Total pages in book: 56
Estimated words: 52598 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 263(@200wpm)___ 210(@250wpm)___ 175(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 52598 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 263(@200wpm)___ 210(@250wpm)___ 175(@300wpm)
“Come on, boys, it’s time to get this shit cleared out. I’ve got the missus at home, and I’m taking her out on the town,” Matthew interrupts us with the squeaking of his door opening. He’s got impeccable timing and clearly can’t read the damn room. Shaun shakes his head. I look up to the sky for a hope and a damn prayer. Today is going to be long as fuck.
6
KODY
“Hey, Mom, fancy seeing you here.” I walk out of The Java Hut, sucking back an iced coffee. After I did what I wanted around Shaun’s, code for cleaning up the kitchen, I hopped in the shower and scrubbed my face clean from yesterday’s makeup, forgoing washing my hair, or I’d have never gotten out of the house. My brother can make a mess while doing the slightest thing. I will never understand it. Once that was done, I put my hair in a clip and when I let it down after drying off, all I needed to do was run a brush through it. Then came the hard part—figuring out what to wear. I landed on a pair of mocha-colored leggings, a basic white tee shirt, and a long flannel on top to ward off the chill that is slowly creeping in. A basic pair of slip-on shoes, and my outfit was complete. All I had left to do was make my bed, then I was out the door. By the time I made it into town, it was too late for hot coffee, well into the early afternoon, and I needed caffeine of the cold and iced variety. The weather in North Carolina couldn’t be any better. The air is crisp, and you can smell autumn approaching. Right now, as I take my first sip, the cold cream hits my mouth, followed by the pumpkin-flavored coffee. It soothes my soul. Your world may be imploding, but coffee will fix it. You may be going through a heartbreak, but coffee is there, too. You need a pick-me-up because you haven’t slept eight solid hours a night in weeks, you got it, coffee is your best damn friend. The bad part about all the caffeine that will be thrumming through my veins is I’ll be starving while grocery shopping, and that’s never a great combination.
“Hey, sweetie, I came for coffee myself.” She raises her cup, hot to my cold, and much smaller.
“I don’t blame you. Your son has horrible taste in creamer. He and Dad are two peas in a pod,” I grumble. Dad doesn’t even use creamer or sugar. Something about coffee is meant to be drunk black and will put hair on your chest. His former military days still shine through.
“Powdered creamer still? And you’ve lasted this long? Oh, honey, you poor thing. It’s no wonder you’ve got a cup as big as your head.” I’ve been holed up in Shaun’s house too long. Making my debut reappearance at a funeral wasn’t the smartest, but in my defense, I drove from Chicago to North Carolina in one day. The next day I was pooped, Mom came over, and we for a chatted a bit. Mainly her trying to persuade me to move in with her and Dad. The third day, I was back to unpacking, or kind of, getting settled. And the day before the funeral, I was at the DMV, social security office, and post office. Talk about a freaking doozy, literally attempting to keep my head above water there for a bit, which is why it took me this long to finally return to the land of the living.
“That would do it. I’m going to walk around for a little bit, see if anyone is hiring, and then go grocery shopping. Want to join me?” Other than the day she came over to Shaun’s and our time at the funeral, we haven’t had a lot of mom and daughter time.
“I’d love to, but Kody, if you need money, we’ll help you out.” The reason I went to Shaun for the expensive-as-hell attorney is because I knew he’d let me pay him back. Our parents would not; they’d do anything for their kids, and I know it. I also know they’re retired and should not be having to clean up my mess.
“I’m good. I have a nest egg still that Richie was required to give me in our divorce settlement since he kept the house, furniture, and everything in between. I just want to be on the safe side until I figure out how my photography business is going to go down here.” In Chicago, my clients were steady; they’d tell others about me by word of mouth, or they’d find me via social media. Since I’ve taken a hiatus, it’s going to take me some time, and the last thing I want to be is cash broke.