A Love for the Pages by Joy Penny

Author:Joy Penny [Penny, Joy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Indie Author Project

Cooper had to go back to work after dropping Mom off—some big project deadline so important the fate of the world rests on his shoulders to hear him tell it—so for once, we’re not having an interrogation at dinner. For once, we can stuff our faces with gooey, melty pizza and Mom can lean back on the couch and put her feet up after working a long day.

We’re watching a movie. Mom doesn’t like period dramas, but she can’t resist Bridget Jones’ Diary. I don’t think she remembers it’s a Pride and Prejudice re-telling even after I’ve told her a few times, or that such swoon-worthy romance exists in stories from more than a few decades ago. But normally I’d take what I can get. Today I’m tired of thinking of Rockford every time I see Colin Firth’s face.

“You guys watching this again?” Owen’s down for his third plate of pizza. Why Mom doesn’t just order him his own whole pizza, I can’t say.

Mom laughs like she’s been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. “That’s what I say every time I walk into your room. You’re playing this again?”

“Mom, playing a video game more than once is not like re-watching a movie.” Owen speaks between massive chews of the pizza he’s crammed into his mouth. “Or re-reading the same old books.”

I take another slice of grease-on-crust from the box and marvel at how quickly we’ve reduced the meal to cardboard stains and crumbs. “If you must know, I read The Great Dragon Rescue today.”

“Sounds compelling.” Owen folds the last bite of his slice and stuffs it into his mouth. He doesn’t really sound impressed. “So much more interesting than games.” He grabs two more slices and slips back up the stairs.

“Is that the children’s book for the summer reading program?” Mom’s eyes are glued to the TV, but she tilts her head slightly to let me know she’s talking to me. “How did that go?”

“The guy who was supposed to be leading me didn’t show up.” I put the crust of my slice down. I’m not really a fan of cold pizza.

“The guy?” Mom looks at me out of the corner of her eye. “The… Rockford guy?”

“Yeah.” I’m wiping my fingers on my napkin and resisting the urge to wipe the bridge of my nose along with it. What is it about good pizza that makes your skin leak practically immediately? “He dropped his niece off but couldn’t bring himself to stay. Yet he was home when I dropped her off a few hours later.”

“That doesn’t surprise me.” Mom licks her fingers and puts down her paper plate. “The Rockfords are always juggling this or that. They can hardly be counted on to make an appearance lasting more than a few minutes.”

“Sure.” I’m starting to wonder why Mom thinks she knows so much about the Rockfords, and if she does know so much, why I have to forge this networking connection myself instead of through her or Cooper. But right.

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