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)
“He said gross things and––”
“No,” Hannah corrected her. “He said scary things, and he’s a bully, and when I was getting stuff out of the closet, I turned around, and because my hands were full, he hit me.”
Sam gave her a final squeeze and then let go, taking a step back so he could see her face.
“So then after he hit you, you dropped whatever it was and made him pay for hitting you.”
“No, because I didn’t want to cause trouble and make Lucy’s mom take back her permission for Lucy to stay with us longer.”
“Let me understand,” Sam said coolly. “Lucy’s mother was at home when this happened?” Both girls nodded. “Okay, put on your coats, let’s get in the car.”
Hannah whirled around, giving a tiny clap, grinning from ear to ear before she grabbed Lucy’s hand and they ran out of the kitchen.
“You do realize that you can’t just go over there, break into Lucy’s parents’ house, beat up the stepbrother, and take the rest of her stuff, right?”
“Yes,” he said flatly, leaving the kitchen after them.
I followed him out of the kitchen to our screened in, heated and insulated, back porch. That was where the coat racks were, where our washer and dryer lived, as well as a large laundry room sink and lots of storage space. You reached our deck through there, which was pretty big, and had attached stairs that descended to the yard. “We don’t have custody over Lucy.”
“No,” he agreed, looking for the coat he wanted. “But her father has at least half.”
Minutes later, I was waiting by the back door, Sam was in his SUV, and Hannah and Lucy came into the kitchen swaddled in puffer coats, scarves and their HRC beanies.
“Why isn’t that stuff out here?”
“We were taking pics for IG so we took them upstairs,” Hannah answered.
“You just wound your father up on purpose,” I said to my daughter.
“I didn’t wind him up, I answered his questions,” she explained to me. “Was I thinking all day long after Seth hit me that it’d be great to see him piss his pants when Dad was standing over him?” she asked, pausing for effect. “Why yes. Yes, I was.”
I looked over at Lucy. “Do you and your stepbrothers get along at all?”
She shook her head. “No. Seth hates me because he’s the oldest and his dad promised him his own room. I was supposed to give up mine and share with Kevin because we’re the same age, but I kept my room because they’re both boys and I’m a girl.”
I nodded. “That makes sense.”
She gave me a wan smile. “To you it does, because you see me, just like Mr. Kage. When I went to the Blackhawks game with him and Kola and Hannah, Mr. Kage bought me a pink jersey,” she said, her eyes filling. “When I said I wanted pink, the guy selling them looked at me weird, but Mr. Kage was all, you heard her, we need pink.”
I couldn’t take it. Crossing the room, I took her into my arms.
She clutched at me and buried her face in my shoulder, since we were the exact same height. “Mr. Pittman thinks I’m how I am for attention. My mom thinks that I’m doing it to punish her for leaving my dad and marrying Mr. Pittman. But I’m not. I promise.”
“Of course you’re not,” I said, glancing at Hannah.
“I love you so much,” Hannah said, breaking down, wrapping her arms around me and Lucy, squeezing tight.
We would have had a moment, but the food processor turned on. I did a slow pan to Kola, and he shut it off.
“What?”
“We’re bonding over here,” I explained to him.
“Well, I’m making coleslaw over here, so you need to get the sweet corn out of the freezer and start the guacamole. Plus, the enchilada sauce won’t cook itself.”
Lucy took a breath. “See? Kola just wants to eat. He doesn’t care about anything else. That’s all I’m asking for. Why does it matter to anyone what I am as long as I’m a good person?”
“I don’t know, sweetie,” I said, as Sam rushed back into the house and asked what the hold up was. I chuckled when I saw him.
“What?”
“I like the outfit,” I assured him. He had on hiking boots, a heavy parka over his sweater and T-shirt, and a long scarf wrapped twice around his neck. “But where’s your beanie?”
He pulled it from his coat pocket, and I snorted when I saw that he’d grabbed my rainbow-pride one. “Really? Why don’t you wear your pink pussyhat instead?”
“I’m good with this,” he told me before he walked over, gave me a kiss, and then went out the back door.
“Girls,” I called over to them. “Do exactly what he says.”
“We promise,” Hannah assured me.
When the door closed and they were all gone, I glanced over at Kola.