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SEAN
Iwoke up to the sound of running water and the smell of cinnamon and bacon. Vera had only moved in a few days ago, but good things were easy to get used to.
“Forget the formula.” Vera’s muffled voice came from behind my bedroom door. “Replace everything with smaller numbers. Here, like this. Can you figure out what to do to solve this problem?”
“That makes more sense than anything my math teacher told me,” Glen answered. “Thanks.”
If Vera continued tutoring Glen like this, he might even pass his tests. That woman was the sexiest miracle worker this world had ever seen.
I threw my clothes on, brushed my teeth, then joined Vera and Glen for breakfast. Of course, Vera dressed in grays, but her pants were tighter than usual, showing off her legs and hips.
“Morning, cutie. Morning, little bro.”
Vera glared at me. “Never call me that again.”
“Every couple has pet names,” Glen said.
“No cuties, sweeties, babies, or any other weirdness.” Vera gave me a pointed look as she put a bowl of pudding and a plate with an omelet on my side of the table. “Or I’ll put bell peppers into every meal for the next month.”
“What about darling?” I sat down and looked at the tiny coffee cup Vera gave me, then at the giant mug of mint tea standing next to it. Had I pissed her off last night, or was this just healthy?
“First, if that was supposed to be a southern accent, you failed. Second, Snugly Boo, I can weaponise pet names better than you can.” She could call me Snugly Boo all she wanted if it got her to smile like this.
Glen burst out laughing. Damn. That was the first time I had seen him laugh since he was a baby.
“Snugly Boo it is, Squishy Cakes.”
Vera’s eyes turned cold. “Seriously, nothing squishy and no pastries.”
“What about Snauchy?” Glen asked. “A snarky grouch.”
“That works,” Vera agreed.
Huh. Either my brother got Vera better than I did, or she’d let him get away with murder.
“So, if I behave myself today, can I get a normal amount of coffee?” I asked.
“If you wake up sleepy, it’s not the lack of coffee that’s the problem,” Vera answered. “I gave you enough to satisfy your addiction.”
I stared at the tiny cup. Sure, I knew that caffeine was addictive, but she didn’t have to put it like that. It was the most harmless addiction I could have. It sure as hell wouldn’t get me to beat the crap out of anyone.
“Mint tea is refreshing,” Vera added.
I pushed the still full cup of coffee away and gulped the tea, then tried the pudding. “This doesn’t taste healthy.”
“It’s made of barley and sweetened with honey,” Vera said. “It’s healthy.”
While I dug in, Vera finished packing the cooler for our camping trip. The fridge was filled with veggie muffins, soup, fajitas, and who knows what else Vera had made for Glen.
That’s what my mom would’ve done. And my dad would’ve sat at the table, watching her, shouting orders, complaining that something wasn’t to his ever-changing standards. That was my example of a real family, and I was imitating it too well.
“Let me help you with that,” I said, getting up from the table.
She shut the cooler and let me drag it away to the car. I added the tent and the folding chairs, then returned for whatever pots and pans Vera wanted to take along.
“Your lunch,” Vera shouted.
I turned toward her voice right as she handed the lunch bag to Glen, spoiling his attempt to buy whatever the school cafeteria served, like all the cool kids. Mom had tried to do this for a whole month after I started High School. She had given up after that.
