Page 62 of All the Beautiful Things
“Good. Stay positive. And let me know how else I can help this week. It’s not a problem, you know that.”
“Thank you.”
Our assistant Stephanie lived in a northern suburb, but Sandra lived a few miles away out in Waukee. She could be here in five minutes if necessary. She used to stop by frequently when Melissa was sick.
She headed back to her car still idling in the drive, and I took the Mazzoli’s sacks from Lilly’s hand. She had an overnight bag draped over her shoulder. Finally, I could say hello to her the way I wanted. I gave her a soft kiss, inhaling the sweet scent of her, reveling in the softness of her lips. Lilly was so hardened but with me, as soon as I got my hands on her, she went pliant.
It was a thrill she trusted me that much with everything that had happened between us.
“Hey you,” I whispered against her lips. “How are you?”
“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” She entered and dropped her bag.
“I’m okay. Today was fine, just long.”
She placed her hand to my cheek. “How’s he feeling?”
I turned and kissed her palm. This was only the first of a million times I’d get this question over the next few months and I already hated it. “So far only tired, and grumpy because he doesn’t want us here.”
My dad came around the corner, arms crossed over his chest. “I didn’t say I didn’t want Lilly here. I toldyouto go home.”
There was a teasing gleam in his eyes and I rolled mine, taking our dinners to the kitchen. “Way to show the love, old man.”
He scowled at me again and gave the exact opposite look to Lilly. “Hey sweetheart. School going okay this week?”
“I found out today that I got an A-minus on my accounting final I took yesterday.”
“That’s great!”
“It’s luck is what it is.” She went to him and kissed his cheek, giving him a brief but strong hug. Warm emotion pulsed in my chest. The first time she came here she’d barely been comfortable enough to shake hands, much less hug, or initiate them. “You doing okay?”
“I’d be better if everyone stopped asking me that. I said I’ll be fine.”
“Wow.” Lilly patted his shoulder and stepped back. “Hudson was right. You are grumpy.”
“That’s how you know you’re really a member of the family,” I called out. “Dad’s only mean to those he loves the most.”
I said it without thought. And that familiar squeeze of pain tightened my chest. Lilly was family. Somehow she’d become that to everyone around her. Dad, Brandon… Jenna had been the first one to say it. But me? She showed me she loved me. She hadn’t said it.
And if she was my family, did that mean I’d lose her, too?
I kicked the thought to the back corners of my brain I was trying so desperately to avoid these days.
“You’re full of it,” Dad said.
While they bickered and teased, I grabbed silverware and plates, and brought out three bottled waters from the fridge. I rarely drank around Lilly at all anymore. The wedding a brief exception. Even if she only had to be in AA due to her parole and not personal struggles, I didn’t want to tempt her with something she couldn’t have but admitted she’d wanted to try.
“Quit your bitchin’ and come eat,” I grumbled to both of them.
We dug into our food and I did my best not to eye Dad’s appetite like a hawk. This road was too familiar. But while my stomach clenched, preventing me from eating, he had no problems seeing to it while he asked Lilly about school.
“So an A-minus. That’s pretty darn good considering I know you struggled with the class.”
She nodded. “It’s the hardest class I’ve taken and makes no sense. I usually like math. But I’m definitely glad it’s done.”
“Any thought on what you’ll do after next semester?”
“No. Not really. I think I’ll decide once I’m done.”
