Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 95678 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 478(@200wpm)___ 383(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95678 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 478(@200wpm)___ 383(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
“It was worse for the cheerleaders. They were the Foxy Doxies.”
“Still are, Nico. Still are.” She gathered her hot drink and a cupcake and turned to go. Before opening the door, she turned back to me. “It’s really good to see you doing so well, Nico. I was proud of Adriana, and you seem to be doing just as well. Your mom would have been proud of you. I hope you stick around.”
With that, she was off. I was left with the warm feeling of acceptance I never remembered feeling in my first fifteen years there in Hobie, and I wondered if it was possible that people and places changed for the better.
By the time Rox returned, I’d had a few more friendly conversations with customers, several of whom expressed how sorry they were to lose my sister so young. They shared memories of her with me and I finally got a chance to begin thinking of her as the adult she’d been more recently, rather than the surly teen she’d been when I’d last seen her.
After we returned to the house, I noticed Doc’s vehicle in the driveway next to Griff’s rental. Sure enough, Doc and Grandpa were inside cooing over the baby and sharing a cup of tea with Rebecca. Her eyes seemed to be watery, as if she’d been crying about something, but I quickly realized what must have been the cause of it when I saw several boxes stacked by the front door.
“What… what’s all this?” I asked.
“Oh, honey. We packed up some of Adriana’s things for you. I hope that’s okay,” Rebecca said, getting up. I gestured for her to stay put and nodded at her.
“Okay…,” I said, unsure.
Doc cut in. “Don’t worry, Nico. It was just clothes and shoes and toiletries I thought you might want to donate. Nothing sentimental or important at all.”
I let out a breath. “Thank you. Yeah, I guess that’s good.” I looked around the room to reassure myself that nothing had drastically changed. But I knew there was no point. Before I left for California, I had to go through it all in order to list the house for sale.
My gut twisted at the thought, and I felt my jaw clench. “No, that’s good. Really. Thank you for getting started. I need to figure out what I’m doing with everything, and I guess I just didn’t want to face it before now.”
Griff reached out to squeeze my shoulder. “We can help. As much as you need.”
I gave him a small smile of thanks and wandered to the kitchen to make myself a glass of ice water. I heard the rest of them chatting quietly and took a minute to ground myself with a mental reminder of what really mattered in my life.
Not stuff. People. The people I had back home. My life back home.
But who was that exactly?
Griff. But Griff had Sam and Benji and lived in Napa.
The Marians. But I wasn’t really one of them.
Mike and the others who worked with me at the shop. But they were more employees than friends.
I felt the familiar coil of loneliness snake around me, which was ridiculous since I was standing in a room with four people who seemed to care about me a great deal. I looked over at Doc and Grandpa, Griff and Rebecca.
Hobie and home.
I wanted them all. I needed them all. Even if none of them truly needed me.
I wasn’t so sure anymore about where home was.
It was Pippa’s whimpers that woke me out of my funk. At least for a little while, someone needed me as much as I needed them.
My Pippa.
When it was time to head to West’s place for dinner, I made sure Rebecca and Griff knew where to find the food Goldie had brought over two days before. She’d been dropping off meals for me every few days like clockwork, and I could tell that cooking was her love language. Before closing the fridge, I slid out the bakery box I’d brought home from the shop and carried it to the front door.
Rebecca called out from her spot on the floor next to Pippa on the play mat. “Nico, honey, why don’t you stay over at West’s tonight so you don’t have to sleep on the sofa?”
I gawped at her. “Wh-what?”
She grinned and Griff rolled his eyes. “Nico, c’mon. Seriously? You’re wearing cologne. You really gonna claim this is a dinner meeting and not a date? Or at the very least, a booty call.”
Rebecca chuckled. “Don’t listen to Griffin. Surely West has a nice guest room in his house where you can stay comfortably while we hold down the fort here. We’ll see you in the morning.” She winked at me before turning her attention back to Pippa.
I swallowed and turned to leave without saying another word. Before the door clicked behind me, I heard Griff tell his mom, “Those are his sex pants.”