License to Shop by Kelly McClymer

would be subbing in for you.
You didn’t leave the puppy home alone, did you?”
    “ Seth took her to
work.”
    “ Good for him.” She
laughed. “I remember the first time I left Devil home alone. He was
six months, and he chewed up my carpet near the door.”
    “ The carpet?” I tried to
picture our puppy chewing up the carpet, but then I stopped. I
didn’t want to picture it.
    We watched Bianca, the PTA
president, stroll in with her children. She had a girl in third
grade with Anna and Sarah, and a boy in fifth grade. I groaned when
I saw her backpack. “Uh oh, Bianca is a chaperone, too. We’ll have
to behave.”
    “ I’m not the one who
promised to deliver her mother to the ladies of the decoration
committee,” Deb said piously.
    “ Oh crap,” I muttered. “I
better call her right now, before I forget.”
    Keeping one eye on the
line of children waiting for the teacher to double check permission
slips, I called my mother to warn her about the addition to our
family, and ask her if she’d talk to the PTA sub-committee, like
I’d promised Bianca.
    “ Hi, Mom.”
    “ Is something
wrong?”
    “ No. I just wanted to
touch base with you about your visit.”
    “ Don’t go to any trouble
for me.”
    Right. I wasn’t going to
fall for that one again. “I’m not,” I lied. “But the president of
our PTA heard about your talk at the library and she was hoping you
could speak to our PTA decorations subcommittee. I told her I’d
ask.”
    Her question was
automatic. “What do they pay?”
    “ Ummm.
Compliments.”
    Silence.
    “ Mom? You still
there?”
    Sighing.
    She was going to refuse. I
tried to think of a persuasive argument. “I know, I know. But any
money we pay you comes from our operating budget and means less for
the kids.”
    Silence.
    I caved. “Fine. I’ll tell
Bianca you can’t do it.”
    More sighing. “No need. My
grandchildren’s welfare is worth a free talk. But please, let’s
keep it to thirty minutes and no longer.”
    “ Not a problem.” For me.
Maybe for Bianca, but I had no intention of telling my mother that.
Let her hash that out with Bianca. I had a feeling they talked the
same language, one that I could never interpret quite
right.
    “ Molly, I don’t like to be
difficult, you know.”
    “ I know.” Well, I knew she
didn’t like to be difficult, even though she always was difficult.
“The kids are looking forward to seeing you.” This wasn’t really
true, as I had forgotten to tell them the news in light of the
puppy news. But some things you simply never tell a grandmother,
not even a grandmother who wasn’t difficult.
    “ My plane gets in at 3:00
p.m. Is that a convenient time?”
    “ Yes. I can swing by and
get you after I pick the kids up at school.”
    “ I could just take a
taxi.”
    “ Nonsense, Mom. We have
plenty of room for you and your suitcase.” I added a mental note to
clean out the car.
    “ Wonderful. Those taxis
charge too much for short distances.”
    “ They do.” I had put it
off long enough. “Mom, one more thing.”
    “ What? Is someone sick? I
have some of those disposable surgical masks. Should I bring a
few?”
    “ If you want. But no one
is sick in our house. It’s good news, not bad news.” I made my
voice sound happy. “We got a puppy yesterday.”
    Silence.
    “ What breed?”
    “ Mutt
surprise.”
    “ Oh dear. I hope it isn’t
a biter. Or a barker. Remember that neighbor we had with the dog
that barked at every squirrel in the yard?”
    “ She doesn’t bark at all.”
I didn’t add, “As far as I know.” We’d had the puppy less than
twenty-four hours. Maybe it wouldn’t be an issue. Maybe.
    “ Can’t wait to see you,
sweetheart,” she sang out.
    I saw Bianca swooping down
on me. “Same here,” I answered dutifully.
    Bianca reached me just as
I put my phone away. “Have you spoken to your mother yet,
Molly?”
    “ She said she’d love to
address the decorations committee,” I said, embellishing the