Point of Retreat

like cooking. I grab the phone and go to the fridge and slide the Chinese menu out from under the magnet.
     
    Half an hour later, Eddie and Gavin show up, followed a minute later by Lake, then the Chinese delivery guy. I set the containers in the middle of the table and we all start filling our plates.
     
    “We’re in the middle of a game, can we eat in my room tonight?” Caulder asks.
     
    “Sure,” I say.
     
    “I thought they were grounded,” Gavin says.
     
    “They are,” Lake replies.
     
    Gavin picks up his eggroll and takes a bite. “They’re playing video games. What exactly are they grounded from, then?”
     
    Lake looks to me for assistance. I don’t know the answer, but I try anyway.
     
    “Gavin, are you questioning our parenting skills?” I ask.
     
    “Nope,” Gavin says. “Not at all.”
     
    There’s a weird vibe tonight. Eddie is extremely quiet as she picks at her food. Gavin and I try to make small talk, but that doesn’t last long. Lake seems to be in her own little world, not paying much attention to what’s going on. I try to break the tension.
     
    “Suck and sweet time,” I say. Almost simultaneously, all three of them object.
     
    “What’s going on?” I ask them. “What’s with all the depression tonight?” No one answers me. Eddie and Gavin look at each other. Eddie looks like she’s about to cry so Gavin kisses her on the forehead, but they just continue eating. I look over at Lake and she’s just staring down at her plate, twirling her noodles around. “What about you, Babe? What’s wrong?” I say to her.
     
    “Nothing. Really, it’s nothing,” she says, unsuccessfully trying to convince me she’s fine. She smiles at me and grabs both of our glasses and goes to the kitchen to refill them.
     
    “Sorry, Will,” Gavin says. “Eddie and I aren’t trying to be rude. We’ve just got a lot on our minds lately.”
     
    “No problem,” I say. “Anything I can do to help?”
     
    They both shake their heads. “You going to the slam Thursday night?” Gavin asks, changing the subject.
     
    We haven’t been in a few weeks. Since before Christmas, I think. “I don’t know, I guess we could.” I turn to Lake. “You want to?”
     
    She shrugs. “Sounds fun. We’ll have to see if someone can watch Kel and Caulder, though.”
     
    Eddie clears her and Gavin’s spots at the table while Gavin puts his jacket on. “We’ll see you there, then. Thanks for supper. We won’t suck so much next time.”
     
    “It’s fine,” I say. “Everyone’s entitled to a bad day every now and then.”
     
    After they leave, I close the take-out containers and start placing them in the refrigerator while Lake washes our dishes in the sink. I walk over to her and hug her. “You sure you’re okay?” I ask.
     
    She turns around and hugs me back, laying her head against my chest. “I’m fine, Will. It’s just….” She stops talking. I lift her face up to mine and she’s trying to hold back tears.
     
    I place my hand on the back of her head and pull her to me. “What’s wrong?”
     
    She quietly cries into my shirt. I can tell she’s trying again to stop herself. I wish she wasn’t so hard on herself when she gets sad.
     
    “It’s just today,” she says. “It’s their anniversary.”
     
    I realize she’s talking about her mom and dad, so I don’t say anything. I just hug her tighter and kiss the top of her head.
     
    “I know it’s silly that I’m upset. I’m mostly upset about the fact that it’s making me so upset,” she says.
     
    I place my hands on her cheeks and pull her gaze to mine. “It’s not silly, Lake. I don’t know why you get so mad at yourself when you’re sad. It’s okay to cry sometimes.”
     
    She smiles and kisses me, then breaks away, still attempting to not be sad. “I’m going somewhere with Eddie tomorrow night. Wednesday night I have a study group, so I won’t see you until Thursday. Are you getting a sitter, or should I?” she asks.
     
    “Do you really think they need one? Kel’s eleven now and Caulder will be eleven in two months. Don’t you think they can stay home for a few hours by themselves?”
     
    She nods. “I guess so. Maybe I’ll ask Sherry if she’ll at least feed them supper and check on them. I could give her some money.”
     
    “I like that idea,” I say.
     
    She calls for Kel after she gets her jacket and shoes on, then walks back to the kitchen and puts her arms around me.