AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I lift my phone, recording them for a minute then send the video to both Lucy and Emma in a chat.
Me: My current view.
Lucy: Aww!
Emma: That’s incredible!
The disagreement Emma and I had last week was short lived. After a few beers that night, I was crying on her shoulder, and we were dancing in the middle of Rivers End, until the guys practically carried us out.
“Hello,” the sounds of a woman’s voice echoes across the yard and both Alice and I turn and look in the direction is came from. “Are you out here?” Suddenly Charlotte and Daniel Lincoln appear around the side of the house and my stomach instantly drops.
His mother isn’t the friendliest person, and his father is of very few words. Charlotte spends more time looking down her nose at others than offering any kind of friendly conversation.
“What do we have here?” she asks and immediately I am standing, walking in the direction of the steps toward my daughters.
“Riley and Regan,” Jay states proudly as if his mother’s wrinkled up nose doesn’t even phase him. “These two are my best buds, my princesses.” They each move in, hugging his legs, and his mother says nothing.
Until she sees me step into the picture and its like it all falls into place.
“Zoey.” She nods, but I can tell she’s finding it difficult to hold onto her words.
“I should get them inside and get them cleaned up.” I motion for the girls to join me and they release Jay’s legs and take my hands.
“Do we get to shower in our new princess bathroom?” I swear I hear a gasp, but instead of acknowledging her dislike, I continue to lead my girls inside as they carry on excitedly about their new bathroom and their bedroom, filled with all their new things.
thirty-three
. . .
Jayson
“Did I just hear that little girl say her bathroom and bedroom?” my mother asks as I gather up the yard toys scattered around the playhouse. After throwing them all into an oversized tote, I place the lid on top and then open the storage shed, setting it inside.
“Jayson,” she says my name, and I turn around to find her with her hands on her hips staring at me.
“What?”
“Do they live here?”
“Not yet, but I hope they will one day.” Her face contorts into a displeased frown. “I’d move them in here tonight if they’d agree to it.”
“Those children are not your responsibility,” she declares, and I look past her shoulders ensuring Zoey and the girls are safely inside. “I just think you need to rethink this. Taking on someone else’s mistakes can be a burden. You are still young, there’s timesto meet a nice girl, who doesn’t have a suitcase full of problems they’ve brought along.”
“Are you done now?” I ask her, seeing Grams has now joined us. My father of course, stands back allowing his wife to lead. He has no opinions and if he does, he chooses to tuck them someplace safe.
“I don’t mean to be harsh.”
I don’t know what comes over me but I laugh. “Please Charlie, you’re always harsh.”
“My name is not Charlie,” she snips, and I think of Mattie and how he loves to dig at her. I never saw the joy into it until now.
“There is no reason to be mean simply because you don’t like what I have to say.”
“You’re at my home, and one day soon I hope it will be their home too. I don’t remember inviting you or asking what you thought of my choices.”
“So, I have to be invited to visit my son’s home now?”
“When you show up and decide to criticize me and speak ill of the woman I love and the girls who may not be my blood but are mine in every way that matters…” I pause.
