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I push that thought aside. “What makes you think I need to…” I look over my shoulder to make sure one of my kids isn’t standing there listening. “I need to clean out my cobwebs?”
“You wouldn’t be this uptight if you had.”
Then, as if she hadn’t insulted me, Avery smiles and bounces out of the room calling for my kids.
I know I’m uptight. I have always been that person, the one who has to have a list of my lists. According to my former therapist, it was a coping mechanism. Yes, I got worse after Sam was killed in action, but I have always been that kind of person. It took a lot of work with Dr. Simmons to keep from going complete OCD and making my kids miserable.
“Mom,” Callie says. I turn and see her standing in the doorway. Her eyebrows are knitted in worry and she’s frowning.
“What is it, baby?”
She sighs, and not for the first time, the sound hits me right in the chest.
“I’m sorry.”
I blink. “What happened?”
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about this.”
Damn. This girl. She’s bright and funny, but she has that pensive air about her. It breaks my heart.
She’s just like you.
I can still hear Sam say it with a laugh. At the time, it had made me happy. Now, I don’t want her to be like me. I want her to have fun in life. The long dark hair is mine, but those blue eyes are pure Sam. I hope that someday she can see the fun in life and not be so damned uptight like me.
“Oh, baby.” I step closer to her and slip an arm over her slim shoulders. “I’m not mad and unless someone is hurt. I know that secrets with your aunt Avery can be fun. And she’s right. You and Sammy will have a great time.”
“We will. But I felt bad lying to you.”
I nod. Yep, that’s my mini me.
“Secrets like this are not a bad thing. Normally, I wouldn’t want you to keep things from me, but this was for your aunts and it was so you could surprise me.”
She looks up at me. “Are you sure?”
“Have you ever known me to let you off the hook when I think that you’ve done something wrong?”
She smiles. “No.”
“Exactly. Now, go finish packing.”
I get an eye roll for that comment. “I was packed yesterday.”
Of course, she was.
“Go help your brother. If Avery’s in there helping him, he will end up at your grandparents’ with five shirts, one pair of pants, and no underwear.”
The giggle I get out of that comment calms some of my nerves.
She steps back, but I can’t let her get away without saying it.
“I love you, baby.”
She tosses a smile over her shoulder. “I love you too, Mom.”
Then she’s gone and it doesn’t take long before there is a ruckus in Sam’s room. Callie is throwing orders around. I glance at Houdini. His mohawk is looking more defined today. I have a feeling Avery put something in his hair to style it.
“What do you think is going on in there?”
