by Ginny
Ch 8
Friday dawns with a heat and humidity we haven't seen yet this June. As a result, Charlie is having trouble getting moving this morning. I had planned on offering to drive him over to the lab to get his bloodwork done but I don't see him moving fast enough this morning for that. I will send him tomorrow morning to get it done.
We go over the calendar and pick out a few dates which would work for him to have his testing done. Truth is, I'm taking the first available dates. I'm sure deep down Charlie knows this.
Charlie grabs a piece of paper after pouring himself a second cup of coffee. He makes a quick shopping list so I can do to the store for our BBQ tomorrow.
"Exactly how many people are we having over?" I ask, looking at the rather extensive list.
"Was thinking about seeing if Beau's friends want to come too. You okay with me asking Don and Sloan to come?"
"Sure, whoever you want." I'm just happy to see him excited about something.
I take a quick look at the time and send him up to shower. I load the breakfast dishes into the dishwasher and start to gather the information I'll need to make the appointments.
Charlie heads out to wait for Chris on the porch a few minutes before 11:00. I get a quick shower before heading out to do the shopping with Katie, who has graciously offered to help me out. She will swing by school and pick up Ned on her way over, it's the last day of school and he has a half day. He will be thrilled at the idea of a little party planning. He really is an old soul in a 6 year old body.
After we get back from the food store and the drug store Katie fixes us a late lunch while I make a few calls to schedule some of Charlie's appointments. I'm able to get the stress test scheduled for next Wednesday and an appointment with a GI doctor for a week from today. I will send him out for the bloodwork in the morning.
By dinner time the party prep is well underway. Ned is currently kneeling at the island tearing apart Romaine lettuce for Caesar salad. Katie is mixing some cole slaw and I'm cutting fruit for a huge fruit salad. The chicken is marinating and the corn has been husked. Katie and Ned baked a cake earlier, which just needs to be frosted in the morning.
"Nana, what's for dinner?" Ned asks as he finishes up the lettuce.
"Hadn't thought about it, buddy. What do you want?"
"Grilled cheese?" he asks. Good, something quick and easy.
"I'll do it," Katie offers as I'm still elbow deep in watermelon.
Twenty minutes later we take a break to have our sandwiches and some potato chips.
After eating, Ned has had enough of helping us. He heads for the den with his Legos and a juice box. Katie starts the clean up so I can go upstairs and make sure everything in the guest room is ready for Mac's arrival. Charlie says they will be here by 10:30, I'm thinking closer to 11:00 is more realistic.
Katie and Ned head out a little after 9:00. She had to carry him out as he was half asleep. He had asked to stay over but when I told him that Mac would be staying in the guest room he decided to go home. We made plans for him to stay over next Monday. Katie is an interior designer and she has an all-day meeting in the city so we offered to take Ned. She'll be home by early evening but I'm sure she will not be able to drag Ned home.
I load the dishwasher for the second time today and make myself a cup of tea while I wait for Charlie and Mac. Eventually I settle in the den to watch Elliot while I wait.
As Elliot signs off I hear the car in the driveway. I open the front door to greet them. Mac bounds up the two steps with her arms full. She's got her bags as well as Charlie's bag. He trails behind her, clearly exhausted from the long week. I take his briefcase from Mac as she puts her bags on the landing at the bottom of the stairs. She gives me a big hug, like we haven't seen each other in weeks. In reality it's been about 26 hours.
"Tea?" I ask her as I reach for the jacket Charlie's about to just toss on the bench.
"Sounds lovely? I'm just going to go change out of these clothes," she says with a smile as she grabs her bags and heads up the stairs.
"Hello," I say to Charlie as I wrap him in a big hug. "You okay?"
"Just tired. It's been a long fucking week," he mutters.
"Language Charlie," I warn. "You go up and get changed too. I'll make us all tea."
Mac appears 5 minutes later having traded her pencil skirt and silk blouse for yoga pants and an ACN t-shirt. Her hair's pulled back in a messy ponytail and he face has been scrubbed clean of the day's makeup.
"He had a pretty good day," she says, answering my unasked question. "Slept part of the way home. Didn't eat much for dinner."
"What about you? How are you feeling?" I ask, curious if my theory is correct.
"About the same," she admits.
"Did you take a test?" I ask, listening for the sound of Charlie coming down the stairs.
"I have it in my bag. I'll do it tomorrow," she whispers.
Charlie pads down the stairs a minute later, as the tea kettle starts to whistle. He sits at the table while I pour tea for all of us.
"You want something to eat?" I ask Charlie. He turns to glare a little at Mac.
"Snitch," he teases with a little grin. "Peanut butter and jelly," he states after he thinks about it for a minute.
I make two sandwiches as Mac decides that PB&J does sound pretty good.
Charlie manages to stay awake long enough to eat the sandwich and finish his tea. I open up the bag with the prescriptions I picked up earlier. Taking a glance at the directions I hand him a pill which he takes without complaint.
He kisses both of us goodnight and drags himself up the stairs to bed. Mac and I refill our mugs and go to the den to chat for a while.
It's almost 1:00 by the time Mac and I run out of things to talk about and head to bed.
TBC