open, and he woke with a start.
“Grandpa, did you meet our new puppy?”
Asa tried to focus on his grandson’s face. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. Finally, they came around. “No, hon, where is he?”
“He’s a she, and she’s right here.”
Asa realized Asher was holding the puppy right in front of him.
“Oh, she’s a cutie,” he said as Asher gently placed her in his lap.
“Her name’s Halle. It’s short for Hallelujah.”
“Well, that’s a perfect name.” He looked around for Mennie, but he was gone. “What does Mennie think of her?”
“Oh, he’s still gettin’ used to her. Mom says he’s an old poop.”
Asa chuckled. “Well, she’s probably right. Your grandpa’s an old poop too.”
“No, you’re not,” Asher said, giving him a hug.
“What happened to your glasses?”
“They broke. C’mon, Halle,” he said, lifting up the puppy.
“There you two are!” Maddie said, peering around the corner. “Supper’s ready.”
“All right! I’m starving,” Asher said, hurrying off with Halle in his arms.
Asa stood unsteadily and Maddie eyed him. “Are you okay?”
“Yup . . . fine, fine.”
“How’s that old head of yours?” she asked, gently touching his white hair. She’d recently noticed they’d been going through a lot of Tylenol.
“It’s old,” he said with a smile.
The picnic table in the side yard was festively set to celebrate Memorial Day and the official kickoff of another Cape Cod summer. Laney had spread her old, favorite, extra-long, red-and-white-checked tablecloth down the extra-long picnic table her father-in-law had built when they’d told him they were expecting another baby. Small red lanterns lit with votive candles dotted the length of the table, their flames dancing in the breeze, and a lush bouquet of white tulips in a blue glass pitcher sat at the table’s center. “The table looks lovely,” Maddie said. “So festive!”
A second table with a blue-and-white-checked tablecloth was covered with the traditional spread of a summer cookout: red and blue plates and napkins; a platter of hamburgers and hot dogs, baked macaroni, baked beans, potato salad, tossed salad, Jell-O salad, deviled eggs, and at the end of the table was a box of graham crackers, a bag of marshmallows, and a package of Hershey bars.
“All right . . . s’mores!” Asher announced happily.
“I don’t think you have enough food, dear,” Noah said as the boys jostled to be first in line. He counted heads and realized one was missing. “Where’s E?”
“He’s still down at the beach with Chloe,” Seth announced, rolling his eyes as he said her name in a singsong voice.
“Watch it!” E said, sneaking up behind him and yanking down his swim trunks.
“Hey!” Seth said, turning around awkwardly, his face turning beet red. “You’re lucky I have boxers on!” he said, pulling his trunks up while his other brothers howled with laughter.
“You mean you’re lucky!” E teased with a grin.
Seth turned to Ben—who was laughing the hardest—and tried to pull down his suit too, but Ben pushed him and he fell backward, his face turning even redder. When he got up, he stormed toward the house.
“Oh, stop being a baby!” Ben called after him, which only added to his humiliation.
“That was mean.” Asher said softly.
“He deserved it,” Ben protested. “He tried to short me.”
E stood by and watched—he hadn’t meant for his little brother to get so upset.
“Maybe you should apologize to him,” Laney said, eyeing her oldest son. “He’s been looking forward to this all day.”
E nodded, but he wanted to introduce Chloe to his grandparents first, and after a few pleasantries, they got in line behind Gabe. Asa watched his oldest grandson talking to the pretty redhead and eyed Noah with raised eyebrows, but he just shrugged and shook his head—as usual, he was out of the loop. A moment later, E disappeared into the house. “I’ll be right back,”
“Grandpa, did you meet our new puppy?”
Asa tried to focus on his grandson’s face. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. Finally, they came around. “No, hon, where is he?”
“He’s a she, and she’s right here.”
Asa realized Asher was holding the puppy right in front of him.
“Oh, she’s a cutie,” he said as Asher gently placed her in his lap.
“Her name’s Halle. It’s short for Hallelujah.”
“Well, that’s a perfect name.” He looked around for Mennie, but he was gone. “What does Mennie think of her?”
“Oh, he’s still gettin’ used to her. Mom says he’s an old poop.”
Asa chuckled. “Well, she’s probably right. Your grandpa’s an old poop too.”
“No, you’re not,” Asher said, giving him a hug.
“What happened to your glasses?”
“They broke. C’mon, Halle,” he said, lifting up the puppy.
“There you two are!” Maddie said, peering around the corner. “Supper’s ready.”
“All right! I’m starving,” Asher said, hurrying off with Halle in his arms.
Asa stood unsteadily and Maddie eyed him. “Are you okay?”
“Yup . . . fine, fine.”
“How’s that old head of yours?” she asked, gently touching his white hair. She’d recently noticed they’d been going through a lot of Tylenol.
“It’s old,” he said with a smile.
The picnic table in the side yard was festively set to celebrate Memorial Day and the official kickoff of another Cape Cod summer. Laney had spread her old, favorite, extra-long, red-and-white-checked tablecloth down the extra-long picnic table her father-in-law had built when they’d told him they were expecting another baby. Small red lanterns lit with votive candles dotted the length of the table, their flames dancing in the breeze, and a lush bouquet of white tulips in a blue glass pitcher sat at the table’s center. “The table looks lovely,” Maddie said. “So festive!”
A second table with a blue-and-white-checked tablecloth was covered with the traditional spread of a summer cookout: red and blue plates and napkins; a platter of hamburgers and hot dogs, baked macaroni, baked beans, potato salad, tossed salad, Jell-O salad, deviled eggs, and at the end of the table was a box of graham crackers, a bag of marshmallows, and a package of Hershey bars.
“All right . . . s’mores!” Asher announced happily.
“I don’t think you have enough food, dear,” Noah said as the boys jostled to be first in line. He counted heads and realized one was missing. “Where’s E?”
“He’s still down at the beach with Chloe,” Seth announced, rolling his eyes as he said her name in a singsong voice.
“Watch it!” E said, sneaking up behind him and yanking down his swim trunks.
“Hey!” Seth said, turning around awkwardly, his face turning beet red. “You’re lucky I have boxers on!” he said, pulling his trunks up while his other brothers howled with laughter.
“You mean you’re lucky!” E teased with a grin.
Seth turned to Ben—who was laughing the hardest—and tried to pull down his suit too, but Ben pushed him and he fell backward, his face turning even redder. When he got up, he stormed toward the house.
“Oh, stop being a baby!” Ben called after him, which only added to his humiliation.
“That was mean.” Asher said softly.
“He deserved it,” Ben protested. “He tried to short me.”
E stood by and watched—he hadn’t meant for his little brother to get so upset.
“Maybe you should apologize to him,” Laney said, eyeing her oldest son. “He’s been looking forward to this all day.”
E nodded, but he wanted to introduce Chloe to his grandparents first, and after a few pleasantries, they got in line behind Gabe. Asa watched his oldest grandson talking to the pretty redhead and eyed Noah with raised eyebrows, but he just shrugged and shook his head—as usual, he was out of the loop. A moment later, E disappeared into the house. “I’ll be right back,”
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