You'd Have to Ask - 3. Chapter 3

Supper with Mark and Family

Cole arrives at the Comry residence at 18:00 on the dot. He brought flowers for Mary and some ice cream bars for desert.

Mark greets him at the door, trailed by Brittany and Brendan his children.

“Uncle Cole!” They both say in unison. The check out the bag to see what goodies he has brought.

“Mommy, Mommy!” the kids yell as they run to the kitchen, “Uncle Cole brought ice cream for supper.

Mark leads him down the hall into the kitchen. Cole can smell a roast and scalloped potatoes cooking. This is stuff he never cooks at home, the smell making him realize he is very hungry.

Cole walks over to Mary and gives her the flowers and then a hug and a quick peck.

“Cole, when you’re done with my wife” Mark laughs, “Do you want a beer?”

“You have to ask?” Cole says.

The guys go in the living room and talk shoptalk. The children follow them and are fighting to see who can sit in Cole’s lap.

“Supper!” Mary calls.

The all go into the dining room. The flowers Cole brought are in vase at the centre of the table.

“Boy, you went all out!” Cole says, “You’re even using the china”

“Your not kidding Cole, I don’t think we have ever eaten off this stuff,” Mark says.

“That’s not true!” Mary retorts, “I only use it when we have company, which is not often enough Mark”

Mark surrenders, knowing this is a fight he cannot win.

“So Cole, what’s new in your life?” Mary asks.

“Not much, same old same old.” Cole says. He feels guilty for lying but this is not the time or place to say what is new.

“We’ll we have to get you married off soon, hell the kids will be ten before you have any of your own!” Mark says.

“What about that girl, what’s her name hon, Katalin?” Mary asks.

“Kat, she’s just a friend” Cole responds, “A very good friend!”

“Well I have met her and she seems like a nice girl”, Mary says.

“How, about those Mariners!” Cole says as he tries to change the subject.

Mark and Mary laugh as they have heard Cole use this line before to get out of a conversation that he doesn’t want to be in.

“It’s nice what you have done to the house. I am almost finished mine, well the inside is done, but the outside looks like sh…” Cole catches himself.

“Uncle Cole said a bad word!” Brendan says.

“I did not!” Cole defends himself.

“Did too!” Brendan says loudly, Brittany joins him a second later.

“Did not!” Cole says as he puts a mean look on his face, they try to make the same face. Then they all crack up laughing.

When the noise quietens down, Mark says, “Well bud, if you need any help, just call”

“Sure will, if and when I get around to it”

When Cole’s Grandfather died, he divided the land he owned to his children. Cole’s Dad in turn divided the land and gave it to his children. Cole wound up with four acres where he built an A frame house. Cole managed to build the house in a summer. But is still needs some work on the outside. Cole just doesn’t have the time or the motivation to finish.

As the evening wound down, Cole helped Mary put the kids to bed and told them a story. When the kids were sleeping he came out to the living room to see Mark and Mary sitting on the couch beside each other. Mark had his arm around her and they were looking at travel brochures. Cole thinks they look so happy together and he wishes that he had someone he could share his life with.

“Planning a trip someplace?” Cole asks.

“Yup, the kids want to go to Disneyland, so we were looking at the options” Mark said.
“I always wanted to go to Disneyland” Cole says. “Maybe someday”

“Why don’t you come with us?” Mary says.

“No couldn’t do that, besides I have a holiday planned already”

“Where are you going?” Mark asks.

“Chicago, I have some things on my list that I want to do there”

“Such as?” Mark asks

Cole proceeds to tell them about running on Lakeshore Drive, going up the Hancock Tower, listening to Blues and doing the Frank Lloyd Wright Tour.

“That sounds great! Cole” Mary says, “Maybe you should go with him Mark, a little culture never hurts”

Before Mark gets to stick his foot in his mouth, Cole says “Well, I have to hit the road, gotta date and don’t want to be late.”

“Boy, you weren’t kidding about having to fit us in” Mark laughs.

“Well its just one of the problems of being a single guy, so much to do so little time!”

They all stand. Cole goes over and gives Mary a hug. Mark leads him to the door. “See you on Monday” he gently pats Cole on the back.

“Don’t be a stranger!” Mary calls after him.

“I won’t!” Cole says back.

He heads down the walk to his truck. He starts it and stares at the front window where he sees them waving goodbye. Cole waves back and heads to Kat’s place.