Chapter 29 - Sarah Meets Eli
Mornings in my house always started with motion.
Tommy couldn’t find his shoes. Emily needed her hair redone because ponytails are for babies. The kitchen smelled like toast and kid shampoo and a hint of my sanity slipping.
Tommy drummed his hands on his knees, wildly off beat. Emily held her cereal bar like a microphone. “Mom, you sound like you could’ve been in a band!”
I laughed. “I was. It was called Laundry and Carpool. Critics loved us.”
They both cracked up. Tommy rolled his eyes, grinning. “You’re so weird.”
“I know,” I said. “That’s why I’m your mom.”
By the time we pulled into the drop-off line, the song was at its final chorus. Emily unbuckled and kissed my cheek dramatically. “Go change the world, Mom.”
“Only if you promise to finish your math homework.”
She gave me a thumbs-up and ran toward the school doors. Tommy trailed after her, waving one last time before disappearing inside.
The car was suddenly quiet. I took a breath, leaned back against the seat, and smiled. I loved this part, the shift from chaos to calm, the small victory of getting them there mostly on time and fully clothed.
I scrolled through my playlist and swapped Hall it was the expression of someone who knew his words would land when he finally used them.
I was actually looking forward to seeing him again tomorrow night. Thursday couldn’t come fast enough.