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Twenty-Two
Feed them. Spend the day with them. That had been Robin’s instructions. Nick was following those orders to the letter. He prepared breakfast while Nova sat at the table, with brand-new crayons in front of her, drawing a picture of the heaven place to show Robin and Robin’s little girl.
She greatly wanted to meet Robin’s little girl. And she wanted to see Robin again. She had asked if Robin was going to the heaven place next. He’d been a bit choked up when he’d answered that one.
His nieces had all been older when they’d lost their mothers. He wasn’t certain how to help a six-year-old understand. When he’d looked up, Noah was watching from the door. He wore battered sweatpants that were way too short, and the same T-shirt from the night before.
To put it mildly, he needed a shower. Fast. Nick braced for his first argument. “We have about twenty minutes until breakfast is fully ready. That’s time enough for you to shower and change. Go on. We’ll wait for you.”
“Daddy Nick says I can take baths at night, so you can take showers during the morning. Then the bathroom is free. After breakfast, I have to get dressed for the day, brush my chompers really, really good—” she chomped her teeth at her brother for a quick moment, looking adorable, with one front tooth missing and the other almost. “And then Daddy will brush my hair for me. Every day. Except, when new school starts, then we gots to get up earlier.”
Noah just nodded. “I’ll be right back.”
Just like that, he was gone.
It felt too easy.
Honeymoon period, Robin had called it. Said that it would take a while for the kids to feel comfortable enough to act out. That when they did, it was a sign that they were feeling a bit more established…where they were.
He’d googled it, too.
And the name of a good grief counselor. They were starting a new grief and trauma counseling center in Masterson—and Robin had urged him to get the kids started.
To help with the grieving process.
But that was for later. For today…what was he supposed to do with a six- and twelve-year-old that didn’t involve his brothers and their families?
The only option he could think of was taking them to the county park twenty miles south of town and just spending the day outdoors.
He’d take it from there, after.
The park had been an ok idea. Noah hadn’t enjoyed it much, but he hadn’t exactly protested. Nova had run around, hitting the hiking trails a few yards ahead of him, almost skipping.
She had a lot of energy for one so small. Constant motion, his kid. Noah watched over her like a hawk.
To the point it almost worried Nick. But he reminded myself—the kids had been separated for a week. And from what he’d pieced together, Noah had taken care of her this long.
Letting go of that was going to take more than just a few hours.
His next stop was probably his craziest.
Everyone in Masterson ate at Flo’s Diner at some point or another. And the kids were starving—so Nova had informed him.
Nick was exhausted—he didn’t even want to think about what to feed them. He just…couldn’t.
The diner it was going to be.
He led the way, holding Nova’s hand tightly, after they’d crossed the street. It was almost two on a Wednesday. It shouldn’t be too crowded, even though it was spring break.
The bells jangled when they entered, and the hostess looked up.
She gave a wide grin.
One eerily like the grin he’d already seen several times this morning. “Uncle Nick!”
His niece hurried over to him. He accepted her hug quickly.
Nova slipped behind his knee.
