22. Poker Face
twenty-two
Poker Face
A fter dinner, everyone sprawls out around the living room to watch football.
Except for me. I’m watching Jacob. I wanted to take the place on the couch next to him, but Matt and Kendra beat me to it.
They arrived just in time for pie. While they watch the game, Jake gives Matt tips on basic training.
He’ll be leaving at the end of January. He took Jake’s advice and joined the Army to get money for school.
Mom isn't thrilled about the idea, but there’s not much she can do about it.
“Run. A lot,” Jacob says. “No matter how good of shape you are in, plan on being sore and don’t take what the drill sergeant says personally. It’s not personal. He’s just trying to make you into a soldier.”
Listening to them makes me depressed. The idea of Matt going to basic training leaves a pit in my stomach that's too big even for the whole of Thanksgiving dinner to fill. It’s possible I might miss my brother.
It was bad enough he was only here for about half of this Thanksgiving.
I glance around at my family—my parents, my brothers, Kendra, and even Jacob.
It hits me that this cozy scene is just a few months away from dissolving into real life—Matt in the Army, me leaving for college.
Time is slipping through my fingers like sand I can't hold on to.
Jacob must see something in my expression because when he gets up to get another piece of pie, he touches my shoulder. "You okay?"
"Yeah, just..." but I can't explain to him what I'm feeling, "tired. Somebody woke me up early to play football." I exaggerate a yawn in my brother's direction, but Matt is too busy snuggling into Kendra's neck to notice.
The football game ends. Dad switches off the TV, and Mom heads to the cupboard to retrieve the cards for our post-Thanksgiving poker game.
I groan as I realize Jacob is going to be dragged into one of our strangest family traditions. "I'm sitting this one out," I say.
“No way. I have a pile of dirty clothes in my bedroom with your name on it.” Tyler is the first to move to the table.
“Maybe you'd like to take my turn with the dishes for the next month,” I reply.
“You'll both have to beat me first.” Matt laces his fingers with Kendra's and joins Tyler and Dad at the table. The sibling rivalry that came up during the football game simmers to the surface again.
“What are Jake and Kendra going to bet? They don't live here,” Tyler asks.
"Oh, I have some ideas," Kendra gives Matt a coy smile. Obviously, he filled her in on what's coming.
“Hold on.” Jacob looks confused as he pulls out the chair next to mine. “I thought I knew how to play poker, but it sounds like y’all have different rules.”
Mom shuffles the cards and then deals them around the table. “We play for chores or favors. Everyone writes a couple of chores on a piece of paper. Each round the lowest hand gets stuck with whatever chores are in the middle.”
“You're kidding,” Jacob laughs. He must think I have the weirdest family ever.
“Nope.” Dad passes out little pieces of paper.
I think for a minute, then write, ‘take my night for dishes’, and ‘vacuum my bedroom’.
I glance at Jacob. He's staring at his pile of papers in perplexed concentration. I look away before he catches me watching him. There are a bunch of things I’d like Jake to do for me.
None Nothing I want to share with my family. I write ‘change the oil in my car.'
I lose the first round. I can’t concentrate with Jacob sitting beside me, so I end up with Tyler's dirty laundry and cleaning Matt's biohazard room.
Yuck. Kendra's is nicer; it just says, 'movie night.
' It'll be fun to have a girl's night with just us. I unfold Jacob’s paper. It says, ‘breakfast in bed’. I blush. I can’t help but think how much I would like to serve Jacob breakfast in bed.
Matt sees my face and snatches the paper from me. “Breakfast in bed?" His eyes gleam mischievously. "Whose bed, Jake? Hers or yours?”
Dad shoots Matt the look he reserves for convicted felons and people who drive too slow in the fast lane. Jacob's ears turn pink. I want to crawl under the table.
Jacob keeps his focus on his cards. “It was all I could think of. It can be breakfast anywhere, okay? You can just buy me breakfast.”
“Good move. Then you don’t have to eat Jess’s cooking.” Tyler shoves a bite of pie into his mouth.
I give him a dirty look. “I'm an excellent cook. I made that pie you’re downing right now.”
Tyler stops mid-forkful. “Great, now I’ve been poisoned.”
“Keep it up, and you will be,” I growl back at him.
Mom pounds the cards on the table as she shuffles for the next hand. “Can we get back to the game? I’ve got a long list of chores I want done, and I’m feeling lucky.”
We play until it gets late. Jacob ends up with my oil change. Dad gets my turn with the dishes. Tyler opens ‘foot rub and pedicure’ from Mom. “Tomorrow after shopping, it’s you and me, bud,” Mom wiggles her bare toes for emphasis as Tyler groans.
Jacob stands up. “I need to go before I end up with something worse than that.”
“I'll try not to take too much offense to that," Mom slides the cards back into the box and gathers up the extra pieces of paper. “It's late, stay here tonight.”
“Yeah, then Jess can give you breakfast in bed tomorrow. Just don’t let her cook it,” Tyler says. I resist the urge to stick my tongue out at him.
“That sounds great,” Jacob glances at my dad, “but I have to be up early.” He gathers up his things and stands by the door. He hugs Mom. “Thanks for an excellent dinner and thanks for taking care of my family while they’re here.”
"My pleasure. On both counts. I can’t wait to see your mom and the boys,” Mom says.
“Me neither,” I answer, mostly so Jacob will notice me before he leaves.
He punches my shoulder lightly. “Try to take it easy on my brothers, okay, Jess? I didn't realize what you were capable of until I saw that tackle you made at the end of the game today.”
"You know me," I try to imitate Kendra's coy smile. "I like to keep people guessing."
Jacob shakes his head. "And I'm guessing my brothers have no idea what they're walking into."