Page 76 of Troublemaker: The Big Picture Edition

“No thank you.”

“Yes, hot cocoa,” my dad says, turning his head to watch her go. “Get back in here and sit on my lap, woman.”

She giggles and waves him off.

I love how my parents are with each other. Thirty-five years of marriage, and they’re still crazy about each other in the best ways. I wanted what they had so much, but I got the wrong kind of crazy the first time around.

And speaking of… My phone vibrates, and I know before I flip it over that it’s not Emilia, it’s Nova. She’s FaceTiming us after not being around for our calls for the past two days. She had presents delivered to Ryder, but he was a little upset that she didn’t respond to the emails I sent to her with pictures of the gifts that are waiting for her—whenever she actually gets back.

“Is it Mom?”

“Yeah.” I accept the video call. “Hey. We’re at my parents’ house.”

“Hi!” she says. She looks wide awake and slightly manic. “Hi everyone! I’m soooo sorry I couldn’t call sooner—it’s been crazy the past few days.”

I glance over at my dad, who is staring down at his cards, frowning. He was never a fan of my ex, but he doesn’t voice his opinion about her around Ryder.

“Mom! Merry Christmas!” Ryder grabs the phone from me. “Did you see the emails Dad sent you?”

“Hey, baby boy! I love you, I love you, I love you! Hold the phone still so I can see your face—I miss you so much.”

Ryder takes my phone into another room, leaving me with my dad and Bing Crosby on the stereo. We both put our cards facedown on the table and lean back in our chairs. I know what’s coming.

“He’s a good boy,” my dad says eventually.

“Yes. He’s happy.”

“Él seria mucho mas feliz con una mejor mujer en su vida.”

It’s killing me that I can’t tell him about the better woman in Ryder’s life. Inourlives.

“Por supuesto, estoy trabajando en eso.”I’m working on it.

“¿Oh sí? ¿Cuán duro estás trabajando en eso?”

I laugh at his innuendo. How hard am I working on it?

“I’m open for business.No quiero que Ryder sepa nada aún.” I don’t want Ryder to know yet, I tell him.

He nods, understanding. “You seem happier too.”

“You do seem happy, honey.” My mom comes in with two mugs of hot cocoa and places them on the table before sitting on my dad’s lap. She frowns at me. “I can hear them talking on the phone,” she says in a hushed voice. “She sounds…excited. And vague.”

“Uh-oh. That’s never a good combination.”

“You know whatisa good combination?” my dad asks, arms around my mother’s waist and squeezing. “A nice lady who’s a good girl in every room of the house except the bedroom.”

My mother blushes and slaps my dad on the arm. “I have no idea who he’s talking about,” she says to me.

I know a good girl just like that…

Ryder walks back in with the phone. His shoulders are slumping a little, but he doesn’t look upset. “Mom says ‘Merry Christmas’ to everyone. She had to go to a photo shoot.”

“You have a good talk with her, buddy?”

“Yeah. She’s busy. I think there was someone in her room, so she couldn’t talk a lot. Hey—you didn’t peek at my cards, did you?!”

“The Man doesn’t have to cheat to win,” my dad says.