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NATALIE
Boxes surround me in various states of being packed, and I’m feeling a little overwhelmed with the number of things I still have to finish. I think I finally understand what Cooper and Quinn were going through when they were moving in together.
I’ve lived in my house for years and trying to pack away those memories feels like a monumental task. It’ll be worth it in the end, though, so I keep pushing forward, thoughts of living with Tucker motivating me to finish. It’s only been a few days since he asked me to move in but I wanted to get started right away.
Since he received the threat, I’ve been staying at his house instead of my own. He’s got cameras set up and it makes him feel better when I’m there, even when he’s on shift. Tonight, I’m staying at my house to get a jump on packing. Tucker was none too pleased about it, but looking at the mess that is my house right now, I’m glad I am.
Walking into my kitchen, I grab the bottle of wine from my counter and fill up my glass. Seeing the glow of the fireflies in my backyard makes me imagine being out there with Noah trying to catch as many as possible.
My dad and I would try to catch as many as we could when I was Noah’s age. I hope I can make those same memories with him. He’s stolen my heart with his quick wit and amazing ability to remember every fact about dinosaurs.
After our afternoon together the other day, I can understand why Tucker fell so hard and fast for the kiddo. Waiting for the state to approve our application has been awful, but I know the hoops and red tape are there to protect these kids.
I hear a knock at my door and am surprised anyone would be coming over this late. Since Tucker is on shift tonight and the girls are all at home, I’m not sure who would be coming over to see me.
With my glass in hand, I open the door and laugh out loud at who’s standing before me.
My mom has a stack of boxes under one arm, tape rolls lining her other arm like bracelets, and her working overalls on.
“I’ve come to help you pack,” she announces.
“I can see that,” I say, continuing to laugh at her ridiculousness. I step back to let her into my house and watch her set all of her stuff down on my dining room table before proceeding to walk into the kitchen for a glass of wine.
“How much have you gotten done so far?”
“Just the guest bedroom and bathroom. I thought it would be a good idea to go through my closet, but it’s become a bigger ordeal than I anticipated.”
“Well, you’ve always been a clothes hoarder,” Mom teases.
“I know,” I say dramatically, shaking my fists in the air.
“Okay, I am properly boozed. Let's get started!” she says and heads upstairs with her drink in hand.
“I’ll just grab the stuff. Don’t worry about helping or anything!” I say to her back as she walks down the hallway.
“Thanks,” she calls out, and I just laugh.
We spend the next couple of hours going through my clothes and deciding what I’m keeping or not. If she wasn’t here, I would’ve kept most of it, and while Tucker’s house is bigger than mine, it’s not big enough for the clothes I literally have hoarded all of these years.
She helps me pack up the winter stuff I don’t need right now and some other odds and ends in my house. It’s much less painful with her constant stream of humor and endless ideas of how to better utilize our packing materials.
By the time we’re done, we’ve got a good chunk of my stuff packed up. At this rate, I should be done in the next few days.
It’s late when my mom leaves, so I quickly shower and head to bed. I can’t wait to get my hands on Tucker’s bachelor pad of a house. It’s going to be fun decorating the place, and he’s already given me free rein. I told him I wouldn’t go crazy though, so I’ll have to make sure it’s not too girly.
That’s going to be tough but it’ll be a fun challenge. I wish I could start decorating Noah’s room but it would just get my hopes up. I don’t think I could handle the disappointment of changing it back if we don’t get approved.
Images of our future and what our family could look like swim in my head as I drift off to sleep. I wish with everything I have my dreams will come true.
* * *
A noise startles me awake,and I quickly sit up in bed. I listen through the silence surrounding my room, waiting to see if it was an actual sound or just something from a dream.
I hear another rustling noise, and my heart rate kicks up speed. That’s not just a random noise of the night.
Adrenaline courses through me as I try to decide what to do next. I don’t have a weapon or anything in my room, which feels monumentally stupid right now. I reach for my phone and try to call Tucker, but he doesn’t answer. Probably because he’s sleeping at this time of night.
Do I get up and check out the noise, or do I stay here and hope it goes away?
