When will we finally stand together?
A funny, self-righteous thought to have when my personal opinion about when my daughter should get married might break us apart.
Chapter Twenty-Three
A sharp wolf whistle drew my eyes to the street, and I spun in the direction of the sound. Instead of giving a misogynistic creep a piece of my feminist mind, I found Alicia smiling wildly from her car window, and I grinned.
She pulled up to the curb, and I turned back to meet her.
“What are you doing?” I called over the sounds of afternoon traffic.
Alicia pointed behind her. “Bill is following in his truck. You’re borrowing it until we get your ride situation sorted. He’ll ride to school and practice with CJ until then.”
Emotion gripped my chest as I searched the busy street for him. “No,” I protested. “He can’t do that.”
The familiar old pickup pulled into the space behind her. A moment later, her middle son hopped out. Bill approached me in long, confident strides. “Hey, Auntie Soph.”
I covered my mouth and batted back tears. I met him halfway and pulled him into a bone-crushing hug. “Thank you.”
His deep teenage chuckle rumbled against me. “It’s no big deal.”
He was so incredibly wrong.
My tears fell, and I held him longer. Soon, his lanky arms returned the embrace.
It felt so unfathomably good to be loved. That Alicia’s family would prioritize my needs was both humbling and immensely fulfilling. In keeping with my endless self-epiphanies these days, I understood this wasn’t new. I’d just never let my walls down like this before. I’d carried everything on my shoulders when I didn’t need to.
The same walls I thought protected me from pain had kept out the good things too.
I released Bill on a chuckle and wiped my tears. “Sorry.”
His expression was surprisingly hard. “Uncle Robert is an asshole,” he whispered.
Alicia slung an arm over his shoulder and tipped him closer. “Agreed,” she said. “Uncle Robert is an absolute asshole.”
Bill gave me his keys, looking as if he might just run home.
Alicia passed him her fob. “Why don’t you take my car home? Sophie can give me a ride.”
He looked at me, then at his mom’s new Bronco, and lit up like those Friday night lights he loved so much. “Sweet!”
No one had to ask him twice.
He waved over his shoulder as he hurried away.
Alicia smiled at me. “He’s a good kid.”
“He’s the best,” I croaked. “Just like his mom.”
We climbed into Bill’s pickup, and I urged the engine to life.
Alicia and I drove to the impound lot to collect my personal items from the SUV. According to the paperwork provided by the tow truck driver, and the added fees charged by the lot, I couldn’t afford to liberate my car anytime this side of the next millennium.
“Don’t worry about it,” Alicia said, consoling me as we returned to Bill’s truck. “Even if you had the money, you probably couldn’t spring the BMW anyway. It’s still in Robert’s name.”
I buckled up with a groan. “Every time I forget he’s out there trying to ruin my life, bam! He snatches something else away.”
“At least this should be the end of it,” she said. “The only other thing you have is your mom’s house, and she left it to you fair and square.”
