Chapter 24
Chapter Twenty-Four
Cassius
I got home from Harmon’s a little while ago, showered, and changed into comfortable clothes.
I so badly wanted to focus on everything he said to me, like kissing him again, but I was too focused on everything going on with my sister.
I’m glad he didn’t bring any of it up, and it was a typical day with a typical routine.
I can only handle so much. Though, maybe he knows that, and maybe it’s why today went the way it did.
He seems to understand a lot of things about me; things I don’t fully understand about myself.
Cammy should be home soon. I can’t wait. They weren’t wrong about this apartment being quiet. Even outside is too quiet. It’s nice, but it’s not what we’re used to. There is no shouting coming from outside. No loud cars. No slamming doors. No cats howling.
There’s a knock on the door. I get up and go to it.
“Did you forget your key?” I call out as I unlock the door and pull it open. But it isn’t Cammy on the other side. “What—”
Chrissy lunges for me, practically jumping into my arms with the biggest grin on her face. The woman she’s with, a young fair-skinned blond woman, smiles kindly and offers me her hand.
“I’m Shelly Turner with Child Protective Services. I’m sorry I didn’t call you, but I was told there wouldn’t be a need.”
“I don’t understand,” I say as I try to focus on what’s going on and not dropping Chrissy.
She gets back to her feet, jumping up and down in front of me. “I get to stay here and there is nothing Mom can do about it.”
“What? Why? How? I only talked to the lawyer today. We didn’t even go to court… what is happening?”
Shelly explains as Chrissy gives me another hug.
“Someone filed a complaint against your mother. When I went to check on your sister, I found deplorable living conditions. There was no electricity, no hot water, no food in the home, and the front door was hanging off the hinge. Your mother was also nowhere to be found. It took an hour of asking around the trailer park to find her. And she… didn’t make a great impression.
” My jaw drops, but the woman keeps going.
“I found that it was in your sister’s best interest to no longer be in the custody of your mother, and I’d already been told that you were seeking custody, and so I assumed, hopefully rightfully, that you would be fine to take her until the court is finalized? ”
“Wh—” I glance at Chrissy, who is grinning. “I just…” I run my hand through my hair as tears blur my vision. I grab Chrissy and hug her so tight I know she can’t breathe. “Thank you,” I whisper, turning my head to look at the woman. “Seriously, thank you so much.”
“It is my pleasure, and my job, to ensure that children are in the best care possible.” She winks, then turns to leave. I squeeze Chrissy tighter.
“Who was—Chrissy?”
“I’m here to stay!” she shouts, leaping at Cammy who just walked in the front door.
I close it and lock it, wiping my eyes. I’m too emotional lately. I can’t handle it.
“What happened?” Cammy asks. “How are you here?”
Chrissy tells Cammy exactly what happened.
Apparently, when they found Mom, she was about to toss back some pills…
came out screaming at the woman for interrupting her, and when she tried to take Chrissy, she attacked her.
She almost got arrested. Part of me wishes she had, but if she was, she’d have it good.
A warm place. Food. Things she doesn’t deserve because she can’t even provide them for her own flesh and blood.
I stand in front of my two sisters, who are smiling at each other and laughing about who knows what. I don’t care what they’re saying, all I care about is that they’re smiling and they’re here. Safe.
Maybe sometimes things do work out. Maybe not everything has to end badly. If she’s here, then this is it. This is it. This is all we need.
“Okay, I love you both so much, and I am so glad to be here, but I need a shower,” Chrissy says.
I huff a laugh and kiss the top of her head quickly as she passes by to hurry into the bathroom. I don’t tell her that her head smells and to scrub it well—I’m sure she knows.
Cammy stares at me, a knowing smile on her face. “I knew it would work out.”
“No, you didn’t.”
I drop onto the couch beside her.
“Okay, no, I didn’t. But I hoped.”
“Hope in one hand, shit in the other…”
“See which fills up first. Yeah, yeah, yeah,” she groans, shoulder bumping me.
We sit there together for a little while, not saying a word, just enjoying the happiness that’s surrounding us right now. I don’t think anything could bring me down from this mood. And I won’t let it.
“Hey, uh, if everything is all set with Chrissy, do you think you could handle me going away for a weekend?” I ask.
She scoffs. “Excuse me? Where do you think you’re going without us?”
“Harmon needs me on some sort of trip.” Her eyes narrow. “I didn’t get more info from him because I’d told him no, but I kind of want to go.”
Her smile is slow. “Then go, Cass. Do whatever you need to do but also don’t forget to do what you want. But also, also… you better be planning a vacation for us this summer. I’ll yell at that Harmon Stone myself for vacation time if I have to.”
I huff a laugh. “I’m sure he won’t mind. Hey, did you schedule your driver’s test?”
“Yeah, they didn’t have anything for like six weeks.”
“Damn,” I mutter. “Better than nothing though?”
“That’s what I said.”
I lean my head on her shoulder.
“I’m so happy for us.”
Her head rests on top of mine, and we enjoy a quiet moment before she says, “I’m going to get everything together for a shower so I can jump in there when Chrissy is done.”
All three of us sleep together in my bed that night, happy to be together again.
Once the girls are asleep, I quietly pick up my phone and send Harmon a thank you text. The word will never be enough to show my gratitude, but I have nothing else to give him in return, so it’ll have to do.
I wake up alone but hear laughter coming from the apartment. I smile to myself as I lie in bed. I’ve never felt so happy in all my life. I didn’t know what this felt like. Still, I can’t help the black cloud in the distance, threatening to hover over me once again.
I’d love to go back to sleep, but I can do that after I drop Chrissy off at school. I find her and Cammy in the dining room together, sitting at the table, eating cereal… and I find out what they’re laughing at.
“Seriously?” I question as I look at the TV that’s resting on the kitchen counter, facing the girls.
“What? We can do what we want,” Chrissy says.
“If you want a TV in the dining room, I’ll buy another one. Whose is that?”
“Living room,” Cammy says.
I roll my eyes. “I’ll get another one today.”
I pour myself some cereal, which isn’t a gourmet meal… but it’s name brand and more than we ever had before.
Cammy isn’t working today, so she comes with me to drop off Chrissy. We all get coffees and donuts—because we can—even though it’s completely out of the way.
“What do you think about going to the movies on Friday?” I ask.
“The movies?” Chrissy asks.
“I’m working,” Cammy says.
“Call out.”
“I can’t, we—” She snaps her mouth shut, then looks at me with a strange look. “I think that’s a great idea.”
“You don’t need to work at all anymore, Cammy. Maybe you should look into school.”
“I don’t know, Cass. It feels…”
“What?”
“Too soon?”
“Harmon told me we’d sign another contract when the six months are up. This time for a year.”
“He said that?” she asks.
“Yeah. So, quit your job.”
“I don’t know…” She glances out the window. “Maybe when you sign it.”
“Then you should look into classes now. This way it’ll be all set.”
“I agree,” Chrissy says as she stares at her phone. “Do what makes you happy, Cam.”
“Yeah, Cam.” I nudge her with my elbow.
A couple minutes later, we pull into the school parking lot. Chrissy hops out with a smile on her face.
“Later!” I call out.
She waves and takes off toward the doors.
“How did we get so lucky?” Cammy asks. “This feels weird.”
“It does, right?” I agree. She doesn’t smile or think it’s funny. “I don’t know the answer to that. Maybe we just finally deserve it after all the shit we’ve been through.”
She takes a deep breath, then lets it out. The drive back home is silent, and though I sucked down a large iced latte, I hop right back into bed and sleep until I have to leave for Harmon’s.