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)
We’re in a good routine. Every morning before school she goes with her daddy to the garage and helps him open up, because I have to leave to make the forty-five-minute drive to Austin where I’ve set up my tattoo shop. I don’t mind it. We made the right choice in living arrangements. I miss Chicago but I feel like I’m at home here.
In Faceless, Connie has family, we have friends, the roads and streets are a lot safer than a busy city, the school is more intimate, and everybody knows everybody. Even though my experience growing up here wasn’t the best, my memories of playing on these streets absolutely are.
We sold Mee-maw’s house as planned, it went a lot quicker than expected but then small towns like this have so much charm for city families which is who we sold it to. I didn’t give my momma a dime much to her dismay, I did however, slap an injunction on her ass to keep her away and then I put the money I was going to give to her in a trust fund for my baby whose life was stolen because of that bitch and her mother. My brother keeps trying to contact me too to reconnect and though we’ve had a brief conversation, I’m not interested in building bridges right now. I want to focus all my time and attention on the little girl I lost because of him.
I suppose I could say the three of them are responsible for what happened to me and I don’t need to forgive any of them for any of it. It is not going to bring me any kind of peace. I find enough peace in hating them, thanking you kindly.
Marshall holds open a bun for me to slap a burger patty into. I’m so glad he’s here. I didn’t think he’d come due to him being worried he’ll bump into his parents who are a sore subject for him for obvious reasons. I’m hoping if he does, they’re over their bigotry and can love him for who he is and not based on who he loves.
What I keep drilling into Connie’s head is that love is unconditional for a lot of people, but some, such as Marshall and her friends back in care, aren’t as fortunate to have people in their lives that know how to love unconditionally. It doesn’t come easy.
“Look, Immy!” Connie squeals as she rides past me, I only just hear her through her thick helmet and over the roar of the engine.
“She still ain’t callin’ you momma,” Felicia utters as she approaches. She’s been trying to get Connie to say it since the day she met her. I appreciate her efforts, especially since I don’t want Connie to feel like I’m forcing her into anything. “I keep sayin’ your momma this and your momma that but she still just ain’t sayin’ it back.”
“She’ll get there,” Marshall offers and winks at me. “I don’t think Immy minds too much. She’s just happy to have her.”
I nod because he’s right. Being here with her day in day out is a dream I never thought would become a reality. The darkness that shadowed me for so long no longer seems to exist.
We are getting our happy ending. Sure, we’ve got to work for it. Especially with my depression that I still have to keep fighting back, and Connie’s trust issues, and Kane’s anger, oh and Connie’s anger as proven when she kicked a classmate in her crotch the second day of school. But somehow, the three of us so far just keep each other grounded and happy and full of love. I couldn’t ask for a better support group.
“Y’all keep having these cookouts I’m going to gain about fifty pounds,” Poppy calls, waddling up the driveway with her pregnant belly that seems to have just popped out over the past couple of months.
She didn’t tell us she was pregnant because she didn’t want to steal our thunder with Connie. Which of course is ridiculous. She also didn’t want to worry us because the guy she was seeing bailed when she told him she was pregnant, so she’s moving back into town to be a single momma just like her momma did with her.
“There’s my little devil bean,” I say in jest and molest her stomach.
“No hello for the incubator carrying it?”
“Shhhh, your voice is too scratchy for the little devil’s ears,” I hiss, still groping my friend.
She laughs and wraps her arms around my shoulders. “Couldn’t do this without you.”
I hug her back, squishing her six-month along pregnant belly between us. “Duh. I’m its daddy now.” Truth be told her being pregnant is such a welcome blessing.
Kane and me have had that conversation and though I’d love to experience motherhood by his side, it’s just not something either of us are emotionally ready for right now, and Connie needs all of us, not some of us. When she’s older and in a better place mentally we’ll consider introducing another child to the world. Until then I’ll be surrogate momma to Poppy’s little boy and I’ll love every second.