“I’ll be back at eight,” he said as he closed the door when heleft.
I watched him through the window. He stood frozen at the edge of the porch, staring down at the ground. His fists balled tightly, and his back heaved like he just took a painful swallow of cold air.He’s probably having trouble leaving his children—or figuring out what his plan was to find some full-time help—maybe where to get help for his beautiful, haunted wife. Addiction was a disease, and it touched an entire family, usually scarring them forlife.
And the only help I could give was right now, just a little Band-Aid to keep the kids here with him and give him a few measly days to sort out hislife.
He stood there for only a few more moments as the rise of the sun lit up his frame and sent strange shadows through the curtains. It looked as if he sighed, his chest and back giving a harsh shudder, and then he stepped onto the stairs and vanished into the frosty morningsunrise.
“She can be a fairy!” Addison said, showing me a one-armed dollar store wannabe Barbiedoll.
Its blonde hair was matted, sticking straight up, defying any rule of gravity. The face was covered with two mixed-matched colored eyes, and one of its feet looked like it had melted completely off. Addison held it up toward me like it was the most precious toy shehad.
"Can we make paperwings?"
“We sure can,sweetheart.”
And that was exactly how my day went. Playing with two adorable children and feeling like I accomplished something in this shitty job. Somethinggood.
Eventually, my phone rang bringing me back down toreality.
“Pop-Tart! What are you doing later? Brooke wants you to come over for dinner, because she didn’t get to really talk to you about last night,” Ryan blurted through thephone.
"Um," I stammered, trying to cover the mouthpiece. "I'm a little busy today." Beside me, Addison was scream-singing the words to some new pop song horrifyingly offkey.
There was silence for a minute on the other end of thephone.
Then, “Where the hell are you?” Ryan askedslowly.
“Why? Where areyou?”
I ran into the bathroom and closed the door, trying to lower Addison’s volume. Kicking down the toilet seat cover, I planted my bottom down and did my best attempt at muffling the noise with a towel. It was too damp and smelled like manly soap. I dropped it immediately. Addison leaned against the other side of the bathroom door and scream-sung even louder tome.
“Callie. Please tell me you did not go back to the family across the street from you.” Ryan’s voice was a deepgrowl.
“Oh. Nope. I didn’t go back.” There, truth evaded. I never did come back because, technically, I neverleft.
“You never left, didyou?”
Shit. I kept forgetting what a great detective hewas.
"Listen. It's no big deal. I stayed with the kids last night when they took her to the hospital; you knowthat."
“And then?” heprompted.
“And then Dylan came homeand—”
“You’re on a first name basis with the junkie’s hubby?” hesnapped.
"Stop. Okay? He needed help. He came back and had to go right to work, and I offered to stay because I didn't have a shift today. That'sall."
“What the hell are you doing?” he askeddarkly.
“Just babysitting and playing with the kids. They’re adorable.” My voice trembled as Ispoke.
“Callie…” His voice was soft and heavy withpity.
“It’soneday, Ryan. One day. I could be around kids without feeling sorry for myself or without your pity, okay?” I rubbed at my forehead with my freehand.
“Callie, I didn’t mean anything by it. I just know thatyou—”
