“Thank you. Now buckle up and hand me my fucking Bottle Caps.”
Amelia is a better driver than Lizzie, which is ironic since she’s been living in New York for years and doesn’t drive there. We eat ice cream at the cheese factory before buying a ridiculous amount of cheese that we pack into a cooler. Then, we drive north, stopping at Haystack Rock and exploring a few coastal towns. Amelia shrieks with glee when she sees five different bunnies in Cannon Beach. It’s so strange to see a black and white rabbit eating dandelions in someone’s front yard, but her joy makes me smile. I send a few pictures of Lizzie and Amelia to Katie to keep her from harassing me, which doesn’t work because she blows my phone up all day.
But Amelia still hardly acknowledges me. I can’t seem to chip away at the wall between us.
Chapter 26
There's a lot of kids around here
Amelia
This is officially the longest week in the history of all time. Each day that passes breaks my resolve a little bit more. I almost drove to Alex’s hotel last night because half of me wanted to scream at him while the other half wanted to jump his bones. Instead, I locked my bedroom door and quietly hate-cried out his name with a pillow pressed to my face as I used my fingers to bring myself to orgasm.
It’s so much more difficult to masturbate in a house full of people than it is in your own apartment. In New York, I never had to worry about someone hearing Buzz or Bullet on their way to the bathroom in the middle of the night. All my toys are hidden away at the moment. I’ve had nightmares of my siblings finding them and have no desire to experience it for real.
Thursday morning, I see Bean and Alex pull into the parking lot outside the dance studio and walk toward Coffee Glo. A few minutes later, they both wave at me as they return to the car with their drinks and pastries. I don’t know what they decided to do today, but I’m hoping they take their time.
When I’m done dancing and getting a second hug and coffee from Gloria, I head home. Almost every single one of my siblings has something today, but it was the only day Mom could get into the doctor’s office for an appointment and labwork, so I offered to help out. We swap vehicles since hers has a third row of seats, and by six, I feel like I’ve driven around town twenty times. I’ve dropped kids off, I’ve picked kids up, and then I did it some more. Dance, theater, and soccer camps in the morning, then gymnastics and baseball practice in the afternoon. I even grabbed Henry halfway through the day and took him to the park for a playdate with Raelynn while all the bigger kids did their sports. Christy’s gymnastics class gets done an hour before baseball practice, so Henry and I pick her up, and then the three of us run back and forth between diamonds to cheer for both age groups. Justin, Jenny, and Aaron are on one diamond, and Leon and Travis are on another. I don’t know how Mom does this all the time.
Tiffany isn’t there when practice is over. She’s still not there half an hour later when I say fuck it and load her kids in the car with my siblings. It’s not the first time I’ve driven Aaron and Travis home. As we’re all buckling in, my phone dings with a text message from Mom, asking me to grab a few things at the grocery store.
I’m surprised to see Bean’s car parked in her driveway when we get home. “Travis, Aaron, why don’t you guys go let your mom know you’re home and then come over for tacos if she says it’s okay,” I tell them as I turn off the car.
Travis and I share a look. He’s fourteen and not stupid. He knows she’ll bitch about them coming over, but ultimately be glad she doesn’t have to feed them. Just like she’ll be glad she didn’t have to pick them up from practice.
“See you in a few minutes,” Travis says with a smirk before we part ways.
There’s no such thing as entering a house quietly for the Sinclairs. It’s like a tornado storming through the door. I’m last and kick the door closed with my foot since I have a bag of groceries in my arms.
“Oh, thanks for stopping, sweetie. I know dragging those five through the store is a pain in the ass,” my mom says with a smile as I walk into the kitchen.
“You braved the store with five kids?” Alex looks at me from the table he’s sitting at with my parents and Bean. There are photo albums, a tablet, and a stack of prints I’m sure Mom ordered for Alex on the table.
“No, I braved the store with seven kids.”
“Mom didn’t show up to pick the boys up from practice again?” Bean purses her lips, annoyed but not surprised.
“Nope.” I set the bag on the counter and start unloading it next to the bowls Mom’s filling with meat, beans, cheese, and everything else we like to put on our tacos.
“God. Don’t they all just run around like heathens in the store?” Bean cringes.
“Nah. I get them to follow me like little ducklings.”
“How the hell do you manage that?”
“I buy the younger ones a sucker as soon as we walk in and make them line up shortest to tallest behind me and pay Leon and Travis five bucks each to keep an eye on them.”
“You’re fucking brilliant, Minnie.”
“Thank you.” I nod my head royally.
“I can’t believe Mom keeps pulling this shit, though. She knows you won’t just leave them there, and she never thanks you.”
“Well, like you said, I’m not just going to leave them there. That’s fucked up. What did you do today?” I lean against the counter, looking at Bean and tryingnotto look at Alex.
“We explored Portland but didn’t set foot in Powell’s, I promise.” Bean crosses her heart.
Alex’s eyes stick to me like a magnet’s holding them there. I know that look. He gets that look when I make a suggestion inthe conference room. He says ‘fuck, I’m proud of you, you’re amazing’ without words.
