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“We’ll still do that.Really, Kenny.I have plenty of burgers and buns.Tell them what you’re doing and that they’re invited.”
An adorable crease formed between her brows.“Okay, but I’m going to message her.Then I’ll have time to prepare for her arguments.”
Several minutes and even more miles went by before she slipped her phone into the console.“They’re coming.”
Good.Kenny had to realize that the more they witnessed her living the life she wanted to live, the sooner they’d come to accept it.This was one more step closer to being open about us.To everyone.
She peeked at her phone screen.“I think she wants to be nosy.”
“She can nose away.We’ve got nothing to hide.Well”—I stroked my gaze down her tanned bare legs—“maybe a little.”
“Liam.”She pushed at my arm, but I only winked and made her blush deepen.“Thank you.”
“Anything for you, Kenny.”And I meant it.
Kennedy
“Bruce is really worried.”Mom sat in a lawn chair.She looked like she was ready to go to a wedding instead of sitting on a folding chair in a gravel driveway and watching fireworks.She hadn’t mentioned what she and Benji had been doing when Bruce sent out the SOS, but she was dressed in tan linen pants and a wraparound blouse.Benji wore similar pants and a solid navy-blue shirt.Instead of whatever they’d planned to do in Fargo, they were out in the country, surrounded by bugs and eating s’mores.
Liam was helping Eli light his smoke bomb.It was an hour until sunset, but he was allowing them to light the smoke bombs and the snakes that looked like turds.Benji stood close by, ready to lend Liam a hand.Benji had latched on to Liam, hanging out by the grill and holding the lit punk for Liam when he needed both hands to help one of the boys unwrap their smoke bombs.Benji laughed and would exclaim about the color of the smoke with the boys.He was really enjoying himself; it helped defuse the tension from earlier.It was nice to see another person in my life treat Liam well.
I’d known this moment was coming, I just hadn’t known when.Knowing Liam and I were friends was different from seeing us hang out.Did Mom suspect there was more between us?I wasn’t ready to get into that yet.Not after Bruce had interfered in our afternoon.
When Mom and Benji had arrived, Owen had latched on to her, showing off his truck collection, moving to his action figures, and then outside to his favorite places to play.Eli was next to her the entire time, demonstrating the techniques he’d learned to say the letter S and S-clusters.He gave Mom words to coach him through practicing.
She’d been stunned by the way the kids had dominated her visit from the start but had rolled with it, even smiled like she was having fun.I wanted more of her like this.
Liam had been right.She’d needed to be here, to play a role that was more than caretaker.And I was having fun tonight, despite the reason behind their visit, and despite the fact that they were staying at the motel and my overnight with Liam had to be canceled.
“He was nearly frantic on the phone.”Apparently, she wasn’t going to drop the Bruce subject.
“Bruce saw me at my worst.It’s hard for him to realize that I’m not in that place anymore.”I pushed my sunglasses to the top of my head.“He asked to take over my finances, Mom.”
I monitored her reaction.She nodded at first, like it made all the sense in the world.Until she frowned.“Why would he do that?”
“He heard me listening to a self-help book on personal finances.”
“Oh.”She cocked her head.“Do you need help?”
I went with honesty.Telling them I was fine wasn’t working.Just like she was seeing me celebrate the Fourth, maybe she needed to know I was working through issues.“Not like that.Derek didn’t have much life insurance and I burned most of it during the year I didn’t work.The rest will get me through to the start of the school year, but still.It’s only one wage.”
“And you bought that house on two,” Mom murmured, nodding.“Well, if Bruce wants to—”
“I don’t want him to, Mom.That’s the thing.He helped me a lot last year, and I appreciate it, but you know what?I’ve been living on my own for nearly two years.”
Sadness fluttered through her eyes.“Yes, you have,” she said quietly.
“So, if, you know, if I have to get a teaching job where I commute, or I have to sell the house and get an apartment, or I have to move—I’ll do it.I don’t need to be saved.”
I put my sunglasses back over my eyes.Mom didn’t respond.She watched Benji and Liam work with the kids on lighting more snakes.
Finally, she said, “When you had Lyme, no one would believe something was wrong.And you were getting sicker and weaker.You needed saving then.”
I nodded.I had needed saving twice if I counted the basement debacle.
“And I guess…” she sighed.“It’s just hard.As a parent.We’re not far away, but when your kid is in trouble, each minute of that drive feels like an hour.And now you’re alone.I can’t just shut the worry off.”
“But you can give me space.”I met her gaze, a lighter brown than my own.
