“Auntie Erykah, you okay?” Cheyenne tugged at the hem of my shirt.
I stepped out of Chris’s embrace and smiled at her. “I am now.”
“Do you miss Mommy?” she whispered.
I nodded vigorously as another bout of tears tried to creep up on me. Cheyenne wrapped her small arms around me, and something shifted in my chest. No matter what, I was going to be here for these girls. No matter if Ashlynn continued crying incessantly or if Cheyenne hated Colorado. I would show up every single day just to make sure they knew they were loved and not alone.
Sixteen
Chris stared at his home from the comfort of his truck. Late October had brought another snowfall, which had canceled his latest film day with PathLight. David wasn’t happy with the delay, so Chris needed to come up with something to appease the director.
For Gamble on Nature’s channel, he’d been able to upload some YouTube shorts of animals who didn’t hibernate that he’d spotted in the wild. Before he’d left work this evening, Cameron said they already had tens of thousands of views. Sometimes he couldn’t believe this was his life.
The center had been noisy as the elementary students would’ve rather been outside instead of inside learning about animal habitats and how to help the environment. His head still rang despite the pain reliever he’d swallowed midday. Now he had to gather up his courage to go into his former sanctuary, where Cheyenne and Ashlynn had done nothing but wail since they’d arrived yesterday. God forgive him, for the very thought drained Chris.
Cheyenne thought his house was ugly and didn’t want to live in the basement. She’d made her feelings quite clear in a tantrum Chris would have expected from someone younger. Ashlynn simply cried. She probably picked up on the emotions of everyone else and reacted in the only way she knew how.
Frustration from Erykah, anger from Cheyenne, and sadness from the baby. Chris wanted to be a light to them all, but right now his well was dry.
He leaned his forehead against the steering wheel. “Lord, help me, help them.”
The words echoed in the cab and settled in his heart. All he wanted to do for Erykah and her nieces was ease their burden. He wanted to make the transition of care for Erykah as easy as possible. Maybe he should’ve encouraged her to just set the kids up in her living room until she purchased a larger place. Had he made a mistake by moving them to Woodland Park?
Yesterday he’d unloaded the trailer that carried the girls’ items and stored them all in the basement. He’d moved furniture around until it actually looked like a separate apartment. Granted, they came up to use the kitchen or sit in the living room. Cheyenne hated that he didn’t have her favorite streaming apps, but last night, Erykah managed to appease her with the use of a tablet. Cheyenne had watched his blooper reels and actually laughed a few times. Chris only had one streaming app, but he’d have to talk to Erykah today and find out which additional ones he needed to purchase. He wasn’t a huge TV show or movie watcher.
He sat back and looked up at the cloth ceiling. He should go in. See if Erykah needed help with the girls.
Just another minute. Sit in peace, and let the Lord fill you up.
Instead, all his mind could think of were the ways he could continue helping his new friend and her new charges. Man, life had a way of uppercutting you to the chin and knocking you out flat. He honestly didn’t know how Erykah still stood. She was incredible.
His phone chimed.
Lamont
How you holding up?
Tuck
That’s what I wanted to know. You back at work or hanging with Erykah and the kids?
Chris
I’m hiding in my car. Maybe in a minute I’ll get the nerve to go inside.
Lamont
Whoa. You okay? Mentally, I mean?
Chris
Just tired. So tired.
Tuck
Man, sounds like you need to just be still and rest in the fullness of God.
Chris
