“That’s my room,” Izzy wailed. “How am I going to be able to work on my project if I can’t get into my room?”
“Mommy says Izzy’s a drama mean.” Dolly nodded to herself.
“It’s a drama queen, not mean,” Izzy yelled before slamming the louvered door leading into the kitchen. It didn’t stick, just bounced into the doorstop and ricocheted back and forth several times. “And I am not.”
“Jordan, get over here and pick up your stuff.” Char stopped to pick up a hockey stick. “She thinks she’s going to play for the NHL someday. Can you believe it?”
I hefted my duffel over my shoulder and made my way down the hall. Framed pictures lined the walls. An image of our parents’ wedding day hung at eye level. My mom beamed at mydad. My dad didn’t look quite as thrilled to be taking part in what I later learned was somewhat of a shotgun wedding. Where was she now? I shouldn’t care, but it still bothered me that she’d walked out on us.
Char’s wedding photo hung underneath. She and Dave smiled into each other’s eyes like they were the only two people in the world. I let out a chuckle. Suckers. Look where that got her . . . holding down the fort while her husband played Army thousands of miles away. I thanked my lucky stars I’d managed to make it to the ripe old age of twenty-eight without falling for that kind of a setup.
A few more steps and I entered a small bedroom that appeared to have a split personality. Hockey posters covered two of the walls. Wayne Gretzky peered down on me while Sidney Crosby took a slap shot to the goal. Dark blue paint peeked out from underneath the posters, and a lamp made out of hockey pucks sat next to the narrow twin bed.
“The two older girls share. Jordan’s into hockey and, well, Izzy’s into animals.” Char leaned the hockey stick up against the corner of the room.
“You hear anything from Mom?” I tried to act casual, like it wouldn’t matter either way.
“Just the annual Christmas card.” Char shrugged. “I haven’t talked to her in years. The return address is a post office box in Biloxi.”
“Mississippi?” I asked.
“Yep. She’d probably send you one, too, if you ever settled down and got yourself a permanent address.”
“Wouldn’t be worth it.” I shot my sister a grin. She knew me better than anyone, which meant she was very familiar with my inability to stay in one place too long.
“Even now?” Char folded a pair of pants and set them on one of the beds. “I figured once you’d been on the road for a whileyou might want to come home. Hasn’t all that wanderlust seeped out of your veins yet?”
I held her gaze for a moment, but the hope and hurt made me look away. How could I explain my need to keep moving? She wouldn’t understand. Her whole life was here in this house with Dave and the girls. But I didn’t have anything holding me to a certain place. I never had and if it were up to me, I never would.
I glanced around the other half of the room. Pictures of kittens and puppies and . . . my gaze stopped at a large cage hanging in the corner. “What the hell is that?”
“What the hell is that? What the hell is that?” a giant bird squawked as it flapped its wings and flew out of the open door of the cage.
I ducked as it dive-bombed my head before settling on top of the dresser.
“Alex, meet Shiner Bock, the newest member of the family.” Char picked up a discarded sweatshirt.
“What is it?” I evaluated the large bird as it sat and pecked at its wings with a giant curved beak.
“A parrot. Izzy traded her bike for it a couple of weeks ago to some guy driving through the neighborhood.” Char pulled open a drawer, and the bird climbed onto her shoulder. “She got grounded for a month for talking to a stranger and we got Shiner Bock.”
“Got Shiner,” the bird mimicked.
I let my bag fall to the ground. “Thanks for putting me up. I promise I’ll find my own place as soon as I can.”
Char turned to me. “I’m so glad to have you here.”
The bird cocked its head one way and then the other.
“Maybe it’s good to be home.”
“Yeah?” She tilted her head to the side, matching the parrot’s pose.
I stifled a laugh. “Yeah, for a little while.”
I meant it. I might have left the small world of Swynton behind when I tore out of town all those years ago. But it was nice to be back among the only family I had left. As long as I got out before everyone started to smother me with expectations.
There was a fine line between a nice visit and making a commitment. I’d be more than willing to help out while I was around. From the looks of things, Char needed it. Dave had been on back-to-back tours since Jordan was a baby. Seemed like he only had enough time between tours to come back, meet the newest kid, and knock up his wife again.
