Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 86126 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86126 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
“Do you think you’d like to get your GED?” Nova asked, reaching across the table to squeeze my hand.
“That’s on my list.” I nodded, shaking off the embarrassment. “But…I’ve got a pretty long list.”
“You should see her on the phone all day,” Esther said proudly. “She’s been calling around, getting all sorts of stuff set up for her and the girls. She’s already switched her license over. It’s like she’s trying to move out already.”
The women laughed.
“We like havin’ them with us,” Otto added as he set dessert in front of Esther and Nova. “Don’t think my girls are gonna let them leave.”
“I’m sure you love tripping over dolls all the time,” I replied ruefully, smiling up at my brother-in-law.
“You kiddin’? Worth it for that casserole thing you made the other night.”
“What? I want to know about this casserole,” Esther said, waving her fork in the air.
The conversation was easy after that, everyone sharing their favorite dinner recipes and complaining about how boring it was trying to figure out what to make every night. As I sat surrounded by women that were living lives I hadn’t imagined for myself since I was a teenager, I soaked it all up. It was surprising that they had a lot of the same complaints that the women I’d grown up with had. They worried about what to feed their families, the price of groceries, and how to juggle all the different parts of their life.
It was dark by the time we left. Ariel and Flora were practically stumbling as they made their way to the car.
“I’ll grab her,” Otto said quietly, as I looked at Diana asleep on the couch.
“I can’t believe she fell asleep in the middle of all this.” I gestured to the people moving around the house, calling out goodbyes.
“She played hard today,” he said with a grin, sliding his hands under her. She was practically boneless as he lifted her up.
“We wore her out,” Heather said as she watched us over the back of the couch. “All the kids will sleep good tonight!”
“Thanks for having us,” I said, following Otto.
She pulled me in for a hug, holding me for a long moment.
“We’re so happy you’re here,” she murmured.
“Me too.”
“Okay, go,” she ordered, letting go of me. “Before we both start blubbering like babies.”
I let out a watery laugh. “Thanks for taking care of Esther for me,” I said softly.
Heather’s eyes filled with tears. “Dammit, Noel!” She shook her head as she ushered me toward the door. “I said I didn’t want to cry.”
I laughed a little as I followed Otto to the car. The big girls had already been buckled in and Otto was finishing up with Diana when I reached it.
“I’ll follow you home,” Otto said, gesturing for me to climb in.
His brothers and sisters were calling out their goodbyes as I opened my door and I waved, my gaze catching on Titus as he pulled on his motorcycle helmet.
He nodded at me in goodbye. Something inside me clenched tight as I nodded back and turned away.
“I am so tired,” Esther called to me from the driver’s seat. “I cannot wait to plop down on the couch. I’m going to have Otto rub my feet.”
I climbed inside, looking out the window as Titus turned on his motorcycle.
“Did you have fun?” Esther asked as she turned on the car.
“I feel… full,” I replied, sighing as I pulled my seatbelt on.
“Yeah, the Hawthorne’s will do that,” she said, smiling a little as she backed up.
That feeling didn’t leave me as we drove home, the sleepy girls quiet in the back seat. It wasn’t until we pulled into Esther’s driveway, headlights illuminating a car parked there, that it began to drain away.
Esther parked near the front steps and she hadn’t even turned off the car before Otto pulled up beside us. He turned off his bike and met Esther’s eyes through the window.
“Stay in the car,” he ordered.
I turned in my seat to look out the back window. Suddenly, I was empty again.
Chapter 6
Titus
“How’d it go?” Bas asked, glancing up from his tools as I climbed off my bike.
“Went fine,” I muttered.
“Just fine?”
“It was dinner. We had burgers. Mom made that pudding dessert you like.”
“Dammit,” he complained. “You bring any home with you?”
“Yeah, let me just pull it out of my pocket,” I replied, stuffing my hand in there and then pulling it out to flip him off.
“Heather savin’ me some?” he asked hopefully.
“She said to stop by tomorrow,” I replied, laughing as he put a hand to his heart and closed his eyes.
“Shit, who’s callin’ me?” I mumbled, pulling my phone out of my other pocket. “I just left you assholes.”
The moment I saw Otto’s name I took a step back toward my bike.
“Hey,” I answered, one hand on my helmet.