Page 6 of Steel

Gravy. The girl wasn’t even Italian but called her world-famous spaghetti sauce gravy. One of the many adorable quirks about her. “He’ll love that, the little pyromaniac.”

“What happened?”

“Girls’ bathroom. Apparently, he thought it needed a new paint job.”

Her grimace was exactly the way I felt. Gutted. “He’s just acting out.”

“Tell me about it. Well, he’s suspended for the last few days of school. Is there any way…” I lifted my eyebrows, trying to have a sad look on my face.

Why was everyone around me sighing heavily today? “Look, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about something.”

“Oh, no. What did he do?”

Carrie giggled. “That beautiful little boy didn’t do anything. It’s my mom. She needs round the clock care and I’m the only sibling who works from home.”

“So…”

“I’m moving in with her. I’d be happy to continue watching Damon, but she lives in Sacramento.”

This wasn’t simply a pint of ice cream and full bottle of wine kind of bad day. This was a large pizza with everything including anchovies followed by a gallon of ice cream and two bottles of wine to wash it down trashy day.

Obviously, I’d physically reacted since her eyes opened wide.

“Are you okay? You look like you’re going to faint.”

Instead of fainting, I laughed, which was an entirely inappropriate reaction, but given the day I’d had so far, laughing was better than bursting into tears. “I’m fine. I’m just… So when are you moving?”

“Well, I need to pack so a week, maybe a little longer. I’ll be happy to babysit until I’m ready to leave.”

“Okay. That’ll be fine.” Like hell it would. Where would I find someone who could handle him over the summer? And for the price she charged me, which was one third the going rate? “I’m sorry about your mom.”

“Me too. It’ll be good to spend time with her. Family is important.”

If only I knew. I’d lost my parents a long time ago, long enough the memories were starting to fade. “You’re right. I appreciateeverything you’d done. I hate to do this, but I need to get back to work.”

“You work too much, Vi. You really do. You need to take time to smell the roses.”

My laugh sounded like it was coming from a bitter old woman. “You’re right. Maybe someday. Anyway, I’ll be back around eight.”

“That’ll be fine.” She opened the door and immediately, I noticed my little monster was holding a kitten. Carrie squeezed my hand, likely from seeing the look on my face. “Don’t worry. He adores little Raven. Maybe you should consider getting him a pet. That worked when I was a kid. Kept me out of trouble.”

“Maybe you’re right.” As if I could afford another mouth. But… the idea wasn’t a bad one. I could tell how much he adored the kitten. But more complications weren’t in the cards. From where I stood, I could see his little wheels going a million miles an hour as he whispered to the soft creature.

As I left, the same feeling of dread and anger that I’d fought for years swept through me. I’d come so far since my experience with my ex, but today was a reminder that I still had a long road ahead.

At least the drive wasn’t memorable, which in my mind was a good thing. By the time I walked back into the office, the crew appeared to be working hard.

“What’s wrong?” Brenda asked. “Did something happen with Damon?”

I rolled my eyes, tossing my purse into my bottom drawer. “You could say that. He started a fire. I don’t know what I’m going to do, but the school he’s in just isn’t right for him.”

“You need a change of venue.”

Nodding, I grabbed my notebook, eager to try to work out a problem I might be able to handle. “I know, but I can’t afford to send him to a private school.”

“Your ex needs to go to prison,” she chided. “His voice is grating, his attitude worse.”

“Tell me about it. However, if you met him, you’d think he was the nicest guy in the world. On top of dealing with school and the munchkin’s suspension, my babysitter is moving out of town. I am… fucked.”