I went deep in the manny game. And I'm killing it.
The Jarvises are my third placement. My longest. Six years and counting. This house is my home. These kids are my kids.
We're close. I love them.
Raelia reaches for another cookie, and I raise an eyebrow.
"How many have you had?"
She counts on her fingers. "Three."
"Well, you'd better have one more to make it even."
Both girls shout, "EVEN!" and throw their hands in the air.
I cheer with them, laughing as Raelia grabs her fourth cookie with glee.
After tea, I send the girls upstairs to wash their hands and faces before dinner. I clean up the kitchen, wiping down the table and putting away the teacups. The casserole I prepped this morning is already in the oven, filling the house with the smell of cheese and chicken and comfort.
I check the timer. Thirty minutes till dinner.
The front door opens, and I hear Derryn and Sharnia's voices in the foyer.
"Hey!" I call out, pulling the casserole from the oven and setting it on the counter. "Dinner will be ready in thirty minutes."
Sharnia appears in the doorway. Her purple scales are duller than usual, and there are shadows under her blue eyes.
"How was work?" I ask.
"Work," she says with a tired smile.
Derryn follows her in, loosening his tie. His dark-green scales look almost gray in the kitchen light.
They both look… sad.
I frown, but I don't say anything. Instead, I start pulling plates from the cabinet.
"Hey, Noah." Derryn's voice is measured and careful. "Can we talk after dinner? You're welcome to stay here with us."
I pause, the stack of plates in my hands. Something about his tone worries me. I don't usually join the family for dinner, leaving them to enjoy being together and retreating to the nice little apartment above the garage that is part of my salary. Nice perk.
"Sure," I say easily. "I've got no plans."
I never do. I don't really have a romantic life since last year, when I ended things with Bella. No one waiting for me. Tonight it's just me and whatever Netflix show I'm binging this week.
"Great." Derryn doesn't offer any further explanation.
A certain sense of dread settles in my stomach, but dinner is full of laughter and storytelling, just like always. Reginald complains about his coach. Amethyst tells us about the book she's reading. Raelia talks nonstop about dolphins.
But I can feel the tension radiating from Derryn and Sharnia. They keep glancing at each other, having some kind of silent conversation with their eyes. After dinner, the kids head upstairs to get ready for bed. The house quiets.
Derryn pours three glasses of whiskey and hands me one. We sit at the kitchen table, and my nervousness grows.
They're avoiding eye contact.
Shit. Is it something I did?
I feel guilt rising in my chest, even though I don't know what I've done. Did I push Reginald too hard about that missing homework last week? Did I overstep with Raelia's tutoring?
