Chapter 15
Chapter fifteen
“Mom, can I have cow food?” Addy yelled from her room.
“Ladybug, it’s called cheese and crackers.”
I didn’t need to check our pantry to know I didn’t have any of the little packages that were filled with cheese on one side, crackers on the other. The image on the front was a cow in a field, hence Addy’s insistence on calling them cow food, no matter how many times I corrected her.
She stuck her head around the door. “But there’s a cow on it.”
“That’s only supposed to mean that the milk in the cheese comes from cows.”
“So it’s cow food.”
I threw up my hands, not sure why I was arguing with a six-year-old since I knew what she meant.
“Vance calls it cow food too.”
He did indeed. And he’d also called every day since he left a few days ago to go to his office in New York. And when the kids told him about the snack, he went out to buy it so he could try it.
I was in the process of deciding whether the girls were more likely to eat tuna casserole for the third night in a row or if I should open a can of spaghetti, so I wasn’t inclined to give her a snack. “We don’t have any cow food left, ladybug.”
Her cheeks blew up and her face went red. Her impending tantrum was interrupted by a knock at the door.
I opened it to a guy in a ballcap with hair sticking out the sides who was holding up a large paper bag.
“I didn’t order anything.”
He handed me the bag, and I automatically took it. “It’s for Mae Porter. Are you Mae Porter?”
“Yes, but I didn’t—”
He walked off, ignoring my protest.
A peek inside the bag confirmed what my nose had guessed. Someone had sent me burgers and fries. The girls’ favorite meal. And mine too.
Too tired to figure out which of my friends had sent me food, I took it inside.
“Girls, dinner.”
They didn’t stop coloring, sprawled out on their tummies in front of the couch.
“Chickies, dinner is here. And it’s your favorite.”
Addy looked up, her nose twitching. “Is it burgers and fries?”
I set the bag down on the table and pulled the plates out. “It sure is. From Larry’s.”
The girls cheered and joined me at the table. I pulled the bag out of their reach before they had a chance to turn the dining room into a gladiator’s arena, fighting for the same burger even though there were two in the bag. “Go wash your hands, please. I’ll get your plates ready.”
They grumbled but did as they were told. A search through the contents of the bags showed that whoever had ordered our dinner for us knew our preferences. And the kids had identical meals, with my burger being a double.
I used to live on a strict diet, only eating organic food and limiting my sugar intake like nobody’s business. I didn’t have that luxury anymore. Not that I missed spending hours cooking and meal planning, but now I ate whatever I could get my hands on (whenever I got the chance).
It was a challenge making sure the girls had a balanced diet. But things would get better. A mantra I’d been repeating a lot lately.
Elana held up a fry. “Can I have extra ketchup?”
Since ketchup wasn’t something I could afford at the moment, there was none. And the low-sugar variety I normally bought was way out of our price range anyway. “Sorry, pumpkin pants, but we don’t have any more.”
Her face crumpled and she dropped the fry. The burger she’d been holding in the other hand followed. “But I can’t eat fries without ketchup.”
Addy pushed her plate closer to Elana. “Here, have some of mine. I don’t want it.”
I blinked at my eldest, not sure if I was asleep or if I actually saw her share her ketchup. They loved each other without a doubt and stood up for one another whenever necessary. But usually their love didn’t extend to food.
“That was kind of you, ladybug.”
She beamed at me, and we finished our meal. My phone beeped a few times, but I didn’t want to answer it until the kids were in bed. Which was two hours later, after the girls conned me into reading six books instead of the usual two.
There was no falling asleep while listening to a book for my little ones. They would force themselves to stay awake so they wouldn’t miss the story.
Sinking onto the couch, I debated whether I should skip pulling it out tonight. But then I remembered all the food the kids had eaten on it, and the thought of waking up with gum or popcorn stuck to my face was enough to move my tired body.
Once I changed into my pajamas—an oversized T-shirt and shorts—I pulled the couch out and threw sheets on top of it, then a pillow and blanket. Finally, crawling under the covers, I turned on my side and checked my phone.
Malena, Keely, Linny, Nora, and I had a group chat, and there were a few messages I’d missed.
Keely: White or black?
Keely: image sent
I looked at the two images she’d sent, one of her in a skintight black dress that showed off her impressive cleavage. The other was a white babydoll dress that was so short, I doubted she could bend over without flashing everyone.
Malena: Black
Linny: Cheesus, I’m officially on a diet.
Nora: Cheesus? You know that’s not how that’s spelled. And I vote black.
Linny: Okay, spell police. Not everyone wants to curse.
Nora: Brent still making you go to church every Sunday?
Linny: He’s my husband. And I’ll support him with whatever he wants to do.
I snorted out loud at that. Linny loved him, and we would never say anything negative about her husband. They’d been together since high school, and she thought he could do no wrong.
Me: Definitely black. But you look hot in either. But if you want to go for the innocent look tonight, go with white.
Nora: laughing emoji followed by a rolling on the floor laughing meme
Linny: The only thing innocent looking about the white dress is the color. Have you seen how short it is?
Keely: Gotta go, he’ll be here in ten.
Me: Thanks for dinner, by the way.
Keely’s response told me that she was hurt about our comments. She dated a lot, but she never saw anyone more than a few times.
I clicked out of our group chat and opened the next message.
Vance: Has your ex-husband contacted you again?
He never called him by his name. Cockalorum was always “your ex-husband.”
Me: Not my ex yet. And no, I haven’t heard from him again.
Vance’s reply was immediate, as if he’d been holding his phone.
Vance: Your marriage is on paper only. Something that will be rectified soon.
Me: Have you heard anything yet?
I wanted this divorce finalized.
Vance: No.
I didn’t text back after his one-word reply and fell asleep.
The next few days followed the same pattern. Dinner showed up at five thirty, and then Vance messaged around eight after I’d put the kids to bed.
And after day three, I’d fallen into a rhythm, expecting his texts. Even though they were always short, I still liked that he checked in. I’d finally come to accept that we didn’t have a normal client-lawyer relationship. This was more, and I was afraid to think about what that meant.
It was Friday, and I was looking forward to the weekend. Hank couldn’t pick up the girls, which meant I’d get to spend time with them without the pressure of school or work.
When Vance’s text came in at 8:02 p.m., I was smiling. Until I opened the message.
Vance: Something came up. I have to stay in New York for a bit longer.
I was used to the way he didn’t fill his texts with platitudes but always got straight to the point. But the thought of not seeing him on Monday sent a pang of sadness shooting through my chest.
Me: Okay.
I almost asked him when he’d be back, but I didn’t want to sound needy. Instead, I moved on to a safer topic.
Me: Thanks for the backpacks for the girls. You really didn’t have to get them anything.
Addy’s backpack strap snapped off yesterday. Not surprising, since her backpack was a few years old and she carried all her heavy schoolbooks in it. I’d mentioned it when I’d texted with Vance last night and he’d asked how the girls were doing. Two new backpacks showed up this morning.
Vance: If they want different colors, you can exchange them.
Not only had he gotten them new backpacks, but he’d also gotten them ones that they loved: a pink princess one for Elana and a blue one with whales, dolphins, and sea stars on it for Addy.
The fact that he knew what they both liked showed how much he listened.
Me: They love them. Thank you so much again.
Vance: How was work?
Me: The same. Malena said you have a big court case coming up.
Vance: It’s the last case I have to wrap up in New York.
Me: The last case?
Vance: Last client up here, then I’m only taking clients around Denver.
Me: Are you moving here?
Vance: Yes. Bought a house and office.
Me: In Denver?
Vance: The house is in Butler, the office in Denver.
Why in the world would he move to a small town?
Me: I didn’t realize you liked Butler that much.
Vance: Fell in love the first time.
Me: You must love small towns.
Vance: I do now.
Addy appeared in front of the couch. “Momma, my throat hurts.”
Me: Duty calls, gotta go.
“How about some honey?”
Addy nodded, holding up her hands to be picked up, a clear sign she wasn’t feeling well. I sat her on my hip and rummaged through my cupboards, praying we had some honey left.
“Yes,” I called out in triumph when I found a small container that still had a little bit of honey at the bottom. After putting some on a spoon and giving it to Addy, I tucked her back into bed, praying she wasn’t getting sick.
My prayers went unanswered, because she woke up with a cough and a temperature. Since Elana seemed fine, I still drove her to daycare. My next task was to call Malena, who didn’t pick up, so I left a message.
Stopping at the pharmacy, I bought supplies, flinching at the total. But since I didn’t have a choice, I swiped my credit card, praying it would work. Thankfully, there was enough left on it for it to go through.