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WINTER
Mornings were difficult, and that one was no exception—what I wouldn’t give to wake up in Brooke and James’s house. She knew me well and would make coffee before my horrid alarm went off, hoping to lure me from sleep first with the heavenly scent wafting under my door from the kitchen. The decadent aroma of roasted beans and whatever gourmet breakfast she made had always altered my grouchy morning self into something halfway human.
I had to make adjustments. The dorm and being away at college was another reality I had to get used to. I should have been a pro by then. And to say I felt optimistic about the change in environment was a gross misconception. So far, the shrill beep of my phone’s alarm only made me wake with a groan. Good thing Piper was already out of the room and probably in some ridiculously early class.
After a half-awake shower and managing to pull on clothes for my first day, I packed my oversized messenger bag with everything I might need for class. I had twenty minutes to spare before the first one, which would work well for getting breakfast. My keys were on the desk, and I grabbed them just as a brisk knock sounded on the door.
I set my bag down, flipped the lock, and opened the door. A fortyish, petite redhead with bright-green eyes stood there. “Brooke.”
“Morning, sunshine.” She held out a to-go cup.
My greedy hand grasped it and brought it straight to my lips. The first sip sang through my body, kick-starting my brain enough that I stepped aside for her to enter. “What are you doing here?” That was when I noticed the tiny lines bracketing her mouth and etched between her brows. “That sounded rude. I didn’t mean it like that.”
A small smile curved her lips, and she visibly softened. “I know you didn’t.”
“What is it then?” I grinned. “Did you miss me?” Part of me tensed to hear her response. And though she always made sure I felt welcomed, wanted, and loved, the little girl in me braced for rejection. The truth was that I missed the hell out of her and the family I’d been included in.
“Of course, we miss you. With you and Jaxon at college, it’s lonely at home.” She squeezed my arm before sitting at my desk and glancing at the pink explosion opposite my bed. “How’s it going with the roommate?”
I shrugged. “Good. I know her from when I went to elementary school in Santa Monica. We used to be friends, and we even went to an off-campus coffee place yesterday, where I can see myself establishing residency for homework.”
“The Spot.” Brooke laughed. “It was around back in the day when James and I went to college here. It’s where we met.”
“I didn’t know that.” The smokin’ hot athlete came to mind.Wouldn’t it be funny if something developed between us and I could tell Brooke where I met him?I sat on my bed rather than hover awkwardly.
“I’m sure it looks different inside, but it was where James and I spent a good portion of our Sundays getting work done, as opposed to the library.”
I glanced at the time.
“Oh.” Brooke dug around in her oversized purse. “I brought you a piece of coffee cake too.”
My shoulders eased when she produced the cinnamon streusel. I popped the top off the container and dug in with the fork she gave me. When the sugar hit my tongue, I moaned with happiness, my eyes drifting shut briefly. I could almost imagine being back in her kitchen.
When I opened my eyes, it was to the sight of her pinched expression, and I tensed.No.She may have come because she missed me, but there was another reason behind the early-morning visit. Dread weighed heavily on my shoulders. “Just tell me.”
She deflated. “I didn’t want to do this on your first day, but it’s important.” After digging around in her purse, she produced two letters. One with California State Penitentiary stamped in the upper-left-hand corner and the other from the parole board. Both were addressed to me.
I didn’t want to take them from her. I knew the day was coming, but I’d preferred to stick my head in the sand until I couldn’t any longer. It looked like that day had come. The food I’d wolfed down sat like lead in my stomach, and I pushed the container away. “I don’t want to read them.”
Brooke leaned forward and covered my hand with hers. “I think you should open the parole one at the very least.”
I turned my head away but kept my hand in hers. I hated my mom. The few good moments with her were so few and far between. But nothing good I remembered outweighed what she’d done countless times to my sister and me.Especially my sister.
“You know James and I think of you as our daughter. And even though your mom wouldn’t grant us adoption rights—”
“Which is bullshit. She shouldn’t be able to retain any rights.”
“Well, it doesn’t matter. In our hearts, you are our daughter. And I know Jaxon feels the same about you being his sister.”
I sucked in a shaky breath as a rogue tear fell. “Why won’t she just go away?” The heated words were filled with venom.
“Oh, Winter.” Brooke got up and pulled me into her arms.
I felt sheltered. Safe. In that moment, anyway. But the letter’s presence still lingered. She was right. I needed to know. I couldn’t allow to be blindsided by anything regarding my mom. A sliver of loneliness seeped back when she released me, and I straightened my spine against it.
“I’m here for you, always. You know that, right?” Brooke hooked two fingers under my chin and tilted my head so our eyes met. Hers were bright, holding back her unshed tears.
I cleared my throat so I could speak past the lump that had lodged there. “I do.”
