27
Jake
It had been surprisingly easy to get approved for emergency temporary guardianship of Harrison. Most of the processing documents were the same as when I was hired on at the Reedsport Police Department, so my clearance went fast. I’d passed the home inspection with ease too, pending we get a bed for Harrison before he arrived. That was an easy fix with one trip to the store. Even having Lady and Quinn here on a temporary basis hadn’t been an issue. Preston had left all their vet and vaccination information on the counter before they left, so I had been able to make copies for Linda.
During his first night with us, Harrison had been excited, treating it more like a sleepover than an extended stay, and I had to admit, we had fun. We’d played soccer until dark and watched stupid animal videos on TV. Rey had stayed in the room with Harrison until he’d fallen asleep, but he’d been so worn out, it hadn’t taken long. Once it had started to sink in the following day that he wouldn’t be going home to Wyatt anytime soon, some of Harrison’s joy had faded. He’d wanted to stay closer to us and always be in the same room. His biggest comfort was being able to call Wyatt at the hospital.
Of course, Rey and I still had to work. Rey’s schedule was more flexible and allowed for Harrison’s school schedule more than mine did, but we were still getting a crash course on juggling the demands of family life. On Tuesday, Rey had a meeting, which meant I was on my own for several hours in the evening. My palms were sweaty from the moment he walked out the door. Thankfully, Harrison was a pretty independent kid and didn’t need to be entertained, as long as he could see me. He spent a lot of time talking to Lady and playing with his Bumblebee toy before I asked him to take a shower. He’d gone without protest, though called me for help when he couldn’t figure out how to turn the water on.
I made dinner while he was in the shower, wondering when I’d have time to call Mom. I needed her comforting reassurance for some reason. It didn’t matter that I was thirty years old, I was way out of my element and needed her familiar vote of confidence to shake off some of the tension.
I was hyperaware of Harrison’s presence in my house, so I knew the moment he left the bathroom.
“Hey, Harris!” I called from the kitchen, mixing the seasoning in with the ground beef.
A moment later, Harrison came sliding into the kitchen in his socks with a huge grin on his face. I couldn’t help but laugh. I used to love sliding around on the hardwood floors in my socks as a kid too.
“Do you like tomatoes?”
Harrison shrugged. “Sometimes.”
“Well, how about on tacos? That’s what I’m making for dinner.”
“I think so?”
“Okay. Well, here. I’ve loaded the meat already, but why don’t you put your own toppings on so you can grab what you like? Dinner’s ready.”
Harrison grinned and helped himself to the toppings, which included a little bit of lettuce, one piece of tomato, a heaping scoop of sour cream and a full handful of cheese for each taco. I almost said something about trying to balance them out but decided it wasn’t worth the fight.
“Water or milk?” I asked.
“Milk!”
I paused. “Milkwhat?”
He giggled. “Milk, please!”
“There ya go, good job.”
I poured a glass, realizing the large glasses I had weren’t very accommodating for smaller hands. “Hold it with both hands, okay?”
“’kay.”
I paused when I saw how Harrison was sitting, with his legs tucked under himself as he used his shins to lift him up higher in the chair. It was something Beckett’s niece, Harper, did all the time, and strangely, it made me feel a little more grounded. I loved Harper and got along with the energetic, little girl well, so I should be able to handle Harrison just fine, right?
“Is it okay?” I asked when I saw he wasn’t eating.
Harrison smiled. “Just waitin’.”
“Waiting?”
He looked at me with a smile that told me I was being clueless. “Dad says we always gotta eat together. So I’m waitin’ for you.”
That surprised me. “Oh. Well, okay. Give me a minute.”
I finished loading my tacos to the point of overflowing and joined him at the small table a minute later. Almost as soon as I sat down, Harrison picked up a taco and took a big bite out of it from the top.
I chuckled. “Have you not had tacos before?”
