Page 117 of Hold the Pickle
“Grammy and I are at a hotel a couple of blocks away,” Sherman says. “We’ll be back early in the morning.”
“Are you going to stay at Max’s house?” Grammy asks her. “You might need to go back in the room to ask for a key.”
“I have one,” I tell her.
“Oh, good.” She pats my hand. “Always planning ahead, aren’t you, sweet Nadia?”
We crowd into the elevator.
“Dalton, what sort of intern are you?” Grammy asks.
“I’m in neonatology,” he says. “I work in the NICU.”
“How lucky for us!” Grammy exclaims. “Oh, Nadia, you should marry this one, and quick!”
My cheeks burn and Dalton squeezes my hand.
“But, however will you to get back together?” Grammy looks between the two of us.
Sherman clears his throat. “We’re founding a business for Nadia. It can have branches anywhere.”
“What kind of business?” Grammy asks.
We reach the bottom floor, and Sherman holds open the door.
“An animal rescue,” I say right as Sherman answers, “A charitable organization.”
Grammy chuckles. “A charitable animal rescue. How delightful.”
We walk through the quiet atrium.
“I’ll see you all tomorrow, or I guess, later today,” Jason says.
“Come to Max’s with me,” Mom says. “Nadia, can you give me the key?”
“Nadia’s not going with you?” Grammy asks.
Everyone looks at me, and my cheeks heat again.
“I’ll be back up here later,” I tell everyone, fishing my keys out of my bag. “Here, Mom. You take the car. I came with Dalton anyway.”
“Oh, I see,” Grammy says with a twinkle in her eye. “Young love. So fantastic.” She threads her arm through Sherman’s. “Let’s get an old woman some shut-eye. I expect everyone back here before lunch!”
We break into pairs, Mom with Jason, Uncle Sherman with Grammy, and me with Dalton.
“That was a big dose of Pickle,” I tell him. “You okay?”
“Easier than meeting your mom while I have you pinned to a counter,” he says.
“You’ll never live that down at gatherings,” I warn him.
“I figured.” We walk out into the cool Los Angeles air. “I like your family. It’s so big and full of personalities.”
“You haven’t met the half of it. Did you know one of my cousins married a prince?”
“Oh, so I’m getting into royalty?”
I like how we’re talking about a future even though there is so much to figure out.
