Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 93140 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 466(@200wpm)___ 373(@250wpm)___ 310(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93140 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 466(@200wpm)___ 373(@250wpm)___ 310(@300wpm)
“I’m an adult.”
“So?”
“So, you’re not.”
Grams got up and took Leo’s empty plate. “He has a point, Grant. If you want him to act a certain way, you need to mind your own rules.”
Leo boasted a smug smile. The little shit knew I wouldn’t argue with Grams. “Yeah, Grant. I only say bad words because I hear them from you.”
I made a face that screamed bullshit. “My ass.”
Leo pointed to me and looked at Grams. “See, there he goes again!”
Grams sighed and turned on the sink to rinse Leo’s plate. “Settle down now, boys.”
The brat was just about to eat the last bite of his sandwich when I swiped it from his hand and popped it into my mouth.
“Hey…” Leo whined.
I grinned. “You heard the lady. Settle down now, kid.”
Grams came back to the table. “Grant, I really do need you to play Santa this weekend at the Pia’s Place Christmas in July party. You know Pops usually does it. But I don’t think he’s up to it this year. Sometimes he forgets what he’s doing, and I don’t want him to scare any of the little kids.”
“Can’t you find someone else?”
Grams frowned. “It’s a family tradition now. I think it should be passed down to you.”
Leo grinned from ear to ear. “Yeah, Grant. It’s a family tradition.”
The little shit was in rare form today. But I couldn’t say no to my grandmother. Even though I suspected I’d been set up from the get-go today. She’d lured me into the conversation about doing things for her, just so I couldn’t refuse.
“Fine.” I pouted. “But if any little kids pee on me, I’m telling you now, next year the tradition will be passed to Kate’s husband.”
Grams walked over and cupped my cheeks. “Thank you, sweetheart. It means a lot to me.”
Later in the evening, on the ride to Leo’s house, he mentioned he was going up to San Bernardino next weekend so he wouldn’t be at the Christmas in July festival this year.
I glanced over at him and back to the road. “San Bernardino? What are you doing there?” I knew of only one reason he might be making that trip, and I hoped I was wrong.
“My mom’s back in town. She’s picking me up and taking me to visit my sister.”
Shit. “Rose is taking you to see Lily?”
Leo frowned. “That’s what my social worker said.”
Chapter 14
* * *
Grant - 11 years ago
“Don’t let her drive. She was up all night again, you know?” Mom whispered as we sat in the kitchen drinking coffee together.
“Yeah, I know. She was in the garage painting. She’ll probably pass out in the car on the drive up. I won’t let her behind the wheel.”
Lily had been living with us again for a few months now—her fourth time back in four years. The foster care system had created a vicious cycle. Every time Lily would start to get settled in with us, they’d put her back with her mom—even though she never wanted to go at first. Then once she was living with her mom again, she would feel responsible for taking care of her and not want to put her back into a mental health facility. Things would eventually get really bad, and Lily would be removed and upset. She’d come back to our house, and it would take a few months for her to settle in again. Seven or eight months later, the entire circle jerk happened again.
Broken system. Though, as of today, Lily was officially not part of the fucked-up world of foster care anymore. Because today was her eighteenth birthday. Unfortunately, the only thing she wanted for her birthday was to drive upstate and visit her mom. Which was one of the reasons she’d been up all night painting again. She got anxious when there was anything to do with Rose, and painting soothed her when her mind couldn’t rest.
“Dad and I were talking,” Mom said. “We think maybe Lily should see a counselor. Someone privately, outside of the social services system. She’s had five different counselors since she first came here, and I think she would benefit from some consistency. She’s been through a lot—the constant moves back and forth, being taken away from her mother, us moving from Big Bear Lake closer to LA because of all my appointments, my being sick…”
Of course it was a lot, and she was right. Lily took Mom’s ovarian cancer diagnosis just as badly as I did. I had no doubt Lily should talk to someone on a regular basis. But she’d been looking forward to her eighteenth birthday mainly because the state couldn’t force her to go see a shrink once a month anymore. To her, seeing a therapist of any kind meant she was crazy like her mother.
“I don’t know, Mom. She’s not going to want to go.”