LazySundaysweremyfavorite. Mia wouldn’t let us sleep in—and that likely wouldn’t change for years to come—but there was never a rush to get anywhere. No school for Sam, no clinic for me, no bar for Jer, and sometimes we would all pile together in our king-size bed, singing nursery rhymes and putting on stuffie puppet shows for Mia. I knew the kids would grow out of this stage, sooner rather than later, so I embraced it while I could, making memories.
Sam helped make pancakes for a late breakfast, and we settled around the small kitchen table for some quality family time, with butter and extra syrup. Mia had just started on solids, and she was already showing some very independent alpha vibes, sowithin minutes, most of us had been splattered with mushy gray cereal as she demanded to feed herself. It didn’t help that with her cleft palate, she was constantly sneezing as cereal made its way up into her sinuses. At least it didn’t seem to bother her. She wouldn’t have surgery to repair the palate until closer to her first birthday.
Sam’s phone beeped with a text in his pocket, and while he didn’t reach for it while we were eating, I could see how much he wanted to. His leg was jiggling under the table, and he started eating faster.
Jerry finally shook his head, chuckling. “Slow down, you’re going to choke on your food. If it’s that important, just check your text. Just this once, though.”
“Thanks, Dad,” he rushed to say without thinking, then fumbled to get his phone out of his pocket. Jerry’s smile was everything. He loved being called Dad, and I knew he was almost finished the paperwork to make it official. “Can I go to Jacob’s house? He got the new Pandora game, and he wants to show me.”
“Sure, but—” Before Jerry could even finish his thought, Sam was out of his seat and rushing to get ready. This video game must’ve been a good one. “Hey, just be back for dinner,” Jerry called after him.
“Okay,” Sammy yelled, before the door closed behind him.
We all shared a look before laughing. “Teenagers,” I said, shaking my head.
“Get used to it,” Jer said. “Not long after Sam goes through it, we’ll be facing Mia’s preteen years, and you know what they say about teenage girls.”
“That they’re perfect angels, right?” August said, leaning down to plant noisy kisses on our daughter’s sticky cheek. She squealed and tried to grab his nose. “Because I refuse to believeshe will ever be anything but a princess. Look at this adorable face!” Of course, now he had baby cereal all over his face too.
“Aw, look at you, baby.” I leaned over and wiped him off. Mia, however, would need more than a wet cloth.
“Divide and conquer,” Jer said, standing up to unbuckle Mia’s highchair seatbelt. “It’s my turn for bath duty.”
“I call dibs on the chickens!” August said, sticking his hand in the air. As if we would ever tell him no. Cuddling chickens had become one of his favorite things. I wondered if it was part of his paternal nesting instinct, even though it was still too early to know if he was pregnant for sure. He was sure he was, though. The mere thought made me so damn excited. How was I so lucky? Nothing could stand in our way now.
“I guess that leaves me with kitchen clean-up.” I gave them both kisses as we went our separate ways.
I had just started dishes when the phone rang. “Shit,” I cursed, reaching for a dish towel to wipe off the suds. Wasn’t it always the way. I picked up the phone. “Hello?”
And just like over the past few weeks, there was nothing but dead air. I was really getting sick of these ghost calls, but instead of hanging up this time, I sat on the line, listening. Was that… someone breathing? “Hello?” I asked again, quieter this time. I was just debating calling the phone company to see about tracking it, or at the very least, blocking it, when a click sounded and the call was dropped.
“So strange,” I muttered, heading back to the sink.
With perfect timing yet again, as soon as I’d dunked my hands into the water, a knock came from the front door. “Of fucking course.” And since everyone else was busy, I dried my hands off again and headed to answer the door.
JEREMIAH
“Perfectangel,huh?”Ilaughed, staring down at my drenched shirt.
Mia giggled and slapped her hands into the water again, sloshing it over the rim of her plastic tub and all down my front.
“I know you’re having soooo much fun splashing me, but the water is starting to get cold, ladybug. I’m sorry, but it’s time to get out.” I scooped her out and wrapped her in a big fluffy towel, blowing raspberries on her bare tummy before I got her dressed in a fresh diaper and clean clothes. “Now sit right here for a minute so I can get some clothes for me too.”
I plonked her down in her playpen with some toys while I went across the hall to grab a dry shirt and pants. While I was headed back to get her, I heard a knock on the front door downstairs.
I knew Lazlo was in the kitchen and would answer it, but I paused at the top of the stairs for some reason, a strange chill crawling down my spine. Something didn’t feel right.
Listening to Lazlo head for the door, my mouth suddenly went dry. He opened the door, and I heard a man’s voice, strangely familiar. “Hi, sorry to bother you. My car broke down just down the street, and wouldn’t you know it, my cell’s dead. I was just wondering if I could borrow a phone.”
Alarms blared inside my head, sirens and klaxons and red flashing lights, every instinct I had telling me this was wrong. I started down the stairs, heart in my throat. “Laz, hang on. Don’t let him—”
But I was too late. The door was open, and the guy simply pushed his way inside, shoving Lazlo back. I leaped the last stepsand raced at him, but he pulled a handgun from inside his jacket and aimed it at Lazlo.
“No!” I shouted, grabbing Lazlo and pulling him behind me. I half expected to feel a bullet tear through me, but he didn’t shoot. Not yet.
I stared down the barrel into dark eyes. “You…” I hissed, memory taking me to another night.
“Good to see you again,hero,” he sneered.
