Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 86126 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86126 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
“You got car seats?” Otto asked, jerking my attention away from Titus.
My face burned with mortification. “They’re in the truck,” I murmured, grabbing the keys off the small hook by the door.
“You want to just take the truck?” Otto asked as he took the keys from me.
“It’s not mine,” I replied distractedly as Ariel grabbed her blankie off the couch and dragged the basket of toys over next to the suitcases.
Otto tossed the keys out the door to someone standing outside, asking them to grab the car seats, then turned back to me. “You okay?”
My gaze snapped to his. “Yes.”
He watched me for a moment, ushering me farther into the house. “Alright. What do you want us to grab?”
“Just these suitcases and that bag.”
“And the basket,” Ariel added, pointing. “That one.”
“That’s all?” Otto’s dad, Tommy, asked in surprise as he stepped inside. He hadn’t changed since the last time I’d seen him. “Hey, sweetheart,” he greeted with a soft smile. “Been waitin’ for that call for a while. Glad to see you.”
“Thanks for coming,” I said, my nose stinging as my eyes began to water.
“Always,” he said, his eyes softening even more as he looked at Diana. When he caught sight of Ariel, he froze dramatically. “Whoa! Who are you?”
“Ariel,” my eldest said, tilting her head in question. “Who are you?”
“I’m Uncle Otto’s dad,” he said, looking down at her. “You can call me papa.”
“Okay,” she said easily, glancing at me to check my reaction.
“You wanna come with me to bring the bags out to the car?” he asked, lifting both suitcases.
“Put your shoes on first,” I ordered hoarsely when Ariel looked at me to make sure it was okay. She raced over to the shoe basket. I’d left one pair for her to wear, her other pair was already packed.
“I’ll be right back,” Otto’s dad told her as he carried the suitcases past me.
“Esther wasn’t sure what the situation was up here,” Otto said quietly as we watched Ariel pull her rubber boots on. “You think there’s gonna be problems?”
I shook my head, but waited until his dad had come back in and grabbed the girls’ bag and basket in one arm and Ariel in the other before I spoke.
“My husband died last night,” I said quietly, knowing that the words would mean nothing to Diana. “No one knows yet.”
“Okay,” he said, nodding. He wrapped an arm around me and pulled me into his side, the hug as awkward as it was comforting. “You wanna make sure you haven’t forgotten anything?”
“I’ll make one last sweep,” I replied as he let go of me. “Give me five minutes.”
“Take your time,” he said as I put on the backpack I used as the girls’ diaper bag and hurried back to their room.
I looked around the room, taking in the crib and twin bed, the dresser I’d painted with little daisies, the curtains I’d made from a vintage sheet. There wasn’t anything the girls would miss. In my room, I found another photo of Ariel and Diana that I’d forgotten on the top of my dresser and after a few moments of hesitation, I pulled open the closet and pulled out the Moses basket that both the girls had used as newborns. I’d saved and scrimped to get it for Ariel and it made me sad to think of the new baby never using it. The living room didn’t have anything I wanted to bring with me, but in the kitchen I remembered the vintage butter dish my mom had found at a garage sale when I was pregnant with Diana and grabbed that, too.
When I reached the front door, Otto gently took the basket from my arm and put the photo and butter dish inside. “All set?”
“All set,” I confirmed, stepping outside.
Ariel was standing with one of Otto’s brothers, and they were shaking their arms and legs like they were having some kind of joint fit. I glanced around the yard and finally realized just how many men Otto had brought with him.
“Like I said,” he murmured as he guided me down the steps. “I wasn’t sure what we were walkin’ into.”
“I’m sorry,” I replied quietly.
“Don’t be.” Otto shook his head once, firmly. “We were happy to do it. Your sister’s losin’ it. Can’t wait to see you.”
“Yeah?” I asked, my voice wobbling.
I’d known that my sister would help me. It’s why I’d memorized her phone number all those years ago and never forgotten it. Esther’s support was as sure to me as the sun rising in the east—but that didn’t mean that she’d be happy that I’d called her in the middle of the night, hysterical. We’d made a plan for me to move in with her when I turned eighteen and I’d never shown up. I hadn’t even called. That changed things.