Cool Mom

12: Tess's call

We're in the living area of the suite. Hazel's lounging on the couch while Daniel and I pulled up chairs from the dining table and now we're playing Snakes & Ladders.

"You skipped a number!" I exclaim, realizing that Daniel tricked us.

"What? No I didn't!" He protests but Hazel and I force him to move back one space.

Fifteen minutes later, I land on a snake and the other two whoop as I have to go back to start. Another five minutes later Hazel wins and she claps in glee.

"I would've won if you hadn't made me go back." Daniel sulks. Hazel gets up from the couch and kisses his cheek.

"I love you daddy." She tells him.

"I love you too, Bunny." He smiles at her.

"But I still won." She says, flipping back her hair.

A laugh escapes my mouth before I can stop it and then I'm doubled over laughing. Hazel does know how to make a looser feel bad for himself.

"Hazel!" He exclaims.

Smirking, she lies down again and I cover her with the quilt. Daniel goes out onto the balcony to answer all the calls he ignored to spend this time with us. While he does that, I give Hazel her medicine and then pay the washroom a visit.

I'm about to go back to Hazel when my phone starts to ring. I grab it from the bed and check the caller ID. Tess.

"Hey!" I greet her.

"Hi! Are you guys still in Paris?" She asks.

"Yeah. We leave the day after tomorrow." I reply.

"I have a favor to ask." She says.

"Sure."

"Can you guys meet me for dinner tonight?"

"Why?"

"It's..."

"What is it Tess?"

"I'll tell you at dinner!"

"Tess..."

"What?"

"Answer my question!"

"Fine! Look, the thing is I met a guy a few months ago and we really like each other a lot. I've already met his parents and now he wants to meet mine. We can't go to Switzerland in the middle of college but since you're in France, I could introduce my sister to him."

"I'm free tonight. I'll have to ask Daniel and also, Hazel..." But she cuts in. "Bring Hazel along."

"It's not that Tess. Hazel caught a cold. We can't take her anywhere out just as yet." I tell her.

"Oh." She says, clearly disappointed.

I think for a moment before speaking again. "Why don't you two come to our hotel and we can eat at the restaurant here."

"And Hazel?" She asks.

"It's pretty warm in the hotel with the heating system. She'll be fine inside." I reply.

"Alright then. What time?"

"7 o'clock should be fine."

"Okay. See you tonight then." She says as we say goodbye.

When I go back to the living area, Hazel's asleep and Daniel's sitting next to her, scrolling through a message.

"Are you free tonight?" I ask him.

"Yeah. I just have to check a few bank statements. The man's going to meet me here in the hotel in an hour. But after that I'm all yours. Why?"

"Tess wants us to meet her boyfriend. He wanted to meet our parents but they can't go to Switzerland just yet. So, instead she wanted us to have dinner together." I tell him.

"Wait. Tess has a boyfriend?" He asks, surprised just like me.

"I know! We never really thought she'd actually be drawn to this side of life. She always preferred isolation from the rest of the world. This is a pretty major step." I agree.

We're silent for a minute before I speak again. "But I'm glad she's actually opening up."