“I don’t like her,” he says, loud enough for even the neighbors to hear. Amazing.
“Parks, buddy.” I squeeze his shoulder. “Everything is right, no need to worry. Let’s just wash these dishes and makedinner, yeah? Maybe I could play Minecraft with you afterward?”
“I’ll clean my room. I will,” he promises, refusing to be distracted. “I won’t let it get dirty again.”
Not trusting myself to speak and not say something unkind about my fucking mum, I give him another squeeze and start prepping the water for the noodles. I’ve always known my parents hated me, but I hadn’t quite appreciated the extent of it until now. Apparently, they’re so eager to hurt me, they don’t even mind that Parker is becoming collateral damage. Angry, but not wanting Parker or fucking Lorna Myers to see, I busy myself with the second round of dinner. My fingers tremble, and my eyes burn. Victoria is silent, and I wish like hell she wasn’t. Oddly, I also wish Jack was here to distract me with talk of his books.
By the time the home check is complete, the back of my shirt is damp with sweat and I feel like someone repeatedly punched me in the stomach. On her way out the door, Lorna Myers helpfully reminds me of the interview I’m scheduled to complete that week, and advises me to make myself available for any follow-up that might be needed.
“These visits are random for a reason,” she says, which feels like a threat more than anything else.
The moment she’s gone, Parker retreats to his room, eyes wide with panic as he rushes to make sure she didn’t mess with any of his things. I have to call his name three times to get him back out for dinner; when he appears, his face is flushed and his hair is in disarray, empty washing basket clutched in his hand.
“My room is clean,” he declares, staring up at me with the air of a man waiting for the sword to fall. I nod sadly.
“That’s all right, little buddy. Thank you.”
“I’ll wash the dishes after dinner,” he offers, throwing himself down at the table, shoulders slumped. “And help you fold the towels. I’m sorry.”
Pushing a bowl of spag bol in front of him, I take a seat and wonder how much of this I’ll actually manage to swallow. Eating feels impossible.
“You don’t have to apologize, and I’ll handle the rest of the cleaning tonight. Then we’ll relax and play a game, yeah?”
“Yeah,” he whispers, popping a spoonful of noodles into his mouth. He looks frightened, glancing constantly at the front door like he’s waiting for the police to show up and take him away, the way they did at his friend’s house the night his parents died.
Distract him,Desy,Victoria whispers and I nearly sob in relief. I miss her so much in this moment, it feels like acid on an open wound.
“Did you decide what you want to do for your birthday?” I ask.
“I just want to hang out with you,” Parker says immediately. “I don’t want to go to Grandma’s. I want to stay here.”
“Okay,” I agree. Thank God. I don’t want him to go to my parents’ either. “Still want to do go-carts?”
He nods, chewing on his bottom lip and fiddling with his spoon.
“And laser tag?”
I sigh, chewing through a small mouthful of noodles. I’m not a fan of that game, but he’s set on the idea and it is his birthday. I can suffer through a few rounds for him.
“Sure. Laser tag, too. Want to invite some friends? Maybe your buddy Seth?” I offer.
“Can we invite Jack?”
“My Jack?” I ask, the words slipping out before I even realize what they are. My Jack? What the fuck? I shake my head, unsure of where that came from. “I mean…yeah, if you want to. And your school friends?—”
“Just you and Jack,” Parker requests, sitting up straighter and scooping up a massive bit of noodles. His eyes widen as another idea occurs to him. “And maybe we could go to that house to play with Drou? For dinner?”
“You want to hang out with a bunch of stuffy adults, and a puppy for your birthday?” I clarify, grinning when he nods enthusiastically. “All right. I’ll ask.”
“Ask right now,” he urges, shoving so many noodles in his mouth, I watch for signs of choking. He widens his eyes as he chews, a clear request to get a move on. Sighing, I stand up to grab my phone.
Desmond
Hey, Jacko, you right?
Jack
Hi!! Good, how are you?
