Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 71843 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 359(@200wpm)___ 287(@250wpm)___ 239(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71843 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 359(@200wpm)___ 287(@250wpm)___ 239(@300wpm)
“No, but you like your friends and you are very social, and having friends doesn’t mean that you can’t commune with yourself.”
“No, I know,” he agreed, making a noise like he was hurt.
“Whatever happens, whatever you want, I’m on your side.”
“I know.”
I leaned into him, sliding my arm around his waist because the time had come and gone where I could put it around his shoulders. He had somehow become six-two, and it was disconcerting that I was still only taller than Hannah. Harper and Jake looked down at me now as well, and I could remember picking them both up at one point in time. Being an adult was weird.
A week later, on Friday, Sam came home while I was yelling at the cat.
“What?” I asked as I pulled up my jeans, noting his arched eyebrow as he passed me on his way to the living room. He was going upstairs to take a shower, as was his norm after working all day, and arched an eyebrow as he passed.
He came back down while I was starting the load of clothing that had been discarded at the back door. The sink in the laundry room had become the first place everyone hit to wash their hands after taking off their clothes, and the load of disease, as Sam called it, was done every Friday night. Leaning on the doorframe, arms crossed, he was waiting.
“Yes?” I asked irritably.
“Don’t snap at me,” he said, chuckling. “Why were you in the kitchen with your jeans around your thighs having words with your cat when I walked in the door?”
I shook my head.
“Answer now.”
I huffed out a breath. “Okay, so I started dinner by putting the homemade croutons on, and I was in the guest bathroom, standing at the toilet, when I heard the toaster oven door open.”
A smile curled the corner of his mouth.
“It’s not funny,” I snapped at him.
“No,” he agreed, really trying to sound serious.
“I leaned back just a bit so I could peer out, you know, and then there’s Chilly, with the door ajar, and he’s reaching inside the 400-degree oven to get at the homemade croutons!”
Sam started chuckling, that traitor.
“Listen, do you know how hard it is to stop mid-stream, run out with my pants open to get him away from the stupid oven?”
“I can imagine.”
“And then that asshole has the gall to look at me like I’m the crazy one! He’s lucky I didn’t play hand-kitty right there.”
“Yes, he is,” he placated me.
“Sam!”
Stepping in close, he took my chin in his hand and tipped my head back. “I’ve told you a million times, that cat has an unhealthy relationship with appliances that could kill him.”
I made a noise like I was considering that.
“But more importantly, where are your children?”
“At that gala thing with Aaron.”
“Oh yes,” he said as he bent to kiss me.
I didn’t care about yelling at the cat once he lifted me up off my feet and into his arms, heading for the stairs.
“Hello!”
“Oh, that’s not fair,” Sam groaned, putting me down and walking back into the kitchen so he could see back to the door. “What’re you two doing here?”
“Kola just called and said to be here when they got home because he wanted to settle Cataan,” Jake told my husband. “He also told us to come keep you and Mr. H company for dinner so you guys wouldn’t be lonely.”
Sam shot me a look.
“I will certainly talk to him about that,” I assured my husband, trying not to chuckle.
Harper cleared his throat. “Can we…come in?”
Sam grumbled out the yes, and said he had a craving for burritos.
“You’re having Caesar salad with grilled chicken for dinner,” I told him. “Hence the homemade croutons.”
The look I got with the eyes made me change my mind.
About twenty minutes after ten, we all heard the back door slam. Harper, who was stretched out in the recliner watching The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina with me, turned to look, as did Sam and Jake, who were studying the blueprints of our house. There was a small leak coming into the basement. Sam was convinced it was a roof leak, but Jake was fairly certain it was a leak in the window frame that was then pooling underneath and then rolling down the wall. They were both armed with caulking guns.
A few minutes later, Hannah came rushing into the kitchen, past the dining room table and over to the couch, and stood over me for only seconds, in her fluffy pink unicorn robe. It was odd, because she had taken off her sleeveless Roland Mouret gown, in black chevron organza, and her Manolo Blahnik black suede pumps, in our laundry room, but she still had on her tiara with her robe. I had enough time to lift my arms before she dropped down into my lap, mushed her face into my chest, and began softly weeping.