AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You know you’re a kick-ass mom, right?”
I turn and look at my youngest sibling. There are five of us—four girls and one boy stuck right in the middle. And while all of us are close, Fritz is the stereotypical middle child. I know we made his life hell, and being the only boy, he would go off on his own a lot. On the flip side, I know that I can count on my sisters…and my brother to an extent. He’s a little busy with a baby on the way.
But this…this is beyond anything they’ve done for me.
“Liv?”
I blink. “What?”
“You know you’re a good mom, right?”
“Why would you say that?”
She steps forward and pulls me into another hug. O’Bryans are huggers.
“I just thought I saw something in your eyes a minute ago.”
I sigh again and pull back from the hug. “You’re too smart for your own good.”
She laughs. “True but talk to me.”
“I was trying not to cry in front of them. You saw Sam’s reaction.”
She nods.
“I just never cry in front of them. It makes me wonder if I’m screwing things up.”
“Olivia O’Bryan Edwards!”
“O’Bryan isn’t in my official name anymore.”
She wags her finger at me. “No matter how much you try, you’ll never escape being one of us.”
I laugh. I’m the quiet one and sometimes it’s hard to deal with the rest of the family. While they all have big personalities, I have never felt comfortable with a lot of attention thrown my way. But I love our insane motley crew.
“I know.”
“You also know that Cora has the same worries. And look what an excellent Mom she is.” True. She has a zoo at her house, filled with kids and dogs, cats, and I think they just got a bearded lizard thing.
“I just…”
I can’t say the words out loud.
Avery gives my arm a squeeze. “Listen, I get it.”
“Do you?” I can’t keep the skepticism out of my voice.
“I do. You’re feeling guilty about taking three days away from your duties.” Then she snorts because she’s Avery. She has the sense of humor of a nine-year-old boy, so I know she’s thinking about the word duties. “But you need this, Livvy. It’s not like you’re abandoning your children. You’re leaving them with two fantastic grandparents who will spoil the hell out of them. You’ll come back refreshed and ready to tackle the move. And maybe, we can clear out your vagina cobwebs.”
“What the hell?”
She laughs. “I know you haven’t been that active since Sam died.”
Not that active? There has been not one man, no one. I haven’t slept with a man since before I had Sammy. But I don’t tell her. They do know I haven’t had a relationship. I haven’t had the time. Two kids, a full-time job, and a world of guilt that lays heavily on me every day because the kids don’t have a father keeps me busy.
But other women do it.
Nope. Not today, Satan.
