Chapter 6
Dinner passed quickly and loudly. Brett brought his kids so they could meet the girls and Liam before Friday. Brett had two boys and one girl. Alex was twelve, an all-limbs boy who simply wanted to be outside playing basketball. Hayden was nine, covered in freckles and knew anything and everything about video games. Elle was five, covered in rainbows and glitter. She was Alex’s shadow, and he accepted it with a smile and the roll of his eyes. Kaley inserted herself easily. Eve watched everyone as they interacted, taking it all in quietly. We were going to be okay.
“So,”
Josh clapped his hands together, rocking in the recliner as we brought our after-dinner coffees to the living room. “Have you thought about what you’re going to do for work now that you’re here?”
Brett smacked his arm, earning a shout of panic from Josh, “Dude! The coffee is still hot!”
He gestured to the mug in his other hand.
“Don’t ask shit questions then.”
Brett glowered at Josh.
Squeals of laughter peeled from outside as the kids chased each other. Eve was swinging on the porch swing, reading a book.
I laughed and shook my head. “It’s not a stupid question.”
I looked at my goofball brothers with a smirk. “I am considering opening my own physical therapy company. I haven’t found any equine therapists in the area, and I think it could be beneficial for the community. Our old house is listed, when that sells, I’ll apply for an LLC, but for now the life insurance from David is supporting us and could for quite some time. My priority is finding somewhere to rent and an interim physical therapy position through the hospital or school district.”
“There is no rush for you to move out, Lucy Lu.”
Gran reassured me as she sipped her coffee.
I watched the fire dance in the fireplace and took a deep breath. “I know, but I think it’s important for the girls to have their own rooms and feel settled.”
“Sharing rooms isn’t so bad, right Brett?”
Josh elbowed him, sloshing the coffee in Brett’s mug as he was lifting it to take a drink.
Brett growled and set his drink on the table. “Try that again. I dare you.”
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, you two are really selling me on it.”
Gran hushed the boys and turned to me. “They need each other right now. Those babies are still processing their grief and being alone in a room they are unfamiliar which leads to too many unbidden thoughts. You know what I mean?”
“I do,”
I mumbled as I took a big drink of my coffee and wished it was an Irish one again. I did know what she meant. The nights alone were the worst. It was an ugly reminder that there was no one on the other side of the bed, no arms pulling me in to snuggle, silly teasing about our parenting fails of the night, no I love you’s. She was right. Nights were the worst.
Gran placed a tender hand over my knee and smiled gently. Creases formed at the edges of her kind eyes. “For now, take comfort in the arms of family. Okay?”
I nodded, swallowing the knot forming in my throat.
The door slammed open, and the kids rushed inside.
“Mom!”
Kaley shouted at the same time Brett’s kids yelled, “Dad!”
“Hey, we don’t slam doors,”
Brett chastised.
Alex panted, out of breath. “Dad, you’ve got to come with us! There’s a cat in the tree out there!”
“Mom, come on!”
Kaley grabbed my arm and began pulling.
All us adults rolled our eyes at one another, but followed the kids and sure enough, there was a kitten yowling from high in the tree, just above the branch that held the tire swing.
Kaley tugged on my arm, eyes wide with panic. “Mom, we have to save it!”
Brett crossed his arms over his broad chest. “It’s a cat. It will be fine. Let it be.”
Eve gasped and turned to me aghast. “Mom, we can’t leave it! What if it falls!”
“Cats always land on their feet, or so the saying goes.”
Josh shrugged and turned to go back inside.
“Mom!”
The girls yelled in unison.
I pursed my lips and looked up at the tiny thing. It really was being quite vocal. “Brett, go get the ladder.”
“Luce. Come on. It’s a cat,”
Brett sneered.
I huffed. “Fine, I’ll just climb the tree.”
Gran was shaking her head chuckling at all of us. She waved the kids over, and they all took a seat on the steps of the porch. “Watch your mom’s stubbornness. I bet you five dollars she gets that kitten in the next twenty minutes.”
Elle looked on nervously. “Dad doesn’t like when people are on ladders.”
“That’s because he’s a pussy,”
Josh muttered with a grin, earning him a solid punch to the shoulder from Brett. “Ow, dammit! If you keep hitting me, I’m going to stop coming to family dinners!”
“No, you won’t!”
Gran shouted from the porch.
I rolled my eyes and kicked off my shoes. “Josh, go get me a ladder.”
Grumbling the entire time, Josh shuffled his feet to the garage. Once he returned with the wooden contraption, I began climbing the tree. The kids voiced their excitement and concern all at once.
“I’m not taking you to the hospital when you fall.”
Josh frowned, but stayed close, prepared to catch me should I fall.
“I won’t fall.”
I continued my ascent. I was just a few feet away from the kitten, but we were at least ten feet from the ground. Pausing, I assessed my options for carrying it down. I had pockets on my pants, but it could fall out. Thank goodness, I had thrown on a hoodie after my shower. I could put it in the front pouch.
A loud engine roared as I ventured onto the limb of the tree the cat was on. The bark bit into my palms and bare feet, but I welcomed it with a grin. I forgot how much I missed climbing trees. Carefully, I reached out to the cat and wiggled my fingers. “Come here little guy.”
“Lucinda Marie, what the hell do you think you are doing?”
That wasn’t even my name, just a special phrase Garrett had for when I had really pissed him off. My parents chose to name me Lucy. Short. Sweet. Simple.
Chills ran down my back. That was a tone I hadn’t heard in years. He had only used it once when I decided to jump from that one cliff into the river below. I chose to ignore him and inched closer to the kitten. I made kissy noises at it. The orange fluffball finally showed interest and sniffed my fingers, its wet nose tickled.
“Oh, hey Garrett,”
Josh greeted our newcomer, leaning on the ladder and jostling the branch I was on.
It swayed as I inched forward.
“Dammit, Joshua!”
Brett backhanded his stomach.
“This ladder looks older than the house,”
Garrett grumbled as he frowned at the thing.
“That’s because it is,”
Gran commented with irritation. “Joshua, go get the metal ladder, you ridiculous boy!”
Josh huffed and crossed his arms. “I couldn’t find it. This was the first one I found.”
They all continued bickering. I shook my head and grabbed the kitten who was now licking my fingers. “Come on, Garfield. Let’s get down from here.”
I placed him in the hoodie pocket and carefully retraced my steps and made my way down the tree, only stumbling on the last step. Garrett caught me by the elbow and glared down at me.
“That was reckless, Daze.”
I grinned, triumphantly pulling the kitten from my pocket. “Yeah, but I got Garfield and survived, so ta da!”
Garrett tried to continue his death glare but lost the battle to the laughter that shook his shoulders. “Garfield, huh? Looks more like a Sebastian to me.”
I laughed, enjoying his firm grip on my arm more than I should. “Like the crab from that movie?”
Garrett smirked and nodded.
“What the hell did I get the ladder for if you weren’t going to use it?”
Josh stomped his foot and grumbled as he picked it up and went back to the garage.
Brett glared at me.
Laughing, I snuggled the kitten, rubbing my nose against its nose. “Just because you fell out of that tree as a kid, doesn’t mean we all suck at climbing.”
“Just because you are holding a kitten doesn’t mean I won’t tackle you, Luce,”
Brett grumbled.
“Dad gets grumpy about heights,”
Alex mumbled under his breath, eyeing his dad with a mixture of hesitation and humor.
“I love climbing,”
Hayden beamed, his golden curls bouncing as he ran to the tree. “Can I try, Aunt Lucy?”
“No,”
everyone, including the kids, shouted at once.
Hayden kicked a rock and sighed. “You guys are no fun.”
“Let’s try and limit the heart attacks you give me, okay Daze?”
Garrett’s thumb rubbed circles on my elbow and my breath caught in my chest. His eyes were bright as he waited for my reply.
I nodded and pulled back, severing the connection, bringing the kitten to my chest. It meowed and Kaley ran to my side.
“Can we keep it, Mom? Please?”
Her eyes went wide as she begged. Her pigtails were lopsided and worn out from a day of being a wild five-year-old.
I floundered as I looked to Gran for an answer. She smirked and shrugged her indifference. Eve beamed, a huge smile spreading across her face. The freckles on her cheeks popping with the movement. “Please, Mom?”
Brett laughed at the situation and patted my shoulder. “Congratulations on your new cat.”
Garrett laughed and tipped his head toward Gran. “Good to see you again, Gran.”
“Always a pleasure, Garrett.”
He started to pull his helmet back on as I said, “Drive safe, Garrett.”
He smirked and gave me a heart-stopping wink as he secured the helmet and climbed onto his bike.
“Well.”
Josh propped an arm on my shoulder and watched Garrett pull off. “It would seem Brett and I have a bet to revisit.”
Brett laughed and said, “You won’t win.”
“What bet?”
I asked, oblivious, too entranced by the muscular man on the bike driving away.
“That you have the hots for Garrett.”
I scoffed and backhanded Josh in the stomach. “Do not bet on my love life.”
Josh clutched his stomach, pretending that my pitiful hit actually caused pain. “I am not a human punching bag! Honestly, why do you all hit me?”
Brett shrugged as he leaned against the doorway. “You’re an easy target.”
“I hate you all.”
Josh kicked the grass beneath his boots.
“No, you don’t,”
Gran countered with a smirk. “Let’s head inside before the chill gets us.”
“Well, girls,”
I turned to Eve and Kaley. “Since your brother is sleeping, why don’t we put this kitten in your bathroom, and we can run to the store and get some supplies.”
An hour and a half and nearly one hundred dollars later, we came home with everything the kitten could possibly need, including five different toys because the girls wanted to choose their own toys for him. They immediately grabbed the bags from my arms and ran upstairs to take care of the kitten.
I laughed and closed the door behind me. Gran was all smiles as she met me in the foyer. “They look happy.”
“I think they are.”
I nodded and peered around the corner to see Liam babbling in his bouncer. “I’m sorry. I should have known he would wake up.”
“It’s ok.”
Gran smiled at Liam as she took my hand in hers. “You can make it up to me by doing tonight’s dishes.”
She winked at me before joining Liam in the living room.
Shaking my head, I set the litter box down at the base of the stairs and headed to the kitchen. Josh was already towering over the sink, scrubbing a casserole dish violently.
“Hah! You got put on dish duty, too! Switch me places and I’ll start drying.”
Josh stepped away from the sink toward the drying rack.
“Oh, no way. I am drying. You’re already doing such a great job at washing. I wouldn’t want to ruin the flow of things.”
I laughed as I bumped him out of the way with my hip.
“Is that right?”
He grabbed the sprayer and shot me in the face with frigid water.
With a loud gasp, I dipped my hand in the soapy sink water and splashed him. I screamed as he tackled me to the tile floor.
We tussled, swatting each other with dish towels until Gran entered the kitchen and began swatting at us with the damp dish towel. “You two never could work together without causing a commotion. Up. Get up, the both of you.”
Josh and I looked at one another and broke out into laughter still laying on the floor.
“You big oaf.”
I laughed and pushed against his shoulder. “You always get me in trouble.”
Josh wiped away tears from laughing so hard. “Hey, if I’m going down, so are you!”
I rolled my eyes and pushed off the ground. Gran shook her head and tsked in disapproval, mumbling to herself about rotten grandchildren and leaving us to finish the task.
I won the battle with Josh, but it did cost me a promise to ask Victoria for her number.
Josh said his goodbyes after we finished the dishes. We only splashed each other a few times post wrestling match. I carried Liam up the stairs and knocked on the bathroom door where the girls were giggling and talking happily.
Things were going to work out. Today was forward motion. Eve was smiling in the same room as Kaley and that was a huge win.
“Alright girls. Say goodnight to Garfield and go change into pajamas.”
They whined, begging for extra time with the cat, but ultimately left the bathroom happily covered in kitten fur.
Liam’s eyes had grown heavy as I swayed with each step towards his crib, humming his favorite lullaby. By the time I laid him down, he reached for his blanket and fell sound asleep. Another win for this night.
Tip-toeing out of my room, I found the girls snuggled into the same bed, laughing. I smiled and lifted Eve’s comforter over both of them. “Are you sure you two want to sleep in the same bed?”
“It’s okay,”
Eve mumbled. “She doesn’t stink too bad tonight.”
“Hey!”
Kaley pushed Eve and they both broke into more giggles.
Smiling, I kissed their foreheads and prayed they always loved one another even when they couldn’t stand each other.
“Goodnight, girls.”
“Night, Mom,”
they said in unison.
I wish you were here to see them grow, I prayed to David, wherever he may be, and made my way down the stairs as a mixture of joy and loss flooded my chest.
Gran handed me a cup of hot cocoa as I reached the bottom of the stairs and wrapped her arm around my waist. “You have a beautiful family, Lucy Lu.”
“Tonight was a win.”
I swiped at a runaway tear and smiled. “Thank you, Gran.”
“Come. Let’s sit by the fire and enjoy what’s left of this evening.”
Her cane clicked with each step as she found her spot in her recliner.
I sipped my drink, thankful it was a virgin cocoa this time. “I love that you put sprinkles on my cocoa. It’s my favorite part.”
Gran simply smiled and rocked, sipping on her own drink. “You had talked about looking for a job. Do you feel ready for that?”
I stared at the TV as it played soft instrumental music for a moment before answering. “I need something to keep my mind busy. Do I need to work? No, but I think I need something to keep my mind busy. I intended to start filling out applications tomorrow while the girls are at Brett’s for the sleepover.”
“There is a physical therapy and hospice company in the city that services our area. I know you want to do equine therapy, but this would at least get you started in Whispering Springs.”
I nodded. “I’d been looking at them before we moved, Helping Hands, if I remember correctly. They have positive reviews.”
I took a deep breath and pulled the fleece blanket at the foot of the couch over my legs. “I’ll put in my application tomorrow.”
Gran hummed. “You’ll find your place here.”
I smiled and sipped my drink. We spent the rest of the evening reading quietly and enjoying the autumn breeze blowing through the windows. Gran eventually called it a night and headed upstairs. I took the alone time to scroll the job posting website and applied to several companies within a thirty-mile radius.
By the time I submitted my tenth application, my eyes were watering from sleepiness, and my mind was mush. Slowly, I trudged up the stairs and made it to bed. I pulled the covers over my shoulders and dreamed of happy memories with David.