Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 82715 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82715 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
“I bet they are,” Mom said knowingly.
“Until I can find a job and get us our own place,” Emilia added quickly, smiling at Rhett. “I should probably start the search tonight.”
“What kind of job are you looking for?” my mom asked, pointing out to Rhett where a puzzle piece should go.
“Anything really,” Emilia said, pulling her sweatshirt back on. “Retail or waitressing or whatever. Something that will pay the bills.”
My mom hummed. “You ever make coffee?”
“Every morning,” Emilia replied dryly.
“I meant espresso.” Mom chuckled. “Charlie’s always looking for baristas. I bet you could get a job there.”
“I don’t need any favors.” Emilia smiled uncomfortably.
“No favor,” my mom said easily. “I wasn’t joking when I said she’s always looking. I swear turnover is shit at her carts. She’s always hiring.”
“I’ve never worked as a barista,” Emilia replied, widening her eyes at me like she wanted me to say something. I wasn’t sure what exactly she was hoping for. My cousin Charlie was always looking for help, and I knew the pay was okay. Nothing spectacular, but above what the normal rate was. She could do worse.
“She’ll train you. I’ll call her later,” my mom said, going back to the puzzle. “See what she’s got.”
“Okay,” Emilia said faintly as she sat down in my dad’s recliner.
“You two coming over for dinner tonight?” my mom asked.
“Dinner?” Rhett asked.
“Can’t, Ma,” I replied at the same time. “Gramps invited us over.”
Mom’s lips twitched like she was holding back a smile.
“You already knew that.”
“Your grandma called me,” she said with a laugh. “Just wondered if you’d tell me that Asa caught the two of you steaming up Em’s car.”
“Asa?” Emilia asked.
“Grease,” I clarified. “Gramps. She calls him Asa to bug him.”
“It’s his name,” my mom said with a shrug.
“Oh right,” Emilia said, realization dawning. “You’re named after him.”
“Yep.” I looked back at my mom. “We weren’t steaming up anything.”
“That’s not what the old man told Rose.”
“Jesus Christ,” I muttered.
“Bad word,” Rhett said in horror, turning to look at me.
“He’s an adult, Rhett,” Emilia piped up. “He can use whatever words he wants.”
“Bad word,” Rhett repeated, still looking at me.
“Sorry, bud,” I replied. “I won’t say it anymore.”
“Good luck with that,” my mom muttered.
“A,” Rhett announced, picking up a J puzzle piece.
“That’s a J, sweetheart,” my mom corrected gently.
“We haven’t started working on letters yet,” Emilia confessed, shamefaced. “I should probably find him a preschool or something.”
“I’ll ask where Kara and Draco sent their girls,” Mom replied. “And we can get him signed up once he’s old enough.”
“Slow your roll, Heather,” I said immediately, making my mom stiffen. “We’ll find Rhett a preschool and take care of it ourselves. He’s two. He doesn’t need to know his letters yet. Pretty sure Rumi was still puttin’ anything and everythin’ in his mouth at two.”
“It’s okay, Michael,” Emilia said quietly. “She’s just trying to help.”
I glanced at Emilia who still looked embarrassed, then back at my mom.
“Of course,” my mom said contritely. “Though Rumi was arguably the least intelligent of the five of you. I didn’t mean to overstep.”
“We know that,” Emilia said quickly.
“Just let us figure it out, yeah?” I asked, reaching out to tug at my mom’s ponytail. “And I’m tellin’ Rum you said that.”
“Sorry, babe,” she said with a half-smile. “Rumi called me old yesterday—you can tell him whatever you want.”
“It’s really okay—” Emilia’s mouth snapped shut when I sent her a look to cool it.
“I can text Kara,” I told my mom. “See what school they used.”
“I just know they really liked it,” my mom said, her shoulders relaxing.
We stayed in the living room, hanging out while Rhett and my mom did the same alphabet puzzle at least four times. It was easy and goddamn cozy, and after a while I felt my body relaxing into the couch as I dozed off.
“Daddy.” A little hand tapped my knee. “Daddy!”
“What’s up?” I asked, my eyes shooting open. Shit, I was daddy.
“Time go.”
“Oh, yeah?” I asked, watching as Rhett pulled his blanket against his face. “It’s time to go?”
“Yeah.”
“You ready to go back to the house?” I asked as he leaned against my knee.
“Gran tired.”
“Grandma’s tired?”
“Yeah,” he murmured, leaning more heavily against my knee.
I didn’t think it was my mom who was tired.
“Where did your mama go?” I asked curiously.
“Gran’s room.”
“I wonder what they’re getting,” I said, reaching out to lift him onto my lap. I didn’t go slowly or anything like that, but I was hyper-vigilant as I picked him up, making sure he didn’t mind it.
My chest felt like it was going to pop the buttons on my flannel as he curled into a question mark against me, his head on my shoulder.
“Don’t know,” he replied sleepily.
“Did you have fun today?” I asked, rubbing his back gently. He was such a sturdy kid, heavy and solid, that when you looked at him it was easy to forget how small he really was. Holding him, though, brought back just how fragile his little body was. I could feel the tiny bumps of his spine, the sharp point of his elbow against my sternum, his miniature toes curled against my thigh. A rush of protectiveness hit so hard and fast that my heart started to race, and I wrapped my arm around him, pulling him close.