Page 8 of This Reckless Home

“Gotta grab the door,” I whisper, and he nods, his hands giving a small squeeze before letting me go.

“We’ll help,” he tells me, and I smile in gratitude, reluctantly leaving his grip and turning to the door.

With an only slightly trembling hand, I open it up, my lips splitting into a large grin as Don’s freckled face comes into view. “Don! Oh I’m so glad it’s you tonight.”

“Hello, Miss. Blossom,” he greets, his own smile wide, the braces that he used to have gone and his teeth straight and white. He's filled out since aging out last year, no longer the skinny teen who left but a young man finding his footing. “I see it’s pizza night tonight. Used to love pizza night.”

“It was your favourite, if I remember correctly,” I tease. “How’s college?”

“Hard,” he huffs, but still with that slightly goofy grin of his that made him so endearing as a teen when he lived here. “But it’s good.”

A throat clearing behind me startles me. “Oh, where are my manners?” I feel the heat of someone’s body behind me, the smell of cedar, clean soap and coffee telling me it’s Anatole. “This is Anatole…” I trail off, having completely forgotten Justin’s last name and thus Anatole’s.

“Anatole, Reed,” he finishes, extending his hand out for Don to take. “This is Nox Kane and Steele Vaughn. We’re staying here for a bit with my brother.”

Don shakes each offered hand, and he looks so grown-up it brings a lump to my throat. I catch Anatole watching the exchange with something like hope in his eyes — raw and a little desperate — and I wonder if he's seeing Justin in twenty years. A boy who survived the system and came out the other side with a grin and a scholarship. I feel the weight of what I've been handed here; the chance to be part of that for them.

“Don aged out last year; he was the last one in the pool house you guys are in,” I tell them, trying desperately not to lean back into Anatole. He’s just so damn warm.

“Sweet, that pool house is awesome,” Don replies, then hits his head with his hand. “I should probably get your pizza or the kids will riot.”

I laugh. He’s right about that.

“We’ll help,” Anatole states like Steele earlier, finally stepping away and past me with Nox and Steele. It’s like I can breathe fully again once he goes, but there’s a sudden chill I don’t like at all.

“Damn, you guys order the whole menu?” Nox whistles when Don opens the boot of his car and he sees all the boxes.

“Everyone likes different things,” I tell them as they gather them up, Steele grabbing the bag of drinks. “And they’ll eat whatever’s left tomorrow.”

They bring the boxes up the few steps and to the door, and I reach into my pocket, stepping outside to give Don his tip. Anatole pauses, his eyes on me.

“Aww, Miss. Blossom, you already tipped me via the app,” Don says as I press the hundred-dollar bill into his palm. His eyes bug out. “Nah, that’s way too much.”

“Nonsense, Don. College is expensive,” I tell him, quickly pulling my hand back so he can’t give it back.

“I can’t take it, I got a full-ride scholarship,” he tells me, and I shake my head.

“No takes backs, Don,” I state, and he huffs.

“Fine, thank you, Miss. Blossom. You’re always too good to us.”

“See you next Sunday for Family Day? The children are excited for that game of tag you promised them.” My lips quirk up and he groans.

“Okay, I see this is blood money then. Those youngsters are ruthless.” We both chuckle because he’s not wrong. “See you then, Miss. Blossom.”

“Take care of yourself, Don,” I call as he jogs back to his car, giving me a cheerful wave.

“Why did you give him so much?” Anatole asks as I turn back to the door.

“It’s not right that a few have so much while so many have so little, Anatole,” I tell him honestly as we walk inside. “I have more money that I could ever spend in a lifetime, and every day it makes more interest. I’m obscenely wealthy. So isn’t it my duty to share as much of it as I can?”

His jaw works, his eyes weighing me. “Not many see it that way.”

“Well, I do,” I say. “Now, let’s eat before this gets cold.”

“What’s Family Day?” We’re almost at the dining room when he asks, and I turn back with a smile.

“We have it on the last Sunday of the month. Any of the kids who’ve stayed here and their families, if they have them, are welcome to join us. Plus, we now have a few who’ve aged out, so it’s nice to keep up with them, makes them feel like they’re still part of this family, which of course they are.”