"Mellow Mushroom!" the girls yelled in unison.
Caitlin, Traylor, Chris, and Caitlin's dad were on their way back from the outlet mall north of Atlanta. Steve had offered to take them out for dinner after a long day of Christmas shopping. The pizza restaurant was a chain, but each restaurant had murals painted on the walls, most of them looked as if they were created while the artist was high. They pulled into a location on the way back to the city.
Chris talked his way into going, not with Caitlin, but with Traylor. He'd apologized to both of them with takeout and beer, three different times. He'd said he was drunk. Caitlin was hesitant, but allowed him back into her life in a different sort of capacity. As they walked through the parking lot of the strip mall, Traylor and Caitlin's dad paired off chatting about Traylor's job. Chris walked with Caitlin, they were both silent. He bumped into her with his shoulder and she smiled, tired from having shopped all day.
She bumped his shoulder with hers. Chris opened the door for them all and they waited to be seated. Talking mushrooms living in a cartoon world jumped from one wall and the other was an abstract mass of colors swirled together.
They sat in a booth, Caitlin and her dad on one side facing Traylor and Chris. They order a pitcher of beer.
"Tray, did you know that I helped pick out a very nice Cole Hahn handbag for dad's new girlfriend?"
Traylor smiled as she twisted her unruly auburn hair into a bun. "I did not know that."
"She's thirty-eight and a paralegal at the firm he used when he divorced my mom." Caitlin winked at Traylor.
"Hmmmmm, Steve, that's pretty young. I noticed your new jeans. Is that who's behind the new clothes?"
"Shut up you two," he laughed, dismissing them.
The server came over and they ordered pizzas, pretzels and calzones. No matter how many times she went there, Traylor ordered the same thing. She was a creature of habit, it was part of her personality. She ate the same breakfast every single day. It was a flaw- she was inflexible, but she owned it.
"Last time I was home, he had new sheets and a new toothbrush."
"New sheets?" Traylor's eyebrows rose in question at Steve.
"My sheets were old," he answered.
"Mmmmmhmmmmm," Caitlin nodded. "They were old just like you and now you have a young girlfriend and new sheets and new clothes."
"You're an asshole," Steve laughed. "I did pretty good today, I finished all my shopping except for you Tray."
"You don't have to get me anything," Traylor commented pouring herself a glass of Hop Diggity Dang beer.
"Of course I do. I always buy my kids presents, don't be ridiculous."
Steve had thought of Traylor as his daughter since she moved in with them. He knew she struggled with that. He wanted her to know he thought of her this way, but needed to tread lightly and always walked on eggshells on this topic.
"I just meant..."
"Well it would be the first time in eight years and who am I to break a tradition?" Steve interrupted. He looked over at Chris. "Speaking of tradition, will you be at Christmas?"
"We haven't really discussed that yet," Caitlin snapped quickly.
"Traylor, you wouldn't mind sharing the house with Chris this year, would you?"
"Not at all. Sorry to change the subject..." Traylor said giving Caitlin a smile. "But I would like to brag about myself for a minute. I got a promotion," she announced.
"Cheers," Caitlin raised her glass.
"I'm so proud of you Tray!" Steve bellowed.
They all raised their glasses and clinked them with gusto.
"Tray, that's awesome, what does Bill say?" Caitlin asked.
Traylor had continued seeing Bill even though she was annoyed by the secrecy and sometimes him.
"He said I deserved it." That was not exactly accurate, but Traylor was proud of herself. What Bill had really said was she deserved it because of the way she flirted with all the partners, and that it didn't surprise him she was promoted. She didn't flirt. She'd told him to fuck off. The truth was she'd only been there for a few months, had worked her ass off and most of the key people at the firm seemed to like her, especially the managing partner. The old man seemed to have taken a liking to her, which she thought was a great thing.
"That's goods news, what is your new title?" Chris asked.
"I'm not sure yet, I haven't gotten my new cards. I just know my check will be bigger." Although Traylor was making more money than she'd ever thought she would, she wasn't quite happy. There was a niggling sense of discontent.
The dinner was nice and relaxed. Her dad drove home after he dropped them off. There were times she felt better, but having to pretend to be okay all day had drained her.
"I'm exhausted. See you in the morning," she told Traylor as she dragged all her bags into her room. She closed the door and busied herself with putting things away. Then she shed her clothes and crawled into bed. Putting her head in her hands she sobbed silently. Caitlin curled into herself and cried herself to sleep.