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But he dodges my touch, heading for the forest with Jango by his side.
* * *
Marcus gives me the silent treatment the entire way to Cat and Vera’s, and he continues to ignore me even after we arrive. I challenge him with equally pensive silence, but the longer I’ve had to calm down, the more I regret blowing up on him.
The rich scent of homemade bone broth encompasses me, Penelope, and Cat as we work in the kitchen, helping Vera prepare dinner. I listen to Marcus and Sariah laugh as they kick a soccer ball back and forth out on the patio. They’ve set up two laundry baskets as goals, and every time he’s about to score, he finds a way to deliberately fumble so she can have the ball.
I shouldn’t be watching them as closely as I am, but after all the things he confessed to wanting in his life, I can’t help it. I’m also immensely grateful that Penelope hasn’t mentioned finding us together, and I pray she never does.
Cat’s oldest storms through the living room from the back hall with a pouty huff and plops down on the couch.
“Hey, Theresa.” I turn to wave at her, expecting one of her bubbly smiles to greet me, but she only offers a half-wave in return.
I don’t get a chance to ask her what’s going on before Vera points at me with a grunt.
Glancing at Cat for translation, she nods toward the cutting board with a smile a touch too chipper for someone with their hand up a dead chicken’s rear. “She wants you to chop the veggies.”
As someone who keeps the frozen TV dinner section at the grocery store in business, I don’t know the first thing about chopping vegetables, but despite myself, I give an enthusiastic, “You got it.”
Craning to peek at the couch, she calls for Theresa to come help.
“Mom.”
“Now,” Cat says with enough authority that even I straighten up.
After a bit of grumbling, Theresa drags her feet to the kitchen and makes her way beside me. She grabs a knife as long as her forearm and then hands me one of equal size.
“Why are you staring at me like that?” she asks.
“Oh, no reason.” I source through my Girl Scout catalog for veggie chopping instructions and come up empty-handed.
After grabbing a basket full of potatoes, I remove one of the largest ones and prepare to chop. My tongue snakes out in concentration as I use the very tip of the knife to slice through the spud.
When I’ve made a decent-sized cut, I smile at my handiwork.
Not too shabby, Sinclair.
“Um, Heather,” Theresa says, already having chopped three times what I’ve managed. “What are you doing?”
I glance at the dirt coating the cutting board and the irregularly shaped piece of potato. “Is this wrong?”
Her little lips quirk. “You’re supposed to wash them first. And you cut them like this, not like that.” She takes a minute to teach me how to hold the knife properly, and what cuts to make to which vegetables.
“Thanks,” I say, glad to see her face brightening. Then I lean closer and lower my voice. “I have no idea what I’m doing.”
She gifts me a full-blown smile and whispers back, “Yeah, that’s totally obvious.”
We share a laugh as we dump the veggies into the pot of deliciously aromatic broth.
“What’s so funny over here?” Penelope asks, snagging a stray carrot from my board. She breaks it into multiple pieces, then steps back before tossing one into the air and catching it in her mouth with a smug smile.
“Bet you five bucks you can’t do that,” she smarts to Theresa.
“Oh, yeah? Bet I can do it higher!” She grabs another carrot, lobbing it up and catching it with ease.
When it’s my turn, I toss it twice as high, and… completely whiff the bite.
“Boo,” Cat jeers, deciding to join our fun.
