Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 117820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 589(@200wpm)___ 471(@250wpm)___ 393(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 117820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 589(@200wpm)___ 471(@250wpm)___ 393(@300wpm)
“It’s really cool.”
“Want me to teach you how to draw like that?”
Excitement flutters through me like butterfly wings all over my skin but I jump and stomp on it in my head, making it disappear. “No. I don’t want anything from you.”
Her smile fades and I feel a bit bad, so I quickly look at David, “I want to go back to my room.”
“Connie,” he tries but I slam my hand down on the table.
“I want to go back to my room!”
“But—” He blows out a breath and glances at the strangers that are supposed to be my parents.
“Let her go,” Kane insists. “We’ll be here for an hour, if she decides she wants to come back down, that’s cool. If she doesn’t, that’s also cool. After that hour we will come back tomorrow.”
I don’t wait for confirmation, I exit before anyone can change their mind.
Immy
“I saw her get excited, she wanted to learn,” Kane puts in and it makes me feel a little better as I stare at the door my daughter just exited through.
I rest my temple on his shoulder and smile sadly when he kisses my hair. “Do you think she hates us?”
“I think she’s just overwhelmed.”
David nods his agreement. “Give it time, she’ll come around. She’s stubborn but once she sees she can trust you, she’ll open up and let you in.”
“We ain’t givin’ up,” Kane insists and I agree with every fiber of my being.
“Not a chance,” I put in and tilt my head back. “She looks just like you, Kane. She’s even got the same scowl you constantly wore as a child.”
Chuckling, his eyes drift to the door and there’s a sadness deep in them that only I know is there. “She’s got your attitude.”
“God help us all then,” I murmur and David smiles at us softly. “Can we come back tomorrow?”
“Absolutely. So long as it doesn’t interfere with her schoolwork and y’all don’t try to take her beyond the boundaries of the property, you can come back as often as you like.”
My eyes burn with tears because I know what that means, it means he trusts us and if he trusts us, that means we will eventually get her back.
“It might not be me tomorrow, but I’ll update the other home appointed social worker on your progress.”
“How did we do?” I ask him, chewing nervously on my lip.
“I think you both kept it together better than I ever would have in that situation. Without sounding patronizing, I’m proud of you both, not only for keeping to the plan, but also for never giving up. I wish all my cases had a happy ending like this.” He zips up his jacket and stands and my heart warms in my chest at his words. Truthfully I wanted to break down and sob the moment I saw her, I wanted to grab her and pull her into my arms. I wanted to promise her the world and give her my soul to keep with her at all times but I couldn’t. “Let me show you around the place so you know what sort of establishment she’s living in.”
“Shouldn’t one of us stay here?” I ask, glancing at the door. “Just in case she comes back?”
“She ain’t comin’ back today,” Kane says with a tender smile.
“I’m inclined to agree with him. That girl is stubborn as a mule. You’re gonna have to work for it.”
“Convinced this one she liked me when really she hated me.” Kane tugs on my hair. “We got this.”
“How goes the living situation?” David asks us both while holding open the door for us to go through.
Kane holds it and waits for him, ain’t nobody holding a door open for Kane Jessop unless his arms are full of groceries or something heavy. “We’re doin’ like you said.”
“I’ve put my store on the market,” I say with a shrug. “Already got some interest. Will use what money I get from that to buy a place in Austin and open my own shop.”
“For now she’s commuting between me and Chicago but we want to make the move permanent.”
“So y’all are giving your relationship a go then?”
“We ain’t complicating things, ain’t usin’ labels,” Kane answers and David nods. “She’ll have a place in Austin regardless and I’ll have my place in Faceless. So long as both are good for Connie does it matter our situation?”
“Not at all, this is a huge change for all of you, don’t rush it, don’t force it and what will be will be. When it comes to Connie coming to live with you, if you’re still living separately we will figure it out. If you’re living together, we will figure that out too.”
I don’t know what we would have done if we got a social worker that wasn’t as kind and as understanding as David.