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“This place has cable, but I don’t think anyone will want to watch TV because of their screens.”
“Do you want to limit screen time?” Calista asked.
“No. Unless you do. This is their vacation, too.”
By eleven Rumor and Davina were out cold in their bunks. Porter and Noel slept out on the couches, and Pris and Angela had the bunks on the opposite side.
And Calista and Austin had the master suite.
While his children snored in the RV, Alphé was fighting to stay awake in Katrina’s house.
“Except for my boat, I haven’t slept away from my house since I moved out of my mother’s place.”
“Do you think you’ll have trouble sleeping?” Katrina asked.
“No. I’m about ready to pass out now.”
“Well, get moving, buddy! I’m not making you stay up.”
“I’m not working tomorrow, either. It will be the first Saturday I’ve taken off in a long time.”
“I’ll tuck you in,” she said, not quite ready to sleep yet. “I want to get a few more things put away first.”
“It already looks like a home. I’m comfortable here, Katrina.”
“You don’t know how happy that makes me. My plan is to make this our love nest.”
He nuzzled down in the pillow and smiled while she pulled the sheets up around his shoulders.
“I’ll try not to wake you when I come to bed.”
But he was already out cold, the smile slowly disappearing as he relaxed.
She closed the door and headed for the living room. The books were her thing. They had to be just so, arranged via the Dewey decimal system. Her friends made fun of her, but she could put her hand on any of the three thousand tomes she owned with no problem. Working into the night, absorbed in handling books she had forgotten she had, she lost all track of time.
At three, her phone beeped. Who would text her at that hour? It was Angela, sending a message from her new iPad.
Can you come and get us? Pris and Rumor are so homesick they’re sick.
Thinking for just a few seconds, she remembered that feeling as a child.
Did you wake up Calista?
In seconds, the return text.She’s trying to soothe Rumor, but he’s not having it. He wants Dad.
Again, trying to decide without waking Alphé, she’d talk to Calista.
Ask Calista to call me.
“I didn’t mean for Angela to wake you,” Calista said. “I’m so sorry. I think everyone is just tired.”
“You’re going to be exhausted,” Katrina replied. “Do you want to see if they’ll calm down, or should we come to get them in the morning?”
“Will you talk to Rumor?”
“Sure. Put him on.” She waited for a second and heard him sniffing into the phone. “Rumor baby, what’s going on?”
“I want to come home. I miss Dad.”
