“This kind of thing is too loud for me, so I won’t stay long. Where’s your other half?” Hugh looked around.
Dean was in the back checking in on Mark and Clyde, but he’d started walking over when he saw Hugh.
“Hey,” Dean said. “You looking for me?”
“I got you both a present for the mini-you.” He shoved it at us and sniffed. “It ain’t much, but I hope you like it.”
Dean held the bag as I grabbed whatever it was. It was heavy.
I pulled out a music box. It was a rich wood one with intricate carvings. I stared at it for a long time, feeling like I’d seen it before.
“This is beautiful,” I whispered. I couldn’t stop staring at it. “It looks familiar.”
“Your mom brought it in a long time ago. She needed the money, so I gave her double what it was worth.” He shrugged like it was nothing. “I figured I’d keep it and give it back someday.”
“This was Mom’s?” I knew we had money troubles, but never knew that she’d had to pawn anything off. I’d always thought she’d had magic with her ability to make things happen.
“It was. I liked her. She was as sweet as you are.”
I felt tears in my eyes. All this time, I thought I had everything of Mom’s that she left behind. I also thought that I knew her, that she had somehow managed to do it all without ever needing help. It looked like I was wrong.
Hugh leaned away. “And that’s my cue to leave. Come by the shop sometime, though. I have stories for ya.”
With a wave, he left the party.
I thought the only piece of my family was with Brooke. The same girl who’d signed me up for a text chain rather than talking to me. But there were other things that could keep me connected, and they weren’t toxic.
My real family seemed to be here, in the people who cared about me and the memories I still held on to.
46
DEAN
Dad Company (But Sometimes Good Advice)
G. Singh:I’m back again with the hellions. They’re flushing every chemical in my house down the toilet to rid the world of sharks.
Comments:
Robert Colt:You’ve really got to lock those up, man. They could drink them.
G. Singh:They were locked. I have the only key. They broke in.
Ryan Kim:Man, you’ve got problems.
Oliver Brian:Swap the bottles with water.
G. Singh:Kids said it didn’t taste the same and it wasn’t good enough. Not sure if they’re joking or not.
Robert Colt:Do those kids need an exorcism?
Grace had beentired for hours, but I knew she was really hitting a wall when she finally sat. The baby shower had dwindled to just a core group of people. Mom, Jade, and Wren had stayed to help clean up so Mollie could go home. She’d fought, but a meltdown from Jasmine told us all it was time for her and Cain to go.
“That’s your future,” Mom had said to me. “How excited are you?”
“So fucking excited,” I said. “I can’t wait.”
And it was true. Watching Cain with both his son and daughter renewed my excitement for this. I wanted to be a dad. It was the final piece of the puzzle.