“There it is.” He winks at me. “There’s my Kitty.”
I blow out a breath that’s only half a laugh.
“Ready?”
“Mmm hmm.”
The door opens before Glitch touches the doorknob.
“Uncle Glitch!” A boy grabs his hand and drags him inside first. “Mom said I could get my games back right when you got here, so get in here!”
Glitch gets pulled along by the kid and I’m pulled in by Glitch.
“Erin, come get your unruly demon spawn!”
“Beetle! Lay off! Give your uncle a minute to get through the damn door!”
I’m dragged into a home that’s pure chaos. It’s the best thing ever. Toys, Pokémon cards, and Nerf gun bullets are scattered everywhere.
“Did you burn the tortillas?” Glitch says, as we cut into the kitchen.
Erin’s fanning the smoke detector and the place smells like burnt corn. “Only one.”
Glitch lets go of my hand and opens a window and then marches over to the back sliding glass door to open that too.
I stay out of the way, unsure of what I should do. Looking around, I bite my bottom lip. The furniture here is old and well worn. The rooms are cozy and cramped. I absolutely love this house.
“I’m Erin,” says a beautiful woman with Glitch’s same eye color and big smile. It’s easy to see they’re related. “That’s Beetle.”
Beetle waves from the TV, a controller in his hand.
“I’m shocked you’re giving him playing rights tonight.” Glitch strolls back to the kitchen where he left me.
“I figured this was a good way to keep him occupied so we can actually talk about things other than Pokémon for a change.” Erin looks at me and shrugs. “He’s only allowed a half-hour of screen time a day if he has good grades, so this is a super big deal to him.”
What kid wouldn’t be psyched for unlimited game plays for a night? I can hardly blame him.
“But it’s for AFTER HE EATS ALL HIS DINNER!” she yells.
“I willllllllll!” Beetle yells back.
My God, they’re loud. As someone who spends most of her days and nights alone, it’s a shock to my system. It’s nice.
“Okay!” Erin claps her hands. “Glitch, make the guac. Ara?”
“Yes?”
“Get busy on the margaritas.”
Glitch plucks three avocados from a bowl and starts juggling them. Two fall on the floor almost immediately.
Erin rubs her temples. “Oh my God, this dinner is going to be awful. Stop bruising the food, asshole.”
“I’m just trying to keep the bar as low as you do, Erin. Can’t eat perfectly good guac with burnt ass tortillas.”
She throws a jalapeno at him. He tosses it back at her.
“Welcome to family dinner, Ara.” Erin flashes me a big smile. I can’t lie, she’s making it easy to like her. A lot.
Dinner goes off without another fire or even a cut finger. My margaritas are strong, but Erin swears they should be stronger since she has to put up with Glitch for the night. It’s obvious she’s teasing because they act more like best friends, not brother and sister.
Glitch and Beetle strike up a conversation about math, and Erin rolls her eyes and turns her focus solely on me. “My brother is a terrible influence.”
“Clearly.” I nod, watching how great he is with his nephew. They’re going over fractions. After a few minutes, they stop talking and turn to Erin.
“Mom. Can I now?”
Erin narrows her gaze at Beetle, then his plate, then to Glitch. “Two more bites and then yes, you may.”
Beetle stuffs his mouth with just the ends of his soft taco shell and leaves the rice, beans, and guac on his plate. “Thank youuuuu!” He shoots off from his chair. “You coming, Uncle Glitch?”
He’s torn. We can both see it. “Just for a minute,” he says after I wink at him. “But I’m here on a date, Beetle. You’re cramping my style.”
“You have no style.”
“Ouch.” Glitch frowns and clutches his heart as he stares at his nephew. “You cut to the quick, man. That hurt.”
Beetle cracks up and runs into the living room. Glitch chases him and manages to catch Beetle in a few seconds. Then he flips the boy upside down and pretends to shake his brains out of his ears. Beetle’s peeling laughter fills the house.
Erin and I burst out laughing. She holds her chest and leans forward, nearly dipping her hair in the sour cream. “Wow. How strong are these things?” She takes another sip of her margarita.