Chapter 31
Kirsten
‘Ah, my gorgeous kids!’ I hold out my arms, then feel my jaw tense as both twins pretend not to notice.
‘Hi, Mom,’ Aspen says with a sigh.
I lower my arms. ‘How was camping?’
‘It was amazing,’ Ash says mournfully.
‘Until you made us come home,’ Aspen adds.
‘See?’ Garrett mutters, walking past me without even a kiss on my cheek.
Annoyance rises in my chest, like stomach acid, and I swallow it down.
Two minutes ago, I was on a high and now that’s gone.
Trust my sanctimonious husband to kill the mood.
I bend my knees until I can look into the twins’ eyes.
‘Why don’t you two chill out in your room for a bit,’ I suggest, giving them my best mommy smile.
‘I bet you’ve missed your cozy beds, haven’t you? ’
Aspen shrugs, non-committal, but Ash nods and smiles back.
He is always so easy to get on side in real life; it’s a mystery why I can’t persuade him to perform for the camera.
I watch them traipse upstairs, then I follow Garrett’s path into the kitchen, trying to relax my bunched fists as I go.
Reminding myself that life is always easier if I keep him on side.
‘Thanks for bringing them back,’ I say sweetly. ‘I was not Maddie’s favorite person yesterday, so I appreciate you getting me out of trouble.’
‘It’s fine,’ he says, his voice a little clipped. ‘As long as you appreciate that a favor deserves a favor.’
My skin prickles. Garrett is not usually this assertive. ‘Go on.’
‘Well, I brought the twins back so that you could keep your promise to Maddie, and now I want you to make a promise to me.’
I place my palms against the cool quartz countertop. ‘Oh?’
‘I want you to stop this.’ He lifts his hands. ‘The brand deals, the YouTube channel, all of it. I want the twins to grow up without the world watching on, and don’t try and talk me out of it, because I’m putting my foot down.’
Inside I baulk at his blatant patriarchy, but I worry this is down to my Chicagoan heritage, so I pretend to take it in my stride. ‘And have you thought about how a ban might affect them?’ I ask instead, because prioritizing the children is always my first instinct.
‘It will give them the chance to make mistakes without consequences,’ he says, without missing a beat. ‘Time to figure out who they are without hundreds of comments telling them what to think.’
‘And when they see their competitors doing brilliantly?’ I ask. ‘Getting loads of free gear, and heaps of compliments. How do you think they’ll feel then?’
Garrett sets his jaw. ‘They won’t know. Because I’m banning social media in this house for anyone under thirteen.’
My eyes widen. I feel dizzy. I curl my fingers around the edge of the countertop to keep myself upright. ‘Excuse me?’ I say, something between a whisper and a squeal. ‘Social media has been our lifeline! Since you stopped bringing any money in, those payments have kept us going.’
‘I’ll get a job,’ he says, his voice still resolute. ‘Work at Walmart if I have to.’
I start laughing, and it’s manic and ugly but I can’t stop. ‘You think Walmart can pay this mortgage?! Have you completely lost your mind?!’
‘Hey, Dad.’
I whip around. ‘Maple,’ I blurt out, heat flooding my neck. ‘Dylan. I thought you guys were watching a movie in the den.’
‘How was camping?’ Maple asks, ignoring me, just like her siblings did. The vein in my neck starts to throb.
‘Short but sweet,’ Garrett answers. Then he shifts his gaze. ‘And you must be Dylan.’
‘Nice to meet you, Mr. Clark. Thank you for letting me stay in your beautiful home.’
Did you hear that? I want to scream. Our beautiful home, Garrett. The one I’ve worked so hard for, that YouTube has made possible. I push my lips together.
‘The pleasure is ours,’ Garrett says. ‘Are you enjoying your stay?’
Dylan blinks, gives Maple a sideways glance, then blinks again. ‘I am, yes,’ he finally says.
Garrett nods, but there’s an edge to Dylan’s tone, and he must hear it because his face tightens.
‘Why don’t you kids take a day off filming today,’ he says.
‘Give yourselves a break and do something fun instead. After all, Kirsten will be too busy filming the twins’ last ever video, won’t you, hon? ’