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Molly rolls her sleeves up and wraps her arm around Beth, guiding her out of the house like they’ve been best friends for years. “Many hands make light work. I’ll give Eden a call.”
“You really don’t have to,” I hear Beth say.
“I really do.”
Archer is still holding a tray wrapped in paper from Molly’s café. “At least you brought food I’m allowed to eat.”
There’s a giggle when I hear, “Work now. Eat later.”
My head falls back with a laugh when I realize it’s Beth’s voice drifting back into the kitchen.
“You’re going to fit in just fine.”
Seventeen
Beth
I’m standing in the middle of a room once filled with dozens of cardboard boxes, all taped up and marked in black marker, every piece of our lives categorized into words. But now, the room has a different story to tell. The walls bear framed photos of the girls, memories embedded in prints. Although, I can’t help but wish Hannah’s baby pictures were up there.
Logan stands in the entryway, leaning on the door frame with a satisfied smirk. Missy, the most beautiful golden retriever, takes her rightful place at his side, wagging her tail. The man spent the day lifting furniture and hauling boxes, and there’s not a bead of sweat to be seen.
“So, you’re officially one of us,” he announces, crossing his arms over his chest.
I shake my head, still in disbelief. “I didn’t know there was a membership card, but I guess moving day is as good a rite of passage as any.”
He laughs, a deep sound that echoes throughout the otherwise silent room. “Cora has practically taken ownership of the girls, and Molly’s all set to hire you for the coffee shop.”
“Eden offered me a job at her hair salon, but I’m afraid I’m not much good at highlights, so I’m headed for the coffee shop.”
When I asked earlier if they knew anywhere that was hiring, Molly was quick to ask if I ever waited a table. I had, but it’s been years. She smiled and offered me some work in her café on the spot. Childcare wasn’t a worry because Logan wasn’t wrong: in a matter of hours, Cora has all but adopted my children. She used to run a daycare in town, but retired last year and misses it dearly. She made me feel like I would be doing her a favor by looking after the girls while I work.
My throat went dry, and the agreement got stuck in my throat. Thinking about leaving the girls with someone else makes me anxious, but this is the fresh start I wanted, and it’s being offered to me without much effort on my part. How could I refuse?
Noticing me pale, Logan says, “Don’t be afraid to tell them no.”
I could, but I won’t because this is why I’m here. I need to be out of my comfort zone. It’s everything I wanted, and it’s terrifying.
He must see something in the look I shoot him because he barks a laugh, nodding like I’m about to enter a club I don’t know about.
“It’s a cult, isn’t it?” I deadpan.
He brushes his thumb against my chin. It’s a playful gesture but my skin still burns. “It’s so much worse.”
When we step outside, the sun begins to cast long, slanting shadows across the yard, and that’s when I spot Hannah. She’s on the grass, playing with a soccer ball, her every move full of intent and focus. She’s in her own little world, oblivious to the dwindling day and our watchful eyes.
“She’s a beauty,” Cora says, standing beside me on the porch.
She really is.
I watch as she makes a run for it, kicking the ball with all her might, but it goes astray, her aim off. She stops, her shoulders slumping with disappointment clear on her face. It pulls on my heartstrings so much I almost go to her.
But before I can, Logan steps forward. “Mind if I give it a try?” They exchange a few words I can’t hear before he playfully tackles the ball away. Her eyes light up before she runs after him.
It only takes a minute until Archer joins, and before I know it, there’s teams established.
The sight fills me with a warmth that blooms from my chest. Even Isabel, with her chubby little hands, claps and bounces in my arms, her giggles only making me laugh harder.
“Should we give it a go?”
