Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 95393 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 477(@200wpm)___ 382(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95393 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 477(@200wpm)___ 382(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
“Luna is up and coming down the stairs,” I tell him, “and you stink like a skank. She even left her mark on you this time.” I point at his neck, and he rolls his eyes right before he turns over.
“Stop busting my balls,” he mumbles, “it was a friend.”
“Trust me, the last thing I want is to get anywhere near your balls,” I hiss at him. “Now get the fuck up, your daughter is coming.”
I kick the couch before turning away and walking into the kitchen. “Daddy!” Luna shouts his name as she runs into the room and jumps on the couch. I toss the contents of the plastic bag into the garbage disposal before turning on the water and starting it, hoping that it makes more noise than it should.
“Daddy, Daddy,” Luna calls out again. This time sitting next to him as his face is turned away from her, his arm now wrapped around her bottom to make sure she doesn’t fall. “Daddy, it’s my birthday,” she announces to him proudly.
“Yeah,” he slurs. “Happy…” His eyes close.
I grit my teeth. “Luna, why don’t you come and help me make the pancakes.” I smile at her, hoping she comes without asking any questions. “Benji!” I shout his name, and he lifts his head. “Go lie down upstairs in the playroom.”
He sits up, kissing Luna on the top of the head, before stumbling to his feet and walking out of the room. I watch him walk out before turning back to see Luna on the couch watching her father walk away. “Do you want to do the eggs for the pancake tacos?” I ask, trying to redirect her attention. It doesn’t take much since she’s only four.
She comes running into the kitchen, standing beside the big gray marble island, hopping on the chair I have at the side. “I want to do the eggs,” she informs me, and I walk over to start the pod in the coffee machine first before walking over to the industrial, double-doored, stainless-steel fridge. Opening it, I grab the clear basket that holds the eggs. I put it in the middle of the island before bending down to grab a plastic mixing bowl.
“Here you go.” I put the bowl in front of her and grab two eggs. “Start with this.” She smiles at me as I walk to grab my coffee.
“Mom,” Rain says when she walks into the kitchen, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, “Dad came into my bedroom and fell on my bed.” She walks around the island to come to me. I open my arms for her as she hugs me around my waist. “And he stinks.”
“He needs to brush his teeth,” Luna states, cracking the egg on the counter and then smashing it in her hands and into the bowl, shells and all.
“I’m making breakfast tacos for Luna’s birthday,” I say. She smiles at me, then walks over to Luna.
“Happy birthday, Luna.” She gets on her stool with her.
“Why don’t you two go watch television, and I can cook breakfast?” I urge them as Rain steps off the stool and holds her hand out for her. Luna steps down and puts her hand in her sister’s as they walk to the family room.
Five hours later, my in-laws are ringing the doorbell and entering the house. “Where is the birthday girl?” my father-in-law, Eddie, says.
“It’s me! It’s me!” Luna runs out of my bedroom toward the stairs. “I’m the birthday girl.”
“Be careful!” I shout as I hear her walking down the stairs before sliding my feet into my black sling-back shoes.
“You grew overnight,” my mother-in-law, Gretchen, says to her.
“Hey,” Benji mumbles before entering our bedroom. “What the fuck are my parents doing here so early?”
“It’s almost noon, and the guests will be here for your daughter’s birthday party in an hour,” I remind him. “You know, the thing we’ve discussed all week.”
He runs his hands through his black hair. “Yeah, I know. I just thought it was earlier than noon.”
“Well, when you walk into the house at five thirty, noon feels like six o’clock, I guess.”
“Are you keeping tabs on me?” He puts his hands on his hips.
“You think I have time to keep tabs on you?” I shake my head. “I have two kids to keep up with. The last person I have time to keep tabs on is a grown-ass adult.”
“Sounded like you were keeping track of when I was coming and going.” He takes his shirt off, and I see the bite mark right next to his nipple. He’s not even trying to hide anything these days. I blink away the tears fighting to come out.
“Not that you can comprehend anything when you are like this”—I walk over to grab my phone and put it in the back pocket of my white jeans—“but we have a Ring cam that alerts me when someone is at the door.” I look over at him as he pulls down his pants, leaving him in just his boxers. “That’s the only reason I know what time you came home.”