Chapter 7
Seven
Remi
One thing I’m learning very quickly is that thirteen-year-olds can size you up faster than a battalion chief.
We’ve been inside the house no more than two minutes, not even long enough for Lukas to set his bag down, and it’s like he’s stepping onto a scene—eyes scanning everything, taking it all in.
Assessing his new home. It’s not his first time being here, but it’s like he’s seeing it in a whole new light.
“Remember where your room is?” He glances over his shoulder at me and nods, apprehension swimming in his gaze. “If you wanna go put your bag down in there, I’ll get started on unloadin’ the truck.”
“Okay, sounds good,” he offers, his voice smaller than it normally is. I think he’s nervous, which is understandable. Hell, if I’m being honest, I’m a little nervous too. “I’ll be right out to help.”
“Take your time.”
Lukas disappears down the hall, and I pad into the kitchen and open the fridge, grabbing a bottle of water to guzzle down.
Between him and I, we loaded everything from his grandma’s house and the storage unit into the back of my truck in under two hours.
Not bad timing for there only being two of us.
His grandma offered to help, but there was no way in hell I was letting her lift a thing with the limp in her step and a brace on her wrist.
“Knock, knock.”
I lift my gaze toward the door as I watch my sister walk inside like she owns the place. A smile tugs on her lips when she spots me.
“What are you doin’ here?”
“Well, hello to you too.” She chuckles. “Thought you could use some help.”
My chest warms. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“I know, but I wanted to.” Sadie shrugs casually, completely unaware how touched I am that she showed up to help. I didn’t want to ask anyone to burn through their Saturday morning moving. “Plus, I wanted a chance to meet Lukas before you go back to work.”
“Good idea. He’s in his room, but should be out soon.”
“I’m right here,” Lukas mutters, rounding the corner. His eyes find Sadie immediately before darting to me.
“Lukas, this is my sister, Sadie.” I tip my chin toward my sister. “Sadie, this is Lukas.”
“Uh…hi,” he says meekly, standing awkwardly in the entrance of the kitchen with his hands folded over his chest. “It’s nice to meet you, ma’am.”
“Oh, please, not the ma’am.” She snickers before closing the distance and pulling him in for a hug. “I’m so happy to meet you, Lukas! I hear we’re gonna be spendin’ some time together soon.”
“Yeah…”
I chuckle to myself at how awkward this exchange is. Sadie is such a social butterfly and has never met a stranger, and Lukas looks like he wants to crawl out of his skin. Hopefully, once he’s settled, he’ll feel a little more comfortable.
“Alright, let’s get this truck unloaded,” I say, clapping my hands. “I can order us some lunch when we’re done.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Sadie offers, holding up a bag I didn’t realize she had when she walked in. “I brought stuff to make toasted Italian subs.”
“Fuck yeah. Let’s get this over with then.”
My sister clicks her tongue to her teeth. “Probably should watch your mouth now that you have little ears around.”
“Oh, trust me, I’ve heard it all,” Lukas mumbles. “My dad was a firefighter too.”
We’re about halfway through unloading the truck when I spot Hollis’s pickup pulling into my driveway. Confusion furrows my brow as he parks and hops out.
“Hey, what are you doin’ here?”
“Thought I could lend a helpin’ hand. Would’ve been here sooner, but I had to help Dad with inventory.
He told Finn and I that he wanted us to take over some of the shit he’s been doin’, but then hovers over us when we do.
” He chuckles. “Don’t know why he bothers askin’ if he’s gonna micromanage the whole time. ”
At first, I’m surprised to hear that because Gentry has always been such a control freak, but then I remember what he told me about his hand and wrist issues. He’s probably trying to lighten his load to help with that.
Glancing between my sister and my best friend, I say, “Did you coordinate this with Sadie?”
A smirk tugs on his lips. “Mayyyybe.”
“Yes, I called him since you’re too dang stubborn to ask yourself.”
“You guys didn’t have to do this.” Though I appreciate it.
“Of course, we didn’t have to,” Sadie says, waving me off. “Let’s get back to work.”
What’s that old saying… It takes a village.
After Hollis introduces himself to Lukas, the four of us make quick work of unloading the rest of the truck.
All things considered, Lukas didn’t really have a whole lot of stuff to take with him since I bought him a brand-new bed and dresser.
Mostly just his clothes and shoes, his card collection, and a bunch of stuff that was his dad’s.
He got quiet when we packed up all that stuff from the storage unit, and I can imagine how hard it was for him to do.
“I love the color of this room,” Sadie says as we set the last box inside Lukas’s new room.
“Thanks. Remi let me pick it out.”
“Solid choice.” She smiles at him, pulling a small one from him in return. “I’m gonna get started on the subs.”
“You want help unpackin’ all of this?” I ask Lukas once my sister walks out of the room.
He shakes his head. “I kinda wanna do it myself, if that’s okay.”
“Of course, it’s okay, kid. We’ll give you some privacy, but if you need anythin’ at all, just holler.”
He nods, and that’s the end of it.
“How’re you feelin’ about all this?” Hollis asks as he grabs a couple beers out of the fridge. He hands me one before cracking open his. Sadie’s already got one of her seltzers sitting on the counter.
“Alright, I guess.” I shrug. “I spent the last month preparin’ for this, but now that he’s here, I feel very unprepared. I don’t wanna screw this up.”
“You won’t screw it up,” Hollis says with all the confidence in the world.
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because I know you, and I know what a great man you are.”
Funny you say that. Your dad pretty much said the same thing.
“Hollis is right,” Sadie says. “The fact that you’re so worried shows how much you care already. I’m sure you’ll have bumps in the road, but that’s how it is for all types of parentin’. We’re all learnin’ as we go.”
It’s nice to hear both of them believe in me, especially considering I’ve been worried that I’m going to do more harm than good with Lukas.
I feel like I’m walking into this blind—and technically, I kind of am.
All I want is for Lukas to feel comfortable and happy here.
I want this to feel like his home, not like he’s crashing with someone for the foreseeable future.
“Thanks, guys.” I take a pull from my beer. “And thanks for bein’ here today. I really appreciate the help.”
“That’s what family’s for,” Hollis says. “You’d do the same for either of us. Hell, you’ve helped me out more times than I can count.”
When lunch is ready, we decide to eat out back since it’s a fairly nice day. Not too warm, but not cold enough that you need a jacket. Once we finish, Hollis helps me clean up the kitchen, and then he and my sister head out.
Even though it’s not my first time being alone with Lukas, it still feels a little…weird. To go from meeting his kid at a funeral a few months ago to now having him live in my house—it puts a lot of pressure on us.
“Do you have everythin’ you need?” I ask Lukas when he comes out of his room again. “Hangers, space, everythin’?”
He nods. “Yeah, I think so. Thanks.”
Dropping onto the couch, I grab the remote. “Wanna watch some TV?”
“Sure.” Lukas sits on the loveseat. “What do you like to watch?”
“We can pick whatever you wanna watch,” I offer. “What type of shows are you into?”
He shrugs. “I don’t know. All kinds of stuff.” There’s a pause. “Have you ever seen Modern Family?”
“Nope, can’t say that I have.”
“It’s pretty funny.” He huffs a small breath. “My dad and I started watching it before he…” His words trail off, and my heart squeezes for him. “Anyway, it’s pretty good, if you wanna watch that.”
“I’m down.”
Even though he’s seen the first season, he has me start from the beginning, and I’ll give it to him… It is funny.
“Do you snore?” Lukas asks after a couple of episodes.
The question takes me by surprise, since we haven’t really said anything since I turned the show on. I chuckle and shake my head. “Not that I’m aware of.”
“Good. My dad snored like a chainsaw.”
I can’t help the laughter that bubbles out of me. “My dad used to snore too. I remember waking up some weekends, and he’d be on the couch because my mom couldn’t stand it.”
“God, it’s the worst,” he grumbles. “Do you, uh— Do you work tomorrow?”
“No. I’m off for the next two days. I rearranged my schedule a little because I wanted to make sure you were settled before leavin’ you overnight.”
He nods slowly, but doesn’t say anything back to that. Instead, he asks, “Do you cook?”
“I can, and I enjoy it. I handle most meals at the firehouse when I’m on shift, actually.”
“Really?”
“Sure do.”
“Can I…” Lukas pauses, clearing his throat. His eyes avert to his lap like he’s nervous. “I’d love to help with dinner sometimes. I used to help my dad as much as I could, but he usually burned everything he made. Well, except for breakfast.”
I lift my brows. “Oh, really? Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day.”
He nods. “Every Saturday that he was home, we’d go all out for breakfast. Homemade waffles, eggs, bacon, sausage, freshly squeezed juice. I loved it.”
I think about that for a moment. Think about all the stuff I used to do with my dad that I never really got to do after he died.
“My dad and I used to go fishing on Sunday mornings when he wasn’t at work.
Not exactly a gourmet breakfast, but it was something I looked forward to all the time.
Something I got to do with just him because Sadie and my mom hated fishing. ”
“I’ve never been fishing,” he admits softly.
“If you want, I can take you sometime. Hollis and I go every now and then. There’s a great fishing hole not far from here.”
A small smile pulls on his lips. “Yeah, that’d be cool.”
“And look, I know tomorrow isn’t Saturday, but what do you say about helpin’ me make a big breakfast like you used to with your dad?”
“Really?” Excitement gleams in his eyes.
“Hell yeah. We can do waffles, if you want, or we can put our own spin on it and make somethin’ else.”
“Like what?”
Thinking for a moment, I say, “I make a mean French toast. Or breakfast burritos, if you’re into that kinda thing.”
“Hmm… Can we do waffles tomorrow, and maybe next time, the burritos?”
“Absolutely! We can run to the store and grab everything after dinner.”
That earns me another smile. This one’s a little less timid. “Cool.”
The rest of the evening goes without issue.
He’s talking more and seeming at least a little more comfortable.
After he goes to bed, I try to do the same, but I don’t sleep much.
Being a firefighter, I’ve been trained to listen for alarms, for the wrong kind of silence.
Tonight, I listen for grief. For doors opening.
For tossing and turning. For the quiet sounds of a kid trying not to cry.
Because as a boy who suddenly feels like he has to be strong every second of the day, I remember nighttime was my one safe space to let it all out.
When nobody was around to hover and watch. When I didn’t have to be strong.
I don’t hear a peep out of Lukas’s room all night, though. If I had to guess, I’d say he’s pretty tuckered out from the move and everything leading up to it.
Around 6:30 a.m., I smell something. It’s sweet and warm.
I’m up instantly, my bare feet hitting the cold floor as my heart pounds before my brain has a chance to catch up.
The kitchen light is on, but otherwise, the house is still dark.
I’m quiet as I round the corner, a smile tugging on my mouth as I spot Lukas standing in front of the counter, staring down at my waffle maker like it’s a complicated piece of machinery.
“I don’t think you’re supposed to operate heavy equipment without supervision,” I say gently.
Clearly not having heard me walk in, Lukas startles, nearly dropping the measuring cup he’s holding. “Crap, sorry,” he sputters. “Figured I’d get started on breakfast while you slept.”
“No, hey.” I step farther into the kitchen. “You’re good. No need to apologize. I’m just teasin’.”
There’s waffle mix on the counter, a couple cracked eggshells set aside, and he’s got the waffle maker turned on, a little bit of batter dripping down the sides.
“What can I help with, Chef?” I ask as I turn the faucet on and wash my hands.
His mouth twitches as he watches me. It’s not quite a smile, but it’s close. “Maybe the bacon? My dad always handled that part of it.”
“I can do that.” Something in my chest tightens.
I turn on some music, then we work side by side. I’ll give it to the kid… For only being thirteen, he sure knows his way around a kitchen pretty well. A hell of a lot better than I did at his age.
“You puttin’ any chocolate chips or anythin’ in your waffle?” I ask once I get the bacon in the oven. I don’t care what anybody says, cookin’ bacon in the oven is far more superior than on the stove. Less hassle and less mess.
He shakes his head. “Dad liked blueberries in his, but I think they make the waffles soggy.”
I wrinkle my nose. “Yeah, I’m not a fan of fruit in my pancakes or waffles either.”
Once we’re finished, we eat at the table with syrup and way too much better. Unlike yesterday when he got here, his shoulders aren’t up to his ears anymore.
“You sleep okay?” I ask.
“Yeah.” He nods. “That’s a really comfy bed.”
I smile. “It’s the same mattress brand I use. I’ve never slept better than on that thing.”
“Thanks,” he murmurs. “For lettin’ me stay here and for doin’ all this.”
My chest tightens again. “I’m happy you’re here.”
He smiles, but doesn’t say anything. I don’t miss the way his eyes get misty.
Halfway through his second waffle, he says, “I didn’t think I’d get to do this again.”
The words are soft, barely above a whisper, but they’re honest. Raw. I swallow past the lump in my throat.
“We can do this every weekend I’m home, if you want. Keep the tradition goin’.”
Lukas nods slowly. “Okay.”
It’s not a declaration. Not a promise. But it’s something.
And when he finishes and clears his side of the table without me asking, I realize this might be how it starts.
I may not have all the answers, but maybe I can do this after all.