“That they’re going to win?”
“Lincoln!” Emett shouts, jumping up with his hands in the air. “Mr. Brick brought Lincoln with him to the game!”
Oh Jesus, he’s so excited by this idea I don’t have the heart to tell him otherwise, so I just smile and nod.
At least one of us is allowed to believe in magic and luck and all the fairy tale stuff, and I’ll take all the gloom and doom for Emett to be this happy.
I’m still watching him scream and shout and shake his little booty to his happy song when I feel it.
There…I feel it again. I spin around, my breaths fast and labored as I frantically search my surroundings. But there’snothing. The house is empty apart from us, and outside the rain is pelting against the windows, turning Iris Lake into spring mush with all the rain and warmer temperatures we’ve been getting.
No Severin.
“Mommy? Are you okay?” I turn, replacing my worry with a small smile.
“Yeah, baby, I’m fine. Just thought I heard someone knock.”
“It’s not Uncle Aaron, is it?”
“No, there’s no one there.”
Emett settles back on the couch, happy about my answer but I’m not.
I haven’t seen my brother since that day Severin showed up. It’s like he completely vanished, and I don’t like it.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t miss his harassment but it’s never a good thing when he’s too quiet. It’s unnerving and I have enough unnerving going on at the moment.
Another shiver runs down my back just to prove my point.
I just hang up my apron and take out my phone to log into our payroll app when the door to the break room swings open and in flies Sierra, another waitress here.
“Oh, thank God,” she breathes out with relief when she sees me at the same time as a nagging suspicion tugs on me. I know that tone all too well. She rushes over to her locker, pulling out her coat and purse before I can blink even once. “I have to go, Mika got us tickets to the new movie, and I cannot miss that, you’ll cover for me this once, right?” Sierra looks over her shoulder with a sweet and very much fake smile on her face as she wraps her knit scarf around her neck without awaiting my answer.
Damn it…
I heave out a long sigh.This onceis the third time this week alone and Sierra’s supposed to close tonight.
I still haven’t said a word in response, but I guess she takes my silence and a sigh for an answer we all know I was going to give her anyway, and she runs over to me, planting a smooch on my cheek as she sing-songs, “You’re the best,” before disappearing through the doors.
Clock out. Clock out, Aurora. It’s not your problem, just do it. Don’t even think about it.My finger hovers over the app that would let me do just that, but I don’t click on it. Instead, I tuck my phone into my back pocket, pull my apron back on, and rush over to one of Sierra’s tables and so the night continues.
The rain is blasting mad tonight, and it looks like half the town’s left without power, so they made it here.
I can’t leave when there’s work to do and it’s not even about a paycheck. I simply can’t leave and let our elderly employer who is already so good to us to pick up the slack. I can’t.
Speaking of…
“Aurora? What are you still doing here? I thought you were off at nine tonight?” Mr. Ross sneaks up on me from behind, and it’s a true testament to how exhausted I am that I don’t even make a sound when he startles me.
I simply turn my head his way, still wiping down the table.
Mr. Ross is the owner of Blade’s. He’s in his early seventies with well-worn smile wrinkles around his eyes, and I wonder what kind of wrinkles I’ll have when I’m his age. But no doubt they won’t radiate life like his do.
I don’t know how to say no, that’s what I’m still doing here.But I don’t voice that thought. I never voice thoughts like that and sometimes I think if I’d ever try to open my mouth to speak up, it will shut closed all on its own before I could take one breath.
My past had taught me to keep my mouth shut most of the times.
I’ve been told I have a deep-rooted need to do everything for everyone. Maybe I do, maybe I don’t, but if it’s within my power to help someone out, why wouldn’t I?
