“All right! Fantastic!” Kia screamed.
“But I think we'll all starve to death waiting for these three to decide on one place,” my father said. “Since Marcus scored the winning bucket, I think he should get to pick the place where we should eat. Everybody agree?”
Kia and I both nodded.
“Any place that has food is fine with me,” Kia said.
“Then it's settled. Marcus, where should we go to eat?”
“Well ⦠if I get to choose ⦠I was thinking ⦠your place.”
“My place?” I stared at him.
“If that's okay.”
“Of course it's okay,” Mom said.
“I was just hoping. Would it be all right if it waited until next week?”
“Next week?” Mom asked.
“My father's on day-shift so he's home for dinner this week. I'm making him a special meal tonight â meatloaf in tomato sauce.”
“Meatloaf ? Like the meatloaf I made last week?” Mom asked.
“I watched how you made it and I think I can do it,” Marcus said.
“Well, I think we can understand you'd want to be with your father tonight. We'll get together next week, if that's okay with everybody.”
“Fine with me,” Kia said.
“Well, it doesn't work for me,” I said.
“Why not?” Kia asked.
“I don't want Marcus to come over to our house for a meal next week.”
Everybody fell silent and all eyes were on me.
“I've gotten used to having him around the house, so I was thinking at least two meals next week.”
Marcus flashed me a smile. “Especially if one of those meals is lasagna.”