Chapter 29
Zoe
Since it’s my first time picking Avery up from school, I park my car and walk to the entrance, where a teacher stands with a walkie talkie outside the building. Other than the kids being helped by staff members into their cars, there are no kids sitting outside.
“Can I help you?” the teacher asks when I get close.
“I’m picking up Avery Kappas.” I show her a note from Bull and my driver’s license.
She looks at both, then calls for Avery through the walkie talkie before moving on to talk to someone else. I don’t have to wait long before Avery emerges from the building, holding hands with a teacher who looks to be just out of college.
“Hi. I’m Tenisha James.” She extends her hand for me to shake. “Mr. Kappas told me you’ll be picking up Avery from now on.”
“Yes, hi.” I squat down and sign a greeting to Avery. She drops her teacher’s hand to sign her response.
Ms. James smiles. “If you want, from now on, you can just pull through the carpool lane, and we’ll send her out to you.”
I look around, watching the dismissal routine. It’s a well-choreographed dance, and the line moves rather quickly, considering it was almost two blocks long when I got here. “Okay, thanks.”
Ms. James signs good bye to Avery. “Have a good evening,” she says to me before turning back to the school. On the way back to the door, several students and parents stop to hug her. I can tell Ms. James is well-loved.
Avery tugs my hand, reminding me we should get going.
The car ride to her house is silent because we can’t communicate with me being up front and her sitting in the backseat. I could turn on music, but I don’t want her to see me singing along and feel like she’s missing out. This situation is still new, and I’m not sure the best way to navigate things.
It’s not long before we pull into her driveway. I get out of the car and open the back door for her. She grabs her backpack, then leads the way to the door. Two kids in their early teens sit at the table doing homework. Avery runs to the boy with his back to the door and climbs onto his lap. He sets his pencil down and starts signing to her.
The other boy frowns. “Tyler, we need to finish our homework before your mom comes to get you.”
Tyler? I assumed that boy was her brother by the way he hopped up and started making Avery a snack after greeting her.
“Are you Ollie?” I ask the boy, still seated at the table.
“Yes, I’m Oliver, Avery’s brother. I’m fourteen and a freshman at James Madison High School. And you’re Zoe Malone, Avery’s after-school care.” The way he recites facts in a staccato tone catches me off guard. He does not seem to like the fact that I’m here.
“Your dad didn’t tell me you would be here.” I tell him with a smile that I hope will win his favor. “I’m glad to meet you.”
“Tyler and I were assigned a project in History today. It’s due in twelve days. We need to work on it for an hour each day, excluding Sunday, so we can finish. You need to take Avery to the living room so she doesn’t disturb us. Mom promised you and Avery would not be a bother.”
Guess my smile didn’t work. “Um, okay.” Wow. This kid really gets right to the point.
The other teen, who I now know is Tyler, sets a plate of cookies on the table and a glass of milk. “Avery can have her snack while we wait for Millie to get here. She should be finished with cheerleading practice soon, and we really can’t start without her.”
At the mention of Millie, Ollie’s cheeks turn pink. He nods once, pulling out a sketchbook and starts working on an elaborate drawing of an octopus.
My phone vibrates in my pocket with a text from Riggs.
Riggs
I’ll be home a little later tonight than planned. Calla wants to have dinner with me.
That makes me frown. She was supposed to have dinner at the house with us Saturday and rescheduled for tomorrow. Does this mean she isn’t coming?
Me
Okay. Tell Mitch he can take the night off. It’s silly for him to cook for just me.
Riggs
Baby, you need to eat something.
Me
I’m going to have a bowl of cereal. Then I have a date with a book in the bathtub.
Riggs
In that case, I’ll hurry home after dinner so I can wash your back.
Me
*smiley face emoji*
I slip my phone back into my pocket as the remaining member of the study group trio shows up. Tyler barely looks up when a girl throws open the backdoor without knocking.
“Hey, cuz,” she says to him before rushing over to Ollie and hugging him from behind. She squeezes him hard. “Ollie.”
Ollie closes his eyes and takes several deep breaths while rubbing the inside of his wrist with his thumb. “We waited for you.”
She takes a cookie from the plate, plopping onto a chair next to Ollie and across from Tyler and Avery. She waves at Avery, then turns her attention to Ollie’s drawing.
Millie is a beautiful girl. Her brown hair is piled on her head and she wears a sports bra and short shorts like I used to wear when I cheered in high school. She’s short and small, probably a flyer. Her legs bounce as if she’s filled with energy she can barely contain. I’m surprised Ollie doesn’t seem bothered by this.
It takes her a second before she notices me. “Who are you?” She leans closer to Ollie, placing her hand on his arm in a territorial way.
Ollie doesn’t look up from his drawing. “That’s Zoe. She is watching Avery after school now because she knows sign language. Dad was worried about Avery spending so much time at the tattoo shop.”
Millie relaxes. “Hey. I’m Millie.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Millie.” I tap Avery and sign to her that we need to let the big kids get to work. She frowns, but follows me out of the kitchen.
Tyler follows after us with the plate of cookies and Avery’s milk. He sets them on the coffee table. “She didn’t finish her snack.”
“Thanks. How do you know how to sign so well?” I ask.
“When Avery first lost her hearing, Bull and Tarah hired an ASL teacher to come here and teach whoever wanted to learn. I came every week.”
“You’re good with her.”
He shrugs like my compliment makes him uncomfortable. “My little sister is her age, the twins are only two years older, and my mom is pregnant with twins right now. I’m used to helping take care of kids.”
My eyes widen. That’s a lot of children. “You must have a full house.”
He nods. “It’s kind of nice. It was just me until I was five. My dad worked overseas, and I didn’t really get to know him until my mom got sick. Then, he came home. They keep having babies.” His face turns red as if talking about his parents having babies embarrasses him. At his age, it probably does. I know it would’ve embarrassed me.
“Get in here, Tyler!” Millie hollers from the kitchen.
“I better go. My cousin isn’t patient.”
I smile, then turn back to Avery, who’s watching me and Tyler closely. It’s not until he leaves that I realize he signed everything he said so she wouldn’t be left out of the conversation. I should’ve done that.
I give Avery an apologetic look. Sorry, I didn’t sign when I was talking to Tyler.
She just nods and pulls a folder out of her backpack and sets it on the table. I read over her homework assignment, wondering what her school day is like. Bull said she has an interpreter that spends the day with her, but what about recess? It has to be hard to lose your hearing at such a young age.
Avery looks at me with a furrowed brow. Can we start?
I nod. Sorry. Just wanted to make sure I understood the instructions.
She rolls her eyes. It’s kindergarten. Nothing is that hard.
I start laughing. Stinker. I sign, teasing her.
She giggles for the first time.
We settle onto the sofa and begin her homework. One thing I pick up on really quickly is how smart Avery is. She can read really well. I didn’t even know kindergarteners could read. We breeze through her homework and spend the rest of our time playing Barbies until Tyler pops in and signs to Avery that he’s leaving. She hugs him goodbye, and then we go into the kitchen.
There, we find Millie lying on the table and Ollie drawing on her thigh with markers. Her shorts are pushed up, allowing him access to her entire leg. He’s concentrating on the flowers he’s sketching while she watches him intently. Millie looks up and blushes. “Ollie’s practicing for when he apprentices with his dad at the tattoo shop.”
“I think maybe we should hop off the table,” I say. Bull and Tarah probably wouldn’t approve of this.
Ollie looks up and frowns. “You’re supposed to be in the living room.” He rocks back and forth in his seat, his agitation obvious although Millie and Avery seem oblivious to it.
“And you’re supposed to be doing homework.” There’s no way I’m letting this kid do something to get me fired on my first day.
A horn honks outside, and Millie sits up. “That’s my mom.” She hops off the table and kisses Ollie on the cheek. “Bye, Ollie.”
He places his hand on his cheek and nods his head once. “Goodbye, Millie.”
Once she’s gone, he gathers his backpack and supplies. “I’ll be in my room. You are not to disturb me unless there’s an emergency.” He signs to Avery. Don’t bother me.
Avery sticks out her tongue.
Okay, wow. Bull was right when he warned me that Ollie wouldn’t be excited about me being here. I smile at Avery. Let’s go play.
She grins. I like playing with you.
I’m glad someone here likes me.