Page 17 of Broken Warrior
“Did you have fun with Auntie Dori and Uncle Zak?”
He grins at me in the rear view. “Yep. Uncle Zak and me taught Fabio some jokes, then he took me to pick up a special breakfast for Auntie Dori because she’s got a baby bellyache and can’t eats a lot of stuff without puking, but we got real breakfast for us.”
I giggle a little.
Pregnancy through the eyes of a four-year-old.
And I can totally relate to Dori’sbaby bellyache. I had horrible morning sickness with James and I’d put money on them having a boy because of it.
“After we ate, Auntie Dori was feeling better so we all went for a walkie and GTO had a huge poop by a tree. It was gross and smelly. Then me and Dori took a nap while Uncle Zak packed up some of their stuff.”
“Sounds like a great day, bud.”
He nods, his dark shaggy hair flopping around his face. “It was the best. We colored and watched Star Wars. Uncle Zak said next time I come over we’re gonna go to the new house and I can pick out which room I get to sleep in when I stay over.”
My heart squeezes just a bit.
Listening to him talk about our family, a bedroom just for him, the way Zak and Dori dote on him like they’ve been there since the day he was born, it’s all so bittersweet.
Bitter because they weren’t there through my pregnancy, didn’t get to hold James when he was a baby and go through all the milestones with us. It’s sweet though because the time that passed without them didn’t separate us, and doesn’t define the relationships they’re building now. My sister is amazing and so is her husband.
And they were very supportive when I told them about my interview.
Zak thinks I’m trying to get a job as a waitress at an all night diner and I have no intention of telling him any different. Dori can help me without drawing too much attention—I know she’s willing—and while I appreciate it, I hate that she's also lying for me.
It has to be done though.
I’m not sure why, but I have a feeling if Spider knew I was stripping, especially after knowing that’s what I did while I was with Gino, he’d be so mad. He shouldn’t be; it shouldn’t matter to him at all but I’d rather not risk him finding out, at least until we don’t live with him anymore. So, The Dollhouse—as long as I get hired—is best kept a sister secret for now.
“Mommy!” James squeals from the backseat. “Look! Spider is home!”
My stomach flips as I head down the bumpy driveway and park next to his motorcycle. I really hope he’s in his room or maybe in the garage. Summer was nice enough to come hang out at the house while I went to my interview because I didn’t want Nadine alone and I wasn’t sure when Spider would be back.
Hopefully he just got here. I text Summer—from the new cellphone Zak picked up for me—and told her we were on the way so she could leave, a meager attempt to avoid her running into Spider without me here, but I’m probably not that lucky.
“What sounds good for lunch?” I ask my son as I unbuckle him from his car seat and pretend like my heart isn’t suddenly trying to leap out of my chest. “Anything making your tummy rumble?”
“Pickles!” James shouts as he takes off toward the front door. “And bologna sandwiches!”
I hurry to catch up and send up a silent prayer that Spider isn’t in a bad mood. I am too excited about everything to deal with his grumpiness right now and after how brave I was feeling at The Dollhouse, I might not be able to hold back if he is.
“Spider!” James kicks his sneakers off and practically throws his coat, then rushes into the living room out of sight.
“What’s happening, my man?”
Well, if he’s pissy, he’s putting on a good front for my son. I can’t see him yet but Spider sounds genuinely happy to see James and hopefully he’ll just ignore me like always.
“I was hanging out with Uncle Zak and Auntie Dori.”
“Yeah?” He walks into the hall with James on his hip, my baby clinging to him like a koala in a tree. “You have fun?”
“Yep! Lots of fun.”
Spider’s eyes flick to mine as I take off my coat but return to James quickly. “You there long?”
Damn him.
Trying to get information out of my baby because he won’t talk to me. And that probably means Summer was still here when he got home.
