Disarm

Chapter 19: History between us Two

**Jade**

"Mommy? Can we get a shark?" Chase asks as I buckle him into the car seat.

"You already have two, baby." I say handing him both plush sharks.

"No! A real one!"

"If we get a shark, where is your brother or sister going to sleep?"

He thinks for a minute, "We can all sleep in your room."

"And the shark will sleep in your room?"

"Yeah!"

"What will we feed the shark?"

"Chicken nuggets!"

"You're going to share your food?"

"Yeah!"

"Okay." I say shaking my head as I shut the door and get into the driver's seat as Aunt Sherri chuckles at our interaction.

"He's got quite the obsession with sharks." Aunt Sherri says looking back at Chase, then at me.

"Runs in the family." I say as we make our way back to house.

"Mommy?" Chase chirps.

"Yeah, baby?"

"Can we call Billie today?"

I sigh internally hoping he'll drop her, "Maybe after your nap." I try to reason with him.

I hear him sigh. "Okay."

"What's his obsession with Billie, lately?" Aunt Sherri mumbles as she turns the radio on.

"I made the mistake of handing him the phone while she and I were facetiming so I could go throw up and he's been enamored with her ever since." I say rolling my eyes. "And not that I blame him, because she's quite charming but he asks every-day 'can we call Billie?' and I don't want to flat out tell him 'No' all the time."

"Well, honey he's going to hear 'No' a lot... so maybe you should just start telling him 'No' when he asks if you can call Billie." Aunt Sherri reasons with me.

"What's the difference between green onions and scallions?" Brynne asks as she looks at the grocery list while I push the cart through the produce section.

"They're the same thing." I say bagging up a small bunch of green onions and setting them in the basket.

"So why did mom, put green onions or scallions?" She asks showing me the list.

"I have no idea..." I shrug "Ask her when we get back to the house." I say putting a bunch of bananas in the basket.

"So... I have a huge favor to ask you..."

"I'm not letting you and your college friends use the house for your graduation party..."

"No, the Billie Eilish concert is Thursday night and I have an extra ticket..."

"Brynne...I'm not going to ask her to upgrade your tickets."

"Of course not!" She says. "But, come with me."

"Can't you ask Josh or Ari to go with you?"

"Josh is taking summer classes so he's still on campus and I haven't asked Ari..."

"So, why are you asking me before you ask her?"

Brynne chews on her lip and looks at the basket, "I just thought."

"Thought if I went, I'd get us backstage?"

"Yeah..." she sighs.

"Nope." I sigh. "Ask Ari."