Quinn’s parents exchanged a look, but they were obviously
past trying to break Billy of that habit a long time ago.
Billy’s girlfriend, who Dallas had wanted to ask Quinn
about, sat beside Billy, and she looked at him like she didn’t
mind that garbled talking at all. She was sweet, young looking,
probably early twenties, with chestnut colored hair and dark
eyes. She was rocking a band t-shirt and black skinny jeans,
and Billy loved punk music, so maybe he’d found someone to
share that interest with.
There was a time when Dallas couldn’t imagine someone
having the fortitude to actually date Billy. He could be so
annoying, in that younger brother, attention stealing, I’m going
to be a pest half the time and a beast the rest of the time kind
of way.
No one gave Dallas funny looks during the meal. She felt
perfectly normal sitting next to Quinn. When they brought out
the old lady cake, Danica hooted and protested and laughed
until her eyes watered. Quinn was right. The inside joke was
clearly a hit.
After dinner, Danica opened the gifts she insisted that
everyone shouldn’t have brought, considering she was thirty
and that was getting up there when it came to gifts. Dallas was
going to excuse herself from the loud living room and go into
the kitchen with Quinn to clean up, but Quinn had other ideas
about that. She steered Dallas past the kitchen and out the back
door.
The back yard was different. The deck was new. The
barbeque was new. There were two flower gardens where
there hadn’t been any before. The lawn was lush and green,
but it always had been, since Katrina really loved gardening.