wine bloom honeymoon

“If that’s something you really want, I could make some time for it on the weekends.” He’s always had a hard time saying no to his daughter, but a return to Magnolia Homestead to help out for a couple hours on the weekends would be far from a waste of time.

“Other than the annual wine tastings, produce picking, and harvest festival? It’s been a while. Though I’ve heard some whisperings about a summer festival. A fourth of July party with games, food, and fireworks. Can’t say for certain, but maybe.”

"Really? Even if it’s just once or twice in the next half a year. I’m sure the chickens don’t miss us that much, but it’d be nice.” 

“I’m counting the seconds.” His parents are the same way about loving Dante, and have long thought of him as another one of their kids. He’s always felt lucky on both sides.

“At least you’re better than you were a few years ago. I thought you were a complete lost cause back then.” Truth is that Dev isn’t as good as he was before the accident, but he’s been clawing back his skill in the game. “What? You’ve got to be joking. You? That’s defamation of character right there.”

"Better count fast. It’s all coming up.” 

“Yeah? Are you thinking about following their lead? Could be fun.” He enjoyed his time working there, and the Wilson family was always very generous.

Joel sighs and leans back in his chair, as if exacerbated by the memory, but a smile is quick to replace it. “Yeah, I sure do remember. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the two of them when they weren’t completely drunk out of their minds. They got imagination though, I’ll give them that.”

“Maybe? I don’t know. It’s fun, but I don’t think it’d be as fun without you, talking to all the goats while they try to jump off your legs.” 

“I think she’ll get there, though. She’s persistent. A real inspiration.” Dev remembers growing up and thinking she was the coolest mother on the face of the earth.

“You know I can’t make any promises.” He’s always liked to get a reaction out of Dante, no matter the reaction, but freaking him out never fails to be the funniest. “No surprise there. You really gotta up your pool game, man!”

"Yeah, yeah! We all know one of these days she’s going to tell me you’re the child she always wanted.” He says, wholeheartedly teasing. It’s a running joke between him, Dev, and his mom. 

“We’re just gonna have to keep that between us, then,” he says with a playful grin.

“Yeah, you were pretty young. I should’ve kept working at Magnolia, at least on the weekends. You loved it.” But he got a place on the police force when Livvie was about five years old, and his days as a farmhand slowly faded away. “You know it. Those Russell brothers really don’t know when to quit.”

“Our silverware secret.” 

“I’ll believe it when I see it! You’re better off sticking with Big Chief. At least he’s the man of mama Delilah’s dreams.”

At this point, Dev is paying the bare minimum of attention to their game of pool. “A match made in heaven, some would say. But c’mon, I could’ve said worse! We both know I could’ve said way worse.”

“My ma’s got at least a hundred dreams lined up, already. Let’s just be thankful she hasn’t landed the chief, too.” He doesn’t resent his mother for going after what she wants, but he’s glad that there’s a cut-off. 

“You’re right. I’d rather save myself the trouble than have to tell that story a thousand times. There’s better things to talk about than the dinnerware bandit.”

“That’s sweet. You’re a real animal whisperer. Ever since you were a kid, and the chickens down at Magnolia Homestead just couldn’t get enough of you.” And not just because she had some chicken feed clutched in her little baby hand. “Same old, y’know. Pretty quiet today other than a small bit of trouble down at High Tide. Just a drunken altercation that got sorted before I even got there.”

“The dinnerware bandit sounds too good! That’s like, the next McDonald’s character. Almost for sure. Someone’s gonna send us a letter in the mail about copyright ‘cause of you.” 

“The best duo Marigold has ever seen.”

“I dunno man. Old Al? I just can’t see it.” A fishing marathon is one thing, but running a marathon? Dev couldn’t picture that in his wildest dreams. “Yeah, well. What can I say? Whatever step-daddy wants, step-daddy gets.”

“Will ever see.” 

Joel laughs before popping some more pretzel in his mouth. “I wish I could get a warrant to search his house, but who knows what I’d find in there.”

He’d probably find dozens of missing bikes and garden ornaments from around town, not to mention plates and bowls. “God, it really is that bad, isn’t it?” He shakes his head, grinning all the while. “Anyway, enough about Marigold’s worst residents. How was work today?”

“You’d be disappointed, he’d be in hysterics, and then it’d be the only thing anybody talked about for the rest of the year.” 

“We were unbeatable. I’d bet good money our record still stands.”

“Al? You’d have Al O’Callaghan doing cardio?“ He stretches his back, looking skeptical. “I think he’d win that waiting contest. A fisherman like that? The fucking patience on that guy? I wouldn’t even try.” Fishing is all about sitting and waiting. And waiting some more. Dev hates sitting still too much to bother. “Old Sal, though. Now that’s a step-daddy.”

“There’s no way people cleared that whole meadow in twenty seconds. We were insane.” 

“Yeah, maybe after dinner or something. We’ll catch up on all the funnies.”

They have plenty of routines and rituals, but Joel is happy to add more. “He’s a damn menace. Got cooks having to look over their shoulders.” The idiot has to have enough silverware at this point, and now just does it out of obsession. “God, her hair. I swear it’s sentient. I can hear it when she calls the station.”

“Okay. I can't spend the rest of my life missing Garfield, so we might as well.“

“Oh shit, you’re right. We wouldn’t be the resident Marigold Valley three-legged race champions.” And what would they do without that title?

Dev is about to say Terry with no hesitation, but Dante beats him to it. “Fuck! Let’s see… can’t be Al. He’d try to take me on a month long fishing trip and I’d have to drown myself.” He idly sets up the pool table for another trick shot while he thinks. “I’m thinking Old Sal. Every day would be a hell of a surprise, and I’m into that.”

“We’re definitely up in the elite. Remember when we used to have our names up on the Good Noodle board?” They were always the first two to participate for the activity together. 

“Maybe we should start it up again, just nights instead of mornings. How’s that sound? Hit the comics before we hit the pillow.”

Joel laughs and rubs his eyes with the back of his knuckles. “He got real tired of Tony’s shit, just like every other restaurant in town. I swear he’s gotta be banned in at least half of ‘em.” As far as he knows, Tony gets thrown out of places on sight. “Y’know, I’m almost certain she would. The damn woman is suspicious of her own shadow.”

“...Bedtime comics, pops?” The genuine amusement in her voice is quickly beaten out by her tendency to appreciate routines. With her dad, anyway. “You’re on.” 

“What would I do without you?” The sentiment is real on that one. “My biggest support system.” That’s been true since Kindergarten, but he’s not about to get all sentimental right now.

Dev’s grin widens as he hides the pool cue behind his back. “Aw, c’mon Dante. If you had to pick a step-daddy, Big Chief Scanlon isn’t that bad of a pick.”

“Be shit out of luck when it comes to the three-legged race?” Because they’ve done that about a hundred times now. “Love you too, dude.” 

Joel laughs as he dips another piece of pretzel in a generous helping of cheese. “Aw, man. It’s been a while since I’ve checked those comics out. You used to love ‘em. Wouldn’t let me leave the house until we sat down and looked them over together.”

He misses those days, even with as good as these ones are. “Out of all the things you can steal. Now poor Terry’s got like four sets of mismatched silverware.” When Livvie mentions Irene Valene, Joel shakes his head. “If I never get another call from her again, it’ll be too soon.”

“I could learn a thing or two from baby me! If I didn’t have to be at work so early, I still wouldn’t. We’ve probably missed out on all the Peanuts genius.” 

“Al too? You think so? I dunno if I’m that lucky, man.” He grins as he focuses back on the pool table for a minute, and lines up the same trick shot. It doesn’t work, but the ball doesn’t shoot across the room again. “You see that? I’m getting close.”

“Aren’t you worried that she’s gonna wanna settle down here soon, and make Joel your step-daddy?”

“Yeah, maybe I’m overestimating you. But never say I didn’t believe.” Dante follows up as Dev tries again, giving him an approving shrug. “‘Cause I believe. Just don’t give that thing to me. I’ll poke both our eyes out.” 

“Should I expect to find a stockpile of bulbs hidden away at the house in the next couple of months? It make a good story, y’know. The local paper is itching for something to happen around here.” Unexplained light bulb thefts would absolutely make the cut. It might even headline.

“You’d probably get the good nod from that idiot Tony Thompson. Y’know, the kid who stole silverware from the local restaurants?” When you’re doing that at twenty-seven years old, it’s just embarrassing.

She bites at her nails, pretending to consider it. “Ugh, I miss the paper comics. I feel like picking up the newspaper on our porch and ripping a few out is gonna be the answer to this Sunday’s boredom.”