Cadence of My Heart by Keira Michelle Telford Page A

her feel—feminine and sexy—and she likes the way Cadence admires them on her. Cadence herself doesn’t own any, and once sprained her ankle while trying to walk in a pair she pilfered from Marlee’s room.
    Today, as most days, she’s wearing canvas athletics, raggedy jeans, and a motif t-shirt that proclaims her undying devotion to some band Marlee’s never heard of. She hides her family’s money well. She didn’t even brush her hair this morning after she washed it, she just scrunched it up into a messy ponytail. She looks beautiful. Carelessly and effortlessly beautiful.
    Taking a deep breath, Marlee leads them down the garden path—literally—and rings the doorbell. As she does, Cadence gives her hand a comforting squeeze. Is her anxiety really that apparent? How silly, she thinks. This is her home, not Buckingham Palace!
    She steals a peck on the lips. “I love you.”
    The kiss is thrilling. Not because it’s erotic, or passionate in any way, but simply because it’s outdoors. Someone could see! For the briefest of moments, Marlee feels as though she’s in a normal relationship.
    When the door opens, it’s a small boy who answers. He appears to be about six years old, wearing baggy thrift store shorts that he’ll probably grow into a year from now, and a plain t-shirt that’s covered in dirt and grass stains. With hazel eyes and a thick mop of blonde hair, he definitely looks like a Meeks, but rather embarrassingly, Marlee doesn’t immediately recognize him. He could be her nephew, or he could be some random neighborhood boy who’s being paid to help her father do some work in the garden.
    “Edward?” she asks tentatively.
    The young boy cocks his head, narrows his eyes, and scrutinizes her for a few moments, wondering how he knows this stranger. Then, a lightning bolt strikes.
    “Auntie Lee!”
    Forgetting to invite them inside, he darts back into the house, squealing excitedly and calling for his mother. “Mumma! Mumma! Auntie Lee’s come home!”
    Grinning, Marlee steps indoors, pulling a reluctant Cadence with her.
    “Come on, my girl.” She tugs her young lover’s arm. “It’s all right.”
    She has to coax Cadence into the hallway like an unwilling horse, knowing that, for her, this is where the culture shock begins. In her world, no-one would ever just walk into another’s house—even family. You’d have to wait to be greeted on the doorstep, and then be formally invited inside. The distinct lack of ceremony is undoubtedly disconcerting.
    Once in, the entrance hallway presents the next learning curve. It’s small and narrow, with an overfilled coat rack on the wall and a disorganized pile of shoes on the floor. Marlee kicks off her high heels and discards them on the pile, encouraging Cadence to do the same.
    “It’s polite to do so,” she explains, Cadence being unaware of the custom.
    As they make their way into the living room, the young boy drags a blonde-haired woman in from the back garden, insisting that Auntie Lee is at the door.
    “Don’t be ridiculous, Eddie,” the woman grumbles. “You know full well that Aunt Marlee can’t leave—” She cuts herself off when she looks up and sees Marlee standing in the living room. “Oh, my good gracious!”
    “I told ya!” Eddie sticks his tongue out at her.
    The woman clips his ear lightly. “Enough of your lip. Go fetch your grammy and grampa.” She sends him away, then dashes at Marlee with a bear hug. “Sissy!”
    Marlee drops Cadence’s hand to hug her sister back, and Cadence blends into the background, more than happy to stand aside and watch this reunion unfold before her.
    There’s a clear family resemblance. The woman, while a handful of years younger than Marlee, has the same face shape and the same eyes. Her hair’s a lighter shade, but she has Marlee’s lips and cheek bones. In a short, halter neck dress, it’s quite apparent that she also has Marlee’s figure.
    A few seconds later, a heavy-set,