Callie started to laugh. Malcolm joined in and for that moment she thought everything was going to be okay.
* * *
“What time is it?” Noah asked for the fifth time in less than five minutes. “I don’t want to miss it.”
Santiago shook his head. “Noah, we’re not going to miss it.”
“But what if we do?”
“Do you want to run ahead and meet us there?”
“Yes.”
Noah took off at a run but before Santiago could tell him to slow down, the boy began to walk. Okay—it was a fast walk, but still.
“He does this every time,” Emma said, looking at her brother. “We never miss the demonstration.”
“I know, but he’s a worrier.”
Santiago brought his niece and nephew to Chihuly Garden and Glass a couple of times a year. They loved the beautiful glass, the incredible colors and ways the displays were set up. While Emma enjoyed all of it, Noah’s favorite part was the glassblowing demonstration at the end.
They walked more sedately, pausing to study favorite pieces. As they moved into a room with a magnificent glass ceiling, Emma moved close.
“Uncle Santiago, can I talk to you about something?”
He figured he was on safe ground. Hanna and her daughter were close. From all he’d heard, Emma had lots of friends and did great in school. “Sure. What?”
She thought for a second. “I guess it’s not a question. Not really. Mom and Dad are fighting all the time and I don’t know what to do.”
He put his arm around her and pulled her close. “I’m sorry you know about that.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Everyone knows about that. They get really loud sometimes. Dad doesn’t like that Mom went back to college to become a nurse. I don’t get that. She’s really smart and she’s worked so hard. Shouldn’t he be proud of her?”
Santiago realized he was in way over his head with this conversation, but there was no escaping it now.
“You’re right. She’s done so well for herself. We’re all proud of her. She’s going to be a great nurse.”
Emma looked at him. “What about Dad? Why is he so mad all the time?”
“That’s kind of complicated,” he admitted. “When your parents first got married, your mom stayed home with you and your brother. That’s how things were for a long time. Now everything is different.” He brightened. “Remember when you and your family moved into the house? You were scared because you thought you’d miss your old school and your friends there, but it worked out all right. This is like that.”
She considered his words. “You’re saying Dad doesn’t like change.”
“I’m saying change is usually difficult and a little scary. At least at first.”
There was no way he was going to talk about how Paulo felt threatened by his wife’s change in circumstance. Santiago would guess his brother was feeling left behind. Yes, the extra money would be nice, but at what price? What if Hanna started expecting more of her husband?
They continued walking through the displays and finally reached the open area. A crowd had started to collect for the demonstration. Emma grabbed his arm to keep him from joining Noah.
“Are my mom and dad going to get a divorce?”
Santiago stared into her beautiful eyes. He wanted to tell her everything would be fine, that of course her parents would stay together. Only he didn’t know for sure and this was one problem he couldn’t fix for them. They were going to have to do that themselves.
“I don’t know,” he admitted. “I don’t think so, but it’s not up to me. What I am sure of is they both love you and your brother. No matter what, they’ll take care of you, as I will and your grandmother, too.”
“That doesn’t make me feel a lot better,” she admitted. “But I get it. I hope they can work things out. A couple of my friends went through a divorce and it sucks.”
“I know, kid. I know.”
* * *
Malcolm waited for his sister in her room. Keira was due home from her friend’s house by four and as far as he knew, she was always on time. He sat on the floor with Lizzy. The cat was growing fast—she’d nearly doubled in size since she’d been rescued. She was a friendly, playful bundle of fur. When she started to climb his shirt, he pulled her free, then held her against his chest. She curled up in his hands and purred, rubbing her head against his chin.
This was nice, he thought in some surprise. He’d never had pets growing up and hadn’t ever seen the point to have one as an adult. But Lizzy was a good kitten. Maybe he should think about getting a dog or something.
Before the thought fully formed, he pushed it away. Right—when would he take care of a dog? The last thing he needed was to be responsible for one more life.
He continued to pet Lizzy. The kitten eventually fell asleep clearly oblivious to his very uncomfortable position supporting her. He lowered her to the carpet where she mewed a protest before giving his hand a quick lick, then falling back asleep.
“What are you doing here?”
He looked up and saw Keira in the doorway to her room. “Waiting for you. Lizzy was keeping me company.” He stayed where he was. “I almost never see you these days and I wanted to see how you were doing.”
Her expression stayed wary as she walked into her room. She wore jeans, a long-sleeved T-shirt and colorful tennis shoes. When she’d first arrived, she’d been underweight, but today she looked less gaunt and more relaxed.
Keira tossed her jacket on her bed, then sank down on the carpet a few feet away. “What did you want to talk about?” she asked cautiously. “Did I do something wrong?”
“Not that I know about. Did you?”
She flashed him a smile. “No. I’m actually a really good kid. You should be grateful. I could be acting out in all kinds of ways. Stealing, breaking things, hoarding food.”
All things he’d never thought about. “We are lucky. Thank you for that.”
“You’re welcome. By the way, I should have chores. I’m nearly thirteen and you need to be teaching me responsibility.”
Something else he’d never thought of. “You’re right. Do you want to come up with a list of chores or should I?”
“I can do it. I already take care of Lizzy. Carmen checks on me, but I do the work.” She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. “You know, there are a lot of books on parenting. You might want to read one or two of them so you know what you’re supposed to do. When I’m a teenager, things are going to be really rough. I’ll be talking back and borrowing the car and staying out late.”
“I can’t wait,” he murmured, thinking he probably should read up on what it was like to raise a teenage girl, although whatever any expert had to say was likely to scare the crap out of him.
“I’ll have the chore list to you by the end of the week,” she said. “Then we’ll talk about my allowance.”
“You already get an allowance.”
“For doing nothing. I’m going to be doing a lot more. You should pay for that.”
“I thought you were learning about responsibility. Isn’t your payment a life lesson?”
She rolled her eyes. “Seriously? I don’t think so. I’m a kid. I don’t want life lessons. I want cash.”
“Maybe we can work out a deal where you have both.”
She grinned. “Maybe, but I won’t like it.”
“Fair enough. How’s school?”
“Fine. I’m caught up with my assignments, I’m making friends.” She looked at him. “All things you already know because you have to be talking to my school counselor and I know you saw my therapist.”
She was an unexpected combination of child and adult, he thought. “I want to know what you think.”
She stroked the sleeping kitten. “I think you should be nicer to Callie.”
&nb
sp; That surprised him. “What do you mean?”
“I hear you guys fighting sometimes. You should try to get along with her better. She’s really nice and fun and she spends a lot of time with me, unlike some people.”
Not a comparison he wanted. “Callie and I have different views of things.”
“Maybe, but hers are right.”
“You don’t know what we were talking about.” Although if she was referring to Callie’s suggestions about adding to the company’s catalog, he might have been too quick rejecting her ideas.
“I know Callie,” Keira told him. “I know she works hard and that she’s honest and does what she says she’s going to do, although I guess that’s kind of the same thing. I trust her.”
The last comment seemed more pointed than the others. Had Callie told Keira about her past? He didn’t know how to ask without betraying a confidence. He would have to speak to Callie about it directly.
“I don’t distrust her,” he said.
“That’s not the same thing.” Keira’s eyes narrowed. “You need to be nicer.”
“I’m trying.”
“Try harder. You can be mean to me if you want, but not to her.”
His sister’s words slammed into him like a sledgehammer as the truth revealed itself. Keira trusted Callie. She wanted to spend time with her. He had no doubt that on Keira’s phone, Callie would be listed under her name. The word asshole would never be mentioned when it came to her.
How had Callie done it? How had she cracked the code when Malcolm couldn’t come close? For the first time in a long time, he felt lost, alone and inadequate. He’d always assumed he was just like everyone else—that he would get married and have a family. That he would be a decent father one day. Only being around Keira was making him think there was something wrong with him.
He cleared his throat. “How about if I’m not mean to either of you?” he said, trying to keep his voice casual so she wouldn’t know how her words had hurt him. “And we’ll keep working on being a family.”
For a second he thought she was going to say that she and Callie already were a family—that he was the only outlier. Instead she nodded.
“I’d like that,” she told him.
“Me, too.”
The only problem was he had no idea how to make that all happen.
chapter twenty-one
Callie had just stepped off the line for her afternoon break when her phone rang. She reached for it only to frown at the unfamiliar number. Keira and Santiago were pretty much the only people who called her. Grandfather Alberto had recently decided he needed to join “you young people today” and had bought a phone that allowed him to text, which meant that was all he did, multiple times a day.
“Hello?”
“Callie? It’s Hanna, Santiago’s sister-in-law. Do you have a second?” Hanna sounded frantic.
“Of course. What’s wrong?”
“It’s Noah. The school just called and he’s sick. He’s throwing up and they think he has a fever.” Her voice thickened with tears. “I’m in Olympia with Emma’s class on a field trip. I don’t have any way to get back for at least a couple of hours. I can’t get anyone on the phone. Not Paulo, or my brother-in-law, or my mother-in-law. I know it’s a lot to ask but is there any way you could go pick him up and take him home? Just until my mom or Paulo can get there to be with him, then I’ll get home as fast as I can.”
Callie’s stomach knotted and she felt like she was going to throw up, as well. Of course she wanted to get Noah—she was happy to help out. But what she didn’t know was what Hanna would think if she knew the truth about her past. If she did, would she be willing to have Callie pick up her son?
“Callie, I’m desperate.”
“Of course I’ll do it. Tell me where his school is and I’ll be right there.”
Hanna gave her the name and the address, along with the safe phrase that would allow Noah to be released into her care.
“They’ll need to see ID,” Hanna told her.
“Not a problem.” Callie didn’t have a driver’s license, but she did have a state-issued ID. “I’ll call you as soon as I have him, then again when he’s settled.”
“You don’t know how much I appreciate this. I’ll owe you forever.”
Callie hoped that meant the other woman would be forgiving when she found out the truth. A problem for later, she told herself as she searched out her supervisor.
Vern, a barrel-chested guy in his fifties, listened while she explained that she had to go help a friend.
“I’m happy to stay late and make up any time I miss,” Callie said. “I know I’m new and it’s asking a lot, but—”
Vern adjusted his baseball cap. “Don’t sweat it, Callie. I have kids. Four girls, if you can believe it. I know all about them getting sick. Go help your friend, then make up the time. It’s all good.”
“Thank you.”
She hurried out and requested a car. Two minutes later, it pulled up in front of the warehouse.
They drove north. Callie tried to pay attention—her driving instructor wanted her to learn her way around the city—but she got mentally lost as soon as they exited the freeway.
When the driver pulled up in front of the school, she hurried inside. After showing her ID, she said, “Mariners rule.” The receptionist grinned at her.
“They do, but my computer tells me that’s the secret phrase, so you’re good to go. Let me have the nurse bring Noah out to you.”
The ten-year-old was pale, shaking and smelled of vomit. When he saw Callie, he started to cry.
“I want to go home.”
“Of course you do. Come on, let’s get you there right now.”
She led him back to the car and held him all the drive. He stopped crying after a few minutes, then moaned. Callie made a quick call to Hanna to let her know she was on her way with Noah.
“My stomach hurts,” Noah said. “I’m going to throw up again.”
The driver met her gaze in the rearview mirror. Callie pointed to the street.
“Right here, then third house on the left. Hang on, Noah, we’re nearly there.”
She got him out of the car where he promptly threw up on the lawn. When he could walk again, they made their way up the front steps. Noah gave her the code to open the door and they went into the house.
She let him lead the way to his bedroom. Once there, she pulled back the covers, then got out his pajamas.
“I’m going to step out of the room,” she told the boy. “You get changed. I’ll take your clothes to the laundry while you get into bed.”
More tears filled his eyes. “Don’t go, Callie.”
“I’m going to be right in the hallway. I’ll talk to you the whole time.” No way she was staying in the room while he got undressed. Her crime had nothing to do with children, but she didn’t want any misunderstandings.
She knew she was probably overreacting, but she couldn’t help herself. Everything about the situation made her uncomfortable. She barely knew these people and there was no way they would understand.
She stepped into the hallway. “Where does your mom keep the thermometer?” she asked through the closed door.
“In the hallway closet.”
“Great. I’ll get it and we can see what’s going on.”
They talked for another minute then Noah said he was changed. She went back into the room and got him into bed.
His face was flushed and his skin was clammy. The kid obviously had a fever, so a bug rather than food poisoning, she thought. Maybe some kind of stomach flu.
She found the thermometer. It was the kind she could run across his forehead. His temperature was 101. She knew that was higher than normal but wasn’t sure if it was just a little bad or if it was very, very bad.
“Your mom said there w
as ginger ale in the refrigerator. Why don’t I get a little and we’ll see if you can sip that? It might make you feel better.”
Noah nodded listlessly.
Callie grabbed the clothes and hurried out of the room. She put his things on the washer before heading downstairs to the kitchen where she found the soda and poured some over ice. She was shaking a little herself, but her reaction had nothing to do with being sick—instead she was terrified that Noah was worse off than she realized. When that was added to her general worry, it was not a happy combination.
She got back in time for Noah to throw up again. He managed to avoid himself but totally got the sheets. He started to cry again.
She got him out of bed and onto the window seat, then wrapped his comforter around him. He huddled there while she changed the sheets. She got him back into bed and handed him the drink. He took a sip. They both waited for a second, then he took a second one.
“That’s really good,” he said. “But I’ll drink slow.”
“I think that’s smart. Let me get rid of the sheets. I’ll be right back.”
“Don’t be long.”
“I won’t. I promise.”
She ran downstairs, dumped the sheets on the washer, then hurried back only to find Noah had set the glass on his nightstand and was now asleep. She watched him for a few seconds before backing out of the room. She would wait at the top of the stairs—that way she could hear him if he woke up.
What seemed like hours later but was probably less than twenty minutes, the front door opened and Santiago’s mother raced into the house. Callie went downstairs to greet her.
“How is he?” Enriqua asked.
“Sleeping. I checked on him five minutes ago and he’s still asleep. He’s thrown up twice since I picked him up. Once outside and again in his bed. I changed the sheets and put the dirty ones on the washer.”
Callie wrung her hands together. “When I picked him up at school, I used the safe word, then we took an Uber here because I don’t have my license yet. You can verify the trip with the driver. When we got here, Noah changed into his pajamas while I waited out in the hall. I wasn’t in his room with him at all.”
When We Found Home Page 25
