Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 100628 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 503(@200wpm)___ 403(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100628 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 503(@200wpm)___ 403(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
“I don’t think it is,” she shot back. “I left you two with your grandmother because I thought you’d be safe, but that was clearly a mistake.”
Every muscle in my body tensed and I almost lunged at her until an amused voice came from behind her.
“Ava,” Rumi’s great-auntie Farrah said, pushing past my mother. “Always a charmer.”
“What are you doing here?” Ava asked as Brenna, Rumi’s mom and grandma Callie, his aunt Rose and cousin Lily all came filing into the house.
“We were invited,” Rose said, letting her bag bump into Ava. “How about you?”
“Time to go,” I said as soon as the last one had passed me. “Bye now. Don’t come back.”
I shut the door in my mother’s face, reveling in the sense of satisfaction I got from it.
“The hits just keep on comin’,” Bird muttered as he turned away.
“What was that about?” Brenna asked Nana as the women started unloading food from the bags they were carrying.
“Ava being Ava,” Nana said tiredly, sitting down on the couch.
“Do you think she left?” I asked, glancing over my shoulder.
“Yo,” Rumi’s little brother Titus called, coming in the back door. “That lady’s still on the porch, so I snuck around the back. Who is that?”
“Our mom,” Bird said.
“For real?” Titus’s eyebrows rose. “Huh. Look, I brought you some shit to do.”
“Cool,” Bird said, leading Titus into the guest room.
“It’s some gaming console,” Heather said, wrinkling her nose.
“That was sweet of Titus,” Nana replied. “Bird’s been glued to the TV this week.”
We all settled in while I watched the door. Rumi hadn’t texted me back but I knew he’d show up any minute.
“What can we do, Ash?” Callie asked, watching Nana intently.
“My kids—” Nana’s voice broke, and I turned my attention away from the front door. “The kids are going to need some help while I’m inside.”
They began to talk about what needed to be done, the logistics of moving our things into a storage unit and how Nana would be able to sign her and Pop’s belongings over to me, but I tuned it out. I knew that Nana was just looking out for me and Bird the best way she knew how, but I couldn’t take any more. It was too much all at once.
I would take Bird because he belonged with me, but I didn’t want the rest of it. Those things belonged to my grandparents. What the hell would happen when Nana got out, and she didn’t have anything to come home to? The thought made me shudder.
“Is Bird legally in your custody?” Lily asked quietly, drawing my attention back to the conversation.
“He’s been with me for six years,” Nana replied.
“But there’s no paperwork?”
Nana shook her head.
“Okay, the first thing we should do is get that figured out,” Lily said. “Because God forbid we don’t, and they make Bird go into the system.”
“Or back with Ava,” Farrah added.
“Bird stays with me,” I blurted, looking at the women. “I don’t care if I have to drive to Mexico.”
Rumi walked in as I was speaking.
“Who’s going to Mexico?” he asked, closing the door behind him. “Hopefully it’s your mother. That woman’s a piece of work.” He looked at Nana. “Sorry, Ash.”
“No need to apologize.”
“Is she still out there?” I asked as he came directly to me.
“No, I told her I’d call the cops if she didn’t leave,” he said, leaning down to kiss the top of my head. “What’s with the estrogen huddle?”
“Jesus, Rumi,” Rose muttered, shaking her head.
“What?” he asked innocently.
“The detectives came by this morning—”
“They waited until I left the house?” he scoffed. “Nice.”
“They said the shooting was ruled self-defense,” I told him, leaning against his side. “But Nana still has to turn herself in for possession.”
“Say what now?”
“Felons can’t be in possession of firearms,” Nana said, looking up at him.
“You’re a felon?” Rumi’s mouth dropped open. “For what?”
“Rumi,” his mom scolded sharply.
“Sorry,” he said quickly, raising his hands in surrender. “Not my business.”
“It was a bullshit drug charge thirty years ago,” Nana said, waving off his apology. “Nothing to write home about.”
“They’re seriously charging you?”
“Looks like it,” Nana said with a jerky nod. “So we’re making plans so Bird and Nova will be alright.”
“I’ll take care of them,” Rumi replied instantly.
Rose laughed. “Of course you will.”
“I can take care of myself,” I murmured, patting his thigh. “But thank you for the offer.”
“Who’s going to Mexico?” Rumi asked, sitting down on the arm of the couch.
“Nova and Bird if we can’t get the custody situation figured out.”
“What do you mean?”
“Nana doesn’t have legal custody of Bird,” I told him as his hand started rubbing my back. “So she can’t sign it over to me.”
“Who does?” Rumi asked, then he frowned as the situation sunk in. “Your mother.”
“Yeah.”
“So get her to sign it over,” he said like it was so simple.