Lennon learned that Brynn calls Clover “Lovey” and has decided she does now, too.
“Hi, Lenny!” Clover squeaks.
“Is the bridge almost done?” Lennon asks, sounding like a blue-collar worker who just spent the day working her life away.
Clover frowns slightly. “I think so, sweet girl. Everything alright?”
Lennon sighs dramatically. “No, nothing is alright.”
Clover’s brows shoot up, and I lean in. “Hey, Beetlebug. What’s gotcha upset?”
She looks between us before she answers.
“I only dug up two worms, and with as much as you eat, Daddy, me and Lovey are gonna starve.”
CLOVER
As the sun sets, Mary and Hayes pack it up for the day.
“How much longer, do you think?” I ask, trying not to sound like thinking about leaving is stressing me out. FYI: It is. I’m not ready. I’ve asked a hundred times.
“I think it’ll be done tomorrow,” Hayes says. Beckett grunts. I can’t read what emotion he’s trying to convey with it.
Before they leave, Mary sends over a little bag. I had asked her to pick something up for me when they were here yesterday, and she came through, like she always does.
She is the best woman, and I’m lucky I have her. She really stepped up when my mom died. She never acted like I wasn’t her kid; I always just felt like part of the Hollis’.
Whoever marries into the family will be lucky to have such an amazing, loving mother-in-law. I stop my train of thought right there because I feel a twinge in my stomach. I’m not sure if it’s jealousy or anger . . . or longing.
We walk back up to the house, and Beckett goes to set up the camping stove without me even asking. One look at Lennon was probably enough to signal she needed to be cleaned up again. She’s been having the time of her life playing in the muddy creekbed.
We haven’t been using the generator much; it’s been days, and we didn’t have much gasoline left. When we come back in from Lenny’s makeshift bath, Beck isn’t down here.
I grab my phone, a glass, and a bottle of water on the way up to her room. After getting her into some cozy pajamas, I gently brush her hair. The spring of her curls makes me smile; it reminds me of brushing Brynn’s hair when we were little, but darker. Lennon is her dad’s copy-paste project.
When she yawns, I know it’s show time.
“Hey, wanna see something cool?” I whisper to her.
Her sleepy little eyes light up, and she nods.
I pull out the bag Mary sent me earlier and open the container. Turmeric.
“What’s that?” Lennon asks me quietly, still keeping up the super-secret magic vibe I was going for.
“This is called turmeric. Most people use it for cooking, but most people don’t know it’s also magic.” I put as much whimsy and mystery in my voice as I can.
I can’t help but smile as her gorgeous hazel eyes widen even more than they already were, and she gasps.
“Really?”
“Mhm,” I say as I nod. “Watch.”
I turn on my phone and hope I have enough battery to do this. I haven’t been charging it since we don’t have service right now, anyway. I check the status—five percent.
Let’s make it count.
I swipe down the screen and tap the flashlight button, illuminating the room. Lennon squints a little. It’s much brighter than the lantern we’ve been using. I place it face down on her beige carpet and set the glass over the light.
