Sunday Nov10 2019

Bobbie woke up early, showered and had a coffee. Yesterday, after the market, she and Johnny made a big batch of spaghetti sauce for the family dinner. Johnny was bringing a gluten free apple crumble and Bobbie was getting some salad from Mark. She had coleslaw for Wally and Niko. She discovered Niko liked coleslaw, at least she did last Thursday.

The twin boys that were in Grade 4 and Walter junior had been picked to lay a wreath at the cenotaph and the girls who were in grade 1 and were in a choir. Little Suzy wasn’t school yet but her daycare was closed. The kids were going to stay with Bobbie; she would ferry them to their events the next day and their parents would pick them up after.  Trixie was going to lay a wreath for her father, Bobbie’s uncle, who was in the reserves and had died at sea when she was a child.

Around 5, Charlie, June, Niko and Suzy arrived. Shortly after, Eddy arrived and then Jen and Clay, Wally and Laura.

Johnny was being the host and Bobbie was making sure she had the table set.

Laura came into the dining room looking for Fossie. “We stayed at Mom and Mack’s place last night Mom said we might get a cat.”

“That’s nice Laura, where is Mack now?”

“He’s in the car waiting for Mummy.” Laura left, sill searching for Fossie.

Bobbie went to join everyone in the living room. “Is Mack sitting outside, in the car?”

The room got silent. Jen nodded. “After dinner we’re leaving for Cit city to meet up with his parents who travelled there to go to the boat show.”

“We can’t let him sit in the car. That’s just cruel. Eddie, go ask him to come up for dinner.” Eddie looked uncomfortable but he headed down the stairs to the back parking lot. Bobbie went and set another place at the table.

Johnny kept conversation flowing during dinner. He engaged the kids and kept the tension low. It wasn’t the first time Jen and Mack had been around the family together. It was usually just for a moment, when picking up the kids or in the restaurant, at separate tables. Eddie looked comfortable enough but Bobbie knew it wasn’t easy for him to share his family.

Bobbie and Eddie cleared the table and loaded the dishwasher together while everyone sat in the dining room chatting and waiting for dessert. “How are you feeling Eddie? Is it hard to see Mack with Jen?”

Eddie frowned. “It’s hard to explain. I thought I’d miss our partnership and camaraderie around the kids and the house and all that but I think I’m an individualist because I feel my role and path are clearer and I know how to move forward better. And I think Mack is good for her.”

“I just don’t want you to feel lonesome Eddie.”

“I’m too busy with work and the kids to feel lonesome right now Mom.”

The parents stayed long enough to get the younger kids in bed. The Boys were in Bobbies TV room taking turns playing an old video game called Skyrim. Bobbie joined them and chatted while they played.

Monday Nov 11

Alex would be really proud of Eddie and Charlie and his grand kids too she thought before she went to sleep. Somewhere around 3 a damp little Suzy was beside her bed. “I wet the bed Gramma.” Bobbie picked her up, got rid of her wet things and pulled her under the covers and went back to sleep. Bobbie and Suzy were up really early so Bobbie gave her a quick bath and got the soiled clothes and sheets into the laundry and she wiped down the mattress cover and put it in the laundry room to be washed later. Then they began breakfast. Suzy had her own fancy water bottle and was sitting on the Island helping Bobbie count eggs and more generally was helping Bobbie count everything. Bobbie decided fruit salad and pancakes for everyone. She made some tea because they liked to drink tea at Gramma’s which was really milk warmed up a bit with a little tea added for flavour.

Laura and Niko soon joined them and Walt and Clay must have smelled the pancakes because they raced in; saying they were starved! They all ate at the Island and then went to their rooms to get ready, Suzy followed the older girls, who would help her get dressed.

Bobbie took a breath and cleared the Island and put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher. She put the big bowls and griddle in the sink, put on coffee and went to her room to get dressed as well. Bobbie got a couple things out of her drawer and went over to the boy’s room and knocked, they told her to come in and she saw they were both dressed but trying to tie their ties.

“I have a couple of ascots that were your Grampa’s. People used to wear them in the morning if they had important meetings or events; would you boys like to try them?”

They looked interested so she showed them how they went on and how she had little jewelled pins to hold them in the centre. Both boys looked in the mirror and agreed they looked cool.

Bobbie said. “So now you have Grampa-Great’s ascots and Grampa’s tie pins. Try not to lose them.”

She heard the bell that the elevator made and went out to greet her mother and Dean and Johnny. Florence was so happy last year when Bobbie took her to her Christmas parties. It was the first year after Walt Sr. passed and Florence didn’t want to go alone. Bobbie supposed Dean would be her escort now. She wasn’t used to her mother dating Dean yet. She smiled and went to make sure the kids were brushing their teeth.

They all left for the cenotaph around 10:30 and were there for the 11:11:11 minute of silence and speeches and wreath placements then around noon, Dean mentioned the he and Florence were having lunch at the Yacht club and was wondering if they’d like to join them.

Bobbie laughed. “With all the kids? That’s very brave! Thanks for the invitation but I promised them happy meals, then we’ll go back home for the afternoon.”

They got back to the apartment and Johnny helped organize all the food and then he and Drey said they had to go work on Johnny’s sound studio. That afternoon the girls played on their own with Fossie. The boys played the old video game while Bobbie worked on her books and Suzy had a nap. She woke up around 3:30pm and Bobbie got them all drinks and made popcorn and got herself an antacid and sat with them while they all watched a movie until their parents showed up.

Charlie came in first. “Hi Mom, thanks for taking the kids. I know they’re a lot. That was pretty tense at dinner with Mack and Jen there eh? Eddie seems pretty chill with it. I guess he’s always been sort of a loner.”

“Yes, he seems OK, but is he really happy? Being busy isn’t the same as being happy.”

“That George guy called me about that old timer’s hockey on Sunday nights. He said he’s not playing anymore but he’s going to introduce Eddie and me to the guys. We should have a little fun there.”

“Maybe if your grandmother marries Dean, George will be my new stepbrother. And your uncle.”

“Gramma is not marrying anybody. She hears too many stories of widows losing their fortunes by marring the wrong guy.”

“She told you that?”

“Yes, she is worried that Mack is going to steal all Jen and Eddie’s money.”

“See, that never occurred to me. I guess I’ll have to assure her that the grand kids have ironclad trust accounts and if Eddie and Jen divorce; well, we’ll cross that bridge.”

Bobbie went to bed smiling; her family was getting a little more complicated but they’ll all be OK. Tomorrow was her birthday and she hoped that someone would throw her a party.