Chapter 17
Apple was outside with Wild, watching the children play. They were kicking around a ball, and the older girls were helping Lainey. “You've got two good kids.”
Wild nodded. “Yeah. When they came to live with me, it was touch and go for a while.”
“Well, they’ve adapted well to being with you.”
“Yeah. Lainey seems to have adapted to being with you.”
“I think so. Now that her mother is home, she's happier.”
“I bet.” Wild leaned in, moving closer before speaking in a low voice. “How long will they stay with you?”
Apple shrugged. “I don’t know. I offered my place up for her to stay as long as she needs.”
“So, no animosity?”
Apple shook his head. “No. She understands what happened. If I'd known, I would have made an effort to be in their lives, and she knows it.”
“I’m glad it is working out between you two.”
Apple nodded slowly. “Yeah. We’re friends.”
Wild’s eyebrows shot up. He didn’t say more because the girls ran over, asking for water. They headed inside right as Ava pulled a pizza from the oven.
“We have food!”
The girls all cheered and moved to get food.
It was chaos for a moment as food and drinks were delivered to the table.
There was plenty of pizza for them all. The adults ate in the den because there wasn’t room for them at the table.
That was one thing about California, the houses weren’t huge, and if they were, they were very expensive.
Amelia knew she needed to pull back her feelings for Avery.
They'd been together at one point, but him asking her to live with him wasn't because they had or ever would have a relationship.
They were only friends, and that was it.
They happened to share a child, but that was all.
They weren't going to share more; she just had to get it right in her mind.
“Have you thought more about a job?” Ava asked.
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I know what I can’t do, but I need training if I want a better job.”
“Do you have any special interests?” Wild asked.
“Honestly, I liked the bar because it was around people, but now I don’t know. I don’t think I would ever want to work something like that again. It did pay well. But the—” Her gaze cut to the kitchen where the girls were laughing about something. “Just not worth it.”
Ava nodded. “I get that. I picked bookkeeping and accounting because I like numbers.”
Amelia laughed. “That’s absolutely not for me.”
“What about retail?” Avery asked.
She shook her head. “No, I don't like those people. I mean, they're the same people, but retail transactions are fast, whereas, at a bar, people stick around. You get a chance to talk to them.”
“There are so many jobs,” Wild said.
Ava nodded. “There are a lot of things out there, heck, even working at the zoo.”
“But wouldn’t that take a degree?”
Avery nodded. “You have time.”
She let go a heavy sigh. If she lived with him for too long, she would fall for him again. It would be easy. They’d already had sex, dated for a while, knew what each other liked in a basic way, and they had a child.
She needed to find work that would pay well and wouldn’t take a long time to get into a good position. She needed a miracle.