9. Sophie

nine

Sophie

I bring Mama’s good mixing bowl filled with peeled hard-boiled eggs over to the counter, right next to the six one-quart mason jars all lined up in a row. “Is this a new recipe?” I quirk my brow toward Mama, as she’s an avid gardener and a fierce homemaker, but I don’t recall her ever canning boiled eggs.

“It’s not a recipe as much as it’s an invention.” A chuckle rolls from her perfectly painted lips. “Norma is the one who started canning eggs. You know all her recipes are bland as sawdust, so I doctored this up.” Mama lifts a bowl of julienned jalape?os peppers, then she motions to the chopped garlic and onions, already prepped on the counter. “They turn the eggs a neon green, but they’ll clean you all the way out. I haven't gotten so much as a tickle in my throat since I started eating these.”

“That’s disgusting.” I fake a dry heave, but I’m still smiling.

“You say so now, but wait until you try them.” Taking a ladle, she starts to scoop out the peeled eggs and drop them one by one into the wide-mouth jars.

When the first jar is full, I reach for it. “I take it I’m supposed to fill this with water.”

“Oh, no.” She waves me out of the way, grabbing the jar back from me. “It’s a warm, spiced vinegar solution.”

“Does it get much spicier than jalape?os?”

“I like to let them soak for a least a few days, but you’ll be able to test them out for Sunday dinner.”

“Oh, about that.” I pause and wait for Mama to fill the last jar. Then I come over with the cloves of garlic, dropping a few into each jar. “I’m going to run back to New York for the weekend, but I’ll be back on Monday at the latest.”

“You’re not going after Rocco, are you?” Her eyes nervously pace my face, sadness etched in the downward pull of her lips.

“No, it’s not like that at all.” I find the side of my cheek and trap it between my teeth for a nice squeeze while I decide on the best words to use. I don’t want to lie, but Mama doesn’t need to know all the details. “I’m going to that charity dinner Rocco and I organized. I didn’t feel like it, but Rocco isn’t staying home, and I know he’ll be there with some new girl, and the press will be all over that. Axl agreed to come with me, so we’re going together.”

“I’m so glad you brought up Axl.” Mama’s lips purse to the side, hinting an opinion is about to come. “What exactly is this all about? You said he was a business partner, but Norma and her reliable church friends are showing me some photos, and I don’t ever recall any marketing campaign looking so cozy before—”

“Mama!” I don’t even blush, as I’m fighting a fit of giggles. Neither one of us would ever call Norma’s gossip friends— reliable church friends . “I know the photos are a little more than I had originally thought they would be, but the bottom line is that everything is innocent. It really is just a PR move, something to get the focus off Rocco and to help Axl out. You know I wouldn’t lie to you. And . . .” I bob my head side to side as I weigh how honest I want to be, but I’m dying to tell someone, so I spew it all out in one big rush. “He’s insanely cute, and it’s a bit exciting to have his attention. It’s keeping my mind off Rocco, and that’s helping me heal.”

“I see.” Mama’s lips purse out again, and I wait for her second dose of opinion, but instead she smirks. “Hand me those jalape?os.”

The back door squeals open, and heavy boot stomps echo from the mud room before Dad emerges, wearing his hunting camouflage. “Hey, you two good-lookings,” he sings out, his lips teasing a smile while he crosses the room to Mama and kisses the top of her head. “What ya got cooking?”

“Canning eggs.” Mama moves along the row of jars, filling each one with a healthy dose of jalapenos. “Did you get anything?”

“Nope.” Dad shakes his head, regret etching his brow. “Not unless you count two giant blisters on the backs of my heels and a brand-new crick in my knee that wasn’t there yesterday.”

“That sounds about right.” Mama and Dad’s laughter blend together, tugging at my heart strings. It’s been a while since I spent real time at home. My work is nonstop with constant pressure to have a new song out or to book another concert, not to mention how I was flying all over the country to make Rocco a priority. I’m overdue to spend time here. Maybe this arrangement with Axl is good for a lot of things.