me. Benji didn't notice, at least, so the silent chastising from Doc Edwards' daughter was enough for the moment.
"You two want to split the first one?" Alice asked, sliding plates our way as Daisy got another waffle started.
Benji scoffed, "Of course we do."
"What about you?" I asked while they dished out the food and passed plates over.
Daisy laughed, "Oh, we're gonna eat."
"Lissy promised Doc Eddie that Daisy would eat well today," Benji smirked, "So Daisy mentioned she really loves filet mignon before Doc left."
Alice snorted, "It's so cute how you think that's gonna work on me."
Benji shrugged, mopping up more syrup with another bite of waffle, "Yeah, ignorance is bliss."
Daisy threw another piece of waffle at Benji's plate, splashing him with syrup and surprising him. "Who you calling ignorant? I have your sister right where I want her." She leaned over and took a piece of cantaloupe from his plate then ate it, going back to the waffle iron to check the next batch.
I chuckled at Benji's shocked expression. "Whoa," he muttered under his breath.
"You good, Benj?" I asked, sipping my coffee and raising the cup to silently toast Alice a moment.
She caught my eye and winked, sipping her own as well. "Coffee okay, Remi?"
"Really good, even though it isn't a fancy pour over." I took another drink before she handed me the plate of bacon.
I nodded, "It's awesome. Thanks again for letting me come over today."
"Of course. We're gonna be here anyway." Alice smiled, passing a few paper towels to Benji, "Seriously, we need to relax and this is perfect. Beep needs to spend some time getting his games and our DVD's organized. I'll be figuring out furniture and stuff today then doing more unpacking..." I opened my mouth to object but her eyes grew wider and she continued, "As well as relaxing and watching a Will Ferrell catalog marathon with you bozos. Sound good?"
I grinned, grabbing a few pieces of bacon, "Great, since you included the relaxing part."
Daisy passed another waffle over and Alice raised her eyebrows, "Your turn Dais?"
"Not yet, let's get a few more done first." She grinned, then rubbed her hands together. "We have our secret idea to do also."
Lissy gasped and skipped into the kitchen, excited. "Secret idea?" I asked Benji.
He nodded, "Yeah, so Daisy mentioned making ice cream sandwiches with like a homemade vanilla custard stuff that freezes and isn't too hard to bite through. I don't know. She was super excited. So they made extra batter and were gonna turn it into chocolate waffles for those."
Daisy grinned, "Yeah, it's just sweetened condensed milk and heavy cream whipped together so it's perfect for ice cream sandwiches. Freezes well but doesn't get too hard so we can make like four chocolate waffles and that will make eight of the ice cream sandwiches. You're supposed to freeze the waffles first and then later on make the sandwiches..." she rolled her eyes and let out a huff, "But no one has time for that, so we are gonna just let them fully cool and go from there."
Lissy was smiling, looking so proud as she leaned against the counter. "Best part was we have everything we need already for the recipe."
"Yep. I remembered your pantry was stocked so figured it would be easy enough to bake stuff today when I was hanging out. If I find a recipe that's really wild I'll bring stuff along," Daisy passed another waffle over while Lissy started to rifle through the cabinets for the cocoa so she could transform the batter for our dessert.
It was fascinating to watch them work together. I remembered that Daisy only just met Alice and Benji yesterday for a short time but already fits in perfectly with their vibe. She has this ability to disarm anyone nearby while also challenging you to grow and evolve. It's encouraging to watch her with Benji, especially knowing how much pressure he puts on his shoulders. Seeing them play video games against one another yesterday was an encouraging start to this friendship.
Daisy put their waffles in the microwave for a few minutes then brought them along with fresh coffee and a pitcher of orange juice. Benji and I sat at the counter, empty plates and completely full while they got settled at the kitchen table with a huge spread of waffles and fruit with bacon in front of them.
Benji shrugged then moved to the table, right next to Daisy. She passed him an empty glass and the juice, "Good breakfast?"
"Awesome. Not a bad way to christen the new house, eh Lissy?"
Alice grinned, setting her coffee down, "Oh my god, you're right! It's our first breakfast here so I'm glad we went big."
"Yeah, cold cereal would not feel right," Daisy laughed, dipping her bacon into syrup and sandwiching it between two pieces of waffle with a fried egg then eating it like a sandwich. Benji watched her with his mouth hanging open but Alice caught him and was able to get him to stop before Daisy realized he was staring.
"Your waffle sandwich idea is awesome, Dais," I nodded at her concoction, "Maybe we should do those tomorrow?"
"Hmm, or biscuit sandwiches?" She raised her eyebrows, "Ooooh, I can make an amazing salsa verde as well! Homemade biscuits with good fried eggs, some salsa? Sound good to you, Benji?"
"What? Huh?" Her question startled Benji and he jumped, spilling his juice a little. Alice and I laughed at his reaction while Daisy just passed him a napkin while smiling. "Thanks, Daisy. Yeah, biscuit sandwiches are awesome, too. Want to teach me how to make them?"
Daisy's eyes lit up, "Do you cook at all?"
"Benji does an amazing job on the grill. He makes perfect steak medium rare," Alice looked at Daisy and Benji over the rim of her coffee mug. "He's also amazing at quick stuff. Throws together really great vinaigrettes and pastas. He saved my ass so many times during college when I had study groups or class by throwing meals together and making sure I ate."
Benji looked like he was going to burst with pride in how his sister was speaking about him while Daisy just got even more excited. "Have you made homemade pasta and bolognese? Oooohh, we could do lasagna with a bechamel layer! I have never made full on homemade lasagna with homemade everything and would love to!"
Alice grinned and sat up, "Okay, let's do it. We need to prep for this and figure out how we want to do things. Pick our protein so we can braise short ribs or whatever, make the pasta on a different day, whatever it is. Plan it out and make it a whole shindig."
"Seriously? We can do this?" Benji's excitement was clear and Daisy laughed, clapping her hands as well at the news. She cheered as Alice nodded and opened a new Notes file on her phone to start getting her To Do list together.
We continued discussing the lasagna process while Daisy looked up her homemade pasta recipe and got a list of ingredients together. They worked out what they would need for groceries and time, as well as when as a target for the big meal. Benji suggested making it a big dinner about a week away so we could invite Jesse and Doc Edwards as well as my dad, as a sort of thank you for all their help. Daisy loved the idea and I could tell she was touched that his heart instantly went to finding a way to give back to her mom.
The kitchen and dining room were quickly tidied and wiped down while Benji and I watched as the girls made the whipped cream filling for our ice cream sandwiches. They put the waffle sandwiches together in pie plates then wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and shoved the whole pile in the freezer.
"I cannot wait," Daisy grinned, "These are gonna be so good. Oh! Do you have shortening?" Alice rolled her eyes at the question and Daisy continued, "Why did I even ask. Of course you do. Okay, we can make coating chocolate for these if we want to try that out."
"Ooohh, perfect, then dip these later on and it will harden into a chocolate shell!" Lissy grinned, eyes bright with excitement.
Benji shook his head, "Well, I'm excited. You two together are gonna be... a lot."
Daisy let out a happy sigh and refilled her water before grabbing her phone. "So, shall we begin at the beginning of Will Ferrell's body of work, or shall we just go for our favorites?"
"Oh, and are we including his SNL Best Of collections as well?" Liss asked, looking directly at me with a smile.
"SNL Best Of always needs to be included, of course," I stated with a firm head nod, "So why don't we start there then we can see how we feel about the movies?"
Benji grinned, "I've got a fever... and the only prescription...."
"Is more cowbell." Lissy completed.
Daisy snorted, smacking Lissy's shoulder as she passed into the living room and plopping on the couch. I was encouraged at how comfortable Daisy already was in Alice and Benji's home and just took a moment to notice how far they had already come with moving in. Small touches like framed photographs and throw blankets made everything feel warmer and more cozy anyway but it was just a vibe that you felt when Alice was nearby.
"You good?" I felt a soft hand on my arm and smiled, turning to Alice.
"Great." I sighed, deciding to be honest. "Tired. I brought my pain meds and may need to take some now." I stretched a little and winced as my side pulled.
She nodded, "Same. Benji said the same thing. We need to be way more careful."
I paused, then turned to face Alice fully. "I had a really interesting talk with my dad last night... he shared a lot with me and I feel like I need to unpack it all." Her eyes instantly became concerned but I continued, "I'm okay, Liss. I promise. Just... when we can and things are cool maybe we can sneak in the backyard and talk? He told me stuff about his marriage with my mom and I...."
Liss nodded, then leaned over and kissed my shoulder. The tender gesture made my chest swell with emotion. "Of course. I'm here for whatever you need." She hummed a moment, "How about this. Let's relax for a bit and let breakfast settle while you help me shop for desks online. Then maybe after lunch we'll have a chance to talk? I promise I want to know everything, I just also want to give us time to chill."
"Perfect. Just perfect." I laughed, "Funny, I was so stressed out when I talked to him last night about this and now..."
"Now?" She asked with a question in her gaze. I shrugged, "Now I can just ... Ahhhh...." I let out a long breath and Alice grinned.
"Good. I'm glad you can just leave any of that extra stress at the door when you walk into my house." Her phrasing made me smile and I looked at the front door, imagining an actual physical suitcase I left on the porch that says "My dad is a cheater." Not ideal, of course, but it helped me compartmentalize a bit and was a good reminder that I'm somewhere safe and can trust Alice.
We moved into the living room and crashed on the sectional couch, passing blankets and pillows until all four of us were curled up and had settled in comfortably. The arrangement was cozy, side tables with drinks and cell phones plugged in while all four of us also brought our laptops and had them plugged in and set up in the room.
Daisy threw Benji the remote and he caught it with his cast hand. "Oh my god! How did you do that! It's magic!" She exclaimed, even gripping her hand to her chest. "The remote was just snatched out of thin air!"
Benji shook his head while laughing silently, scrolling through the Amazon Prime selection list and selecting the SNL Best Of Will Ferrell.
Alice grabbed her laptop and started scrolling Amazon for desks, pointing out styles she liked quietly while I gave my opinion. We found a pair of dark stained desks that were perfect for the dining room and ordered those as well as an ottoman and new stools for the counter. It was great that the rental house came furnished but also left a few things to be desired so I knew Alice had her eye on a few other creature comforts to make the house even more their own.
She added the gear for Aero Press coffee to her order quietly and nudged me, whispering, "You good with showing me how?"
I nodded, "Of course. When the pot of coffee is gone I'll make us each a cup also and walk you through it."
"Shhh!!" Benji shushed us harshly, spitting on Lissy in the process while she shied away from him.
Daisy laughed at his dramatic reaction, "You're so funny, Benji."
He blushed and gave an "Aw, shucks" type reaction before Alice paused the TV then stood and moved to the kitchen.
"Dais, ice cream sammy time?"
Daisy nodded quickly and hopped off the couch, throwing her blanket onto Benji in the process. We laughed and followed with our now empty cups to get refills. I grabbed sodas for Alice and myself as well as glasses of water. Benji did the same for himself and Daisy, attentively making sure her water and iced tea were both full and that her blanket was folded nicely on her seat when she returned.
"Uhhh these are huge..." Alice's eyes were huge when she lifted the waffle mass from the pie plate as she and Daisy began laughing. It was larger than a deep dish pie and at least four inches thick, the whipped cream custard holding shape but clearly fluffy and perfect as a filling for this dessert. She lifted a piece and broke into laughter, "I think we can cut each piece in half again, Dais..."
Daisy nodded, then grabbed a knife and set it on a cutting board for Alice. They took half the waffle sandwich then wrapped the rest and tucked it back in the freezer. The half waffle sandwich remaining was massive but they easily cut it into four pieces. Clearly the dessert needed more time to freeze but none of us actually cared at this point. It was more about the process and less about the end result.
Daisy grabbed four plates and slid a piece on each, "Okay, maybe we just go for it like this then we can add sprinkles or walnuts or chocolate next time? I mean, we also need to actually freeze the waffles next time, too, since that's another step we skipped." She raised her eyebrows and picked up her piece. "What should we toast to?"
"To world peace!" Benji offered, thrusting his piece of ice cream sandwich into the center of our circle.
Lissy shook her head, "Ohh, Beep. Why don't we start smaller? To a good day."
I grinned, tapping Lissy's sandwich with mine, "I like that. To a good day."
"Manageable?" She nodded, taking a bite, "Oh, shit. These are incredible, Daisy!"
Daisy grinned, "We will have to play with this idea some more."
Benji had already grabbed another quarter of the waffle sandwich out of the freezer and cut it in half. He handed me a portion with a smile, "This way we've each had an official quarter of a waffle ice cream sandwich. For science."
"Control groups are really important." Daisy nodded solemnly.
Alice agreed, "Fair point. They can show us what happens when you eat a normal size piece..."
I devoured my second portion but within a couple bites realized why the girls were only nibbling. The ice cream mixture they made for this dessert was fluffy and light but deceptively rich. Benji finished his fast and looked proud of himself before reality sank in but I was not so lucky.
"Liss?" My eyes met hers and she instantly started laughing at the nauseous expression on my face. I set down the rest of my second piece, "I think I need to be done."
Benji popped the remaining few bites into his mouth and shrugged while I groaned. He laughed, "Dude, you just, like, stalled out. Burned your own clutch."
I nodded, "Yep. Shit catches up when you get old, Benj."
Daisy handed me a glass of water while chuckling while I clutched my stomach. I was sore anyway from surgery and she got a look of concern when she connected the dots. "Do you need to sit down? Let me grab your meds for you..." Daisy grabbed my arm and tried to help me move to the couch but I stopped her.
"I'm good, but thanks Daisy. If you could grab my backpack for me that would be awesome." She nodded and moved into the dining room where I left my back tucked in a corner. Daisy came back and dropped it on the counter so I could dig in and grab my pain meds.
Alice handed me an ice pack while I grabbed two pain pills and swallowed them with some water. I nodded thanks and gingerly put the ice on my side, wincing at the cold.
Benji crutched out of the room a minute while we got settled back on the couch but returned with a heating pad. Daisy instructed me after texting her mom to switch to heat anyway so Liss put the ice away and thanked her for checking in.
"I may not know things, but I am not afraid to ask questions," Daisy grinned, curling up with a blanket on the couch while Benji cued up "Blades of Glory."
"I love that. You're adaptable and willing to learn. It's a good attribute to have," Liss took pain meds as well and settled in next to me, leaning against my shoulder with a yawn.
Benji turned to us and grinned, "Ready for the glory that is Chazz Michael Michaels and Jimmy MacElroy?"
I nodded, the pain meds beginning to work already while the movie began.
Everything was falling into place.
Maybe I can finally relax and find some happiness now.
Author's Note
If you want info on making ice cream sandwiches this way, I am a big fan of Binging with Babish (Andrew Rea) on Youtube. The channel has been renamed Babish Culinary Universe but I highly recommend if you're a fan of cooking, humor, geeky stuff, and enjoy pop culture references. He takes food that is seen in movies and television then recreates it for his main show but also does other side shows about cooking and life. One of the series' he does on his channel is called Basics with Babish, where he deep dives into a food and shows different ways to make that item. He did an Ice Cream sandwiches episode of Basics using cake-y waffles and a whipped cream type custard as the filling that looked incredible! It was a super easy recipe so I knew for a fact that would be the sort of dessert they would quickly throw together with a couple things Alice had on hand.
Thank you for your patience as I upload when I am able. The chapters are much longer now than they were before but I just go based on what I need to cover in the story so that will continue to fluctuate depending on what the plot needs. Previously they were around 2,000 words on average but lately they've been well over 6,000 per chapter (this one is just barely shy of 8,000). The story needs more depth so that's what I'll give it- I appreciate you working with me as I keep pouring what I feel Alice and Remington deserve into this piece.
Thank you all for your love and support!
X Lizzy