“That okay by you, bud?” he asked Tristan, who let out a whoop and bounced over to me.
“If you can jump around like that, maybe you can walk?” I teased him, but then crouched down anyway. “Get on my back.”
He clambered up and almost choked me in the process, but luckily his dad instructed him and soon we were off toward their house.
We walked in silence, all of us tired from the evening’s festivities. It felt… nice, for some reason. Even Tristan’s weight on my back on the road uphill was sort of welcome.
When we made it to the front porch, I crouched down so Tristan, now half asleep again, could get down.
“Thank Oak for carrying you, Tris,” Law reminded him gently.
Tristan threw his arms around me and smooched my cheek. “Thank you, Oak!”
“You’re welcome.”
Harper dragged her siblings inside. We could hear her instructing them to not throw their stuff everywhere as they got rid of their outerwear by the door.
“Sometimes I wonder if the divorce is forcing her to grow up too fast,” Law murmured.
I looked at him and shook my head. “No, I don’t think so. Charlie says she was an old soul from the time she was born.”
Law snorted softly. “I’m not sure if we should feed that side though.”
“She’s still a kid. If we—I mean you, if you make sure she does kid things as well, I don’t see the harm. Some children just are more serious and inclined to take care of others.” I thought back to my own siblings. “I was the oldest, but my youngest sister was the most nurturing of all of us. The most serious. She’s only fifteen now. She told us she wanted to be a mom when she was like… six, I think.”
“Could be cultural, too,” Law mused.
“True, but I see a lot of her in Harper. Luckily without thatculture.” I said the last word like it was a curse.
“Yeah, there’s definitely none of that here.” Law’s vehement tone surprised me.
When I turned to look at him again, his expression was serious.
“What?” I asked, frowning a little in a way that made my nose twinge, but I ignored it.
“I’m glad you’re here with us.” Then he grinned. “And not just because you carry my kids.” He reached a hand and touched my shoulder, then squeezed a little. “Happy New Year, Oak.”
I smiled at him. “Happy New Year, Law. I’ll help you carry your kids anytime. Well, maybe not Harper. The smaller ones.”
The fondness in his gaze as he burst into laughter took my breath away. “Noted.”
As I took the steps down and started toward my cabin, I was still smiling. This wasn’t the worst way to start a whole new year, for sure.
Chapter 11
Law
Iconsidered keeping the kids out of school for another week, just to let them settle in more. But I also knew how important it was for them to start getting into a routine, and the sooner they did that, the faster they would get comfortable. Considering the education standards between Arizona and New York, I figured the kids would be behind in some things, and probably advanced in others, and the quicker they got into the swing of things, the faster they would get on level with their peers.
I’d had their previous schools transfer their records, and I’d filled out the majority of the paperwork online, so when we arrived just before the first bell, we could go straight to the office. Principal Susan Altmann was there to meet us with a welcoming grin. Wearing her hair in a low ponytail, she seemed both approachable and professional with the jeans and t-shirt, covered by a blazer and jeweled flats on her feet. She greeted us with enthusiasm that immediately put my children at ease.
Because Harper was in sixth grade, she needed to be tested on a few things to determine which classes she would be placed in. We knew that going in, and I’d prepared Harper as best I could.She still looked a little nervous as she followed the resource teacher, Mrs. Robuck, out of the room, but looked back to give me a thumbs up, which I returned.
“Now, shall we head to your classes?” Mrs. Altmann said, her smile wide. “Your dad can come with us to drop you off, and then come back here to finish up your paperwork. How’s that sound?”
I liked that she spoke directly to the kids while also giving us all the info we needed. Tristan bounced on his toes and his hand shot into the air. “Me first!” After a second, and a look from me, he added, “Please.”
“That’s a good plan.” Mrs. Altmann held the door open and gestured us into the hallway, then led the way to the elementary wing. “Ms. Donoghue is very excited to meet you, Tristan. She’s been our kindergarten teacher for ten whole years and she loves new students.”
