"In the near future, or ever?"
"I don't know," the teen said. "They're so messy, and changing diapers?" She shook her head. "Doesn't sound like something I wanna do."
Carey chuckled and picked up her cards. "That's one way to look at it."
"What about you?" Grace dared to ask.
"Crossing that line again," Carey said, discarding the nine of hearts. "If I did, it wouldn't be soon enough for my mother. She's been dying to be a grandmother for years now. Your turn."
You didn't answer the question, Grace thought as she picked up the card. "I'm an only child so I guess my mother's not gonna become a grandmother either."
"It's good that you realize how important a decision it is to make a baby," Carey said, laying her cards down on the table. "Gin."
Grace stared in disbelief. "That was too quick," she protested.
"That's the way the cards were dealt," Carey said, reaching for her soda. "Add them up, Waters."
"Face cards are ten, right?" Grace asked, holding a handful of them. She frowned at the answering nod. "You sure you don't wanna play to a thousand?"
Carey reached out and tilted Grace's cards to see. "You had the queens," she said. "I was looking for them."
"You can have them now if you want them," Grace offered, mentally calculating the score. "One seventeen."
Carey clapped her hands together and gathered up the cards. "You catch me with a good hand and you'll be able to make that up," she said. "While I'm shuffling, you can get the snacks out of the cabinet next to the refrigerator."
Grace jumped up quickly. "Great." She knew from looking around when Carey was working late tour exactly what was in that cabinet.
Carey dealt out the cards. "Use a napkin to wipe your hands," she said. "I don't want potato chip grease all over the cards."
"I will," Grace said as she grabbed the bags of chips, pretzels, and chocolate chip cookies. The teen had been eyeing the cookies for days but had not dared help herself to any. "Do you want bowls, or can we just eat out of the bags?"
"Either way," Carey said.
Grace decided to forego bowls, not wanting to wash them afterward. Setting the snacks on the table, she picked up her cards, sorting them by suit. "What a lousy hand."
"Mine's no better," Carey said.
"You could tell me what you need and I could see if I have it," Grace said, picking up the top card of the deck. Oh, that helps. She debated for a few seconds before discarding the ace of diamonds.
"Well that's not one of them," Carey said, reaching for the deck. "What are you looking for? Not aces, apparently."
"We're probably looking for the same cards," Grace said as she helped herself to a cookie, then took her turn. That helps too.
"Could be," Carey said as she picked up a card. "I'm not telling, though. Pass the pretzels."
Grace pushed the bag over, then snared another cookie. "You must have all the spades because I don't have any," she said as she pulled yet another helpful card from the deck. Ooh, I just need the seven.
"Maybe," Carey said, grinning as she took her turn. "I guess you'll just have to wait until I go out."
"Or until I go out," Grace said, smiling as she tossed a card on the discard pile and laid her hand down. "Gin."
"Good job," Carey said, quickly figuring out the total points in her hand. "Eighty-five."
"I'm catching up," Grace said, scooping up the cards. "I knew you had the spades."
"And you've had half a dozen cookies so far," Carey said, reaching over and moving the box out of the teen's reach. "Save some for another time."
"They're good," Grace said. "I love chocolate chip."
"So do I, and I'd like a few before the box is empty," Carey said.
"Now deal."
Grace smiled. "Yes, ma'am." She doled out the required number of cards, then drained the rest of her soda.
"You couldn't have dealt me a worse hand if you tried," Carey said. "What a mess."
"Good," Grace said, smiling at the cards she was holding.
"Oh really?" Carey smirked and drew a card from the pile, then debated for several seconds before choosing her discard. "Don't get too confident, Grace."
"I won't." Hah, she thought as she drew a card. Come on, Carey. Give me the ten of hearts. "Your turn."
"You should never play poker," Carey said. "Waiting on one card, aren't you?"
"Maybe."
"Uh-huh, your turn."
Please be the ten of hearts. Please be the ten of hearts. "Yes," she exclaimed. "Gin:" She rubbed her hands together gleefully and picked up the pen. "How many?"
"Let's see, sixty, seventy, seventy-seven, eighty-five, ninety-two."
Ninety-two." Grace passed her cards over. "That puts me in the lead."
"Not for long," Carey said. "I have a feeling this hand's going to be mine."
"This is fun," Grace said, picking up her cards. "We should do this again sometime."
Carey sorted her cards. "We'll see. I have to admit I expected you to demolish all the snacks by now."
Grace eyed the box of cookies. "I would have but you took them away," she said. "And the chips make me thirsty." She picked up her empty soda can and wiggled it. "I don't feel like water."
"I can just imagine what you are in the mood to drink," Carey said, tossing out a card. "One more and while you're at it, grab me a grape, would you?"
"Sure." Grace set her cards face down on the table and went to the refrigerator. This is great, she thought to herself. I never thought I'd be sitting at the kitchen table playing cards with her. "Instructor Carey? Do you play chess?"
"Yes. Do you play?"
Grace nodded, then realized she could not be seen through the refrigerator door. "Oh yeah. I tried to teach Jan but she doesn't have the patience for it."
"I don't have a chess set," Carey said. "And you're letting all the cold air out."
"Sorry." Grace took the two cans and closed the door. "There's a set in the rec room," she said as she handed the older woman the soda.
"I'll check and see if Sue has one," Carey said. "Your turn."
"Cool." The teen quickly sorted her cards. "So can we?" she asked as she drew a card.
"Can we what?"
"Play again sometime," Grace said.
"Does playing cards equate you being allowed to inhale all the cookies?"
"It doesn't have to but…" Grace gave her best puppy dog look.
Carey rearranged her cards, then set them down and reached for the box of cookies. "As long as your homework is done and you continue to act like a young lady and not a hoodlum, I'm sure I can be persuaded from time to time." She took a cookie, then pushed the box across the table to Grace. "One more." She watched her grin and reach in for another cookie. "You know, when you're not giving me death glares and scrapping with Lauren Grenner, you can be a very likable person."
Grace looked down at her cards. "She's the one that starts it."
"And you feel obligated to finish it," Carey said. "You have to learn to walk away, Grace. One of these days you'll come up against someone much worse than Grenner could ever dream of being, and the fight won't be with words but weapons." She snapped her fingers, causing Grace to look up from her cards. "I don't like seeing you hurt, especially when it can be avoided. By the way," Carey smiled and laid down her cards. "Gin."
"Have a seat," Carey said. "Since nothing escapes the eagle eyes of a Sapling Hill girl, I assume you saw the car that arrived today?"
"Yes, ma'am," Grace answered, wondering if it had anything to do with the incident on the day of her SATs.
"That was the district supervisor for the IJCF. He would be my boss's boss." Carey sat in her chair and did not look happy. "Grace, it went up to the attorney general and it's his opinion not to pursue any charges or reprimand against Officer Baker."