to the beach in a long time.”
“Do you like the beach?” I ask.
She smiles at this simple question that still seems to say so much about how desperate I am to know her. “Yeah, I love it, but because of my heart condition, it’s not good for me to engage in a lot of physical activity. My parents used to take me swimming at the aquatic center all the time, but they thought the waves and currents of the ocean were too unpredictable to be safe.”
I nod my head, though I really just want to take her in my arms and tell her how sorry I am that we didn’t give her a better heart. “Well, you’ll be safe with us. We won’t let you out of our sight.”
“Neither will I.”
Abby turns to Caleb after he says this and the expression on her face is full of adoration. Abby and Caleb are not just boyfriend and girlfriend. They’re in love. He takes care of her, the way Chris has always taken care of me.
S IX HOURS LATER , we dine on Chris’s famous slow-roasted chicken. All the men and boys retire to the living room to watch a sci-fi action flick while I lead Abby upstairs to show her the guest room where she will be sleeping tonight. I had planned to have Jimi show Abby around, to give them a chance to chat, but Jimi still hasn’t come home.
We arrive at the guest room, where I stop outside and point at the double doors at the end of the hallway. “That’s our bedroom down there. If you should wake up in the middle of the night and need something, glass of water, extra blanket, anything, just go ahead and knock. We’re both light sleepers.”
I show her around the guest room and the attached guest bath, then I realize she has no clothes to change into for bed. I take her to Jimi’s room to get some pajamas for her to borrow.
“It’s fine. I can sleep in this,” she insists.
“Oh, don’t be silly. Jimi’s friends are always borrowing her clothes. She won’t mind.”
“I won’t mind what?”
We both whip our heads around and find Jimi standing at the doorway with her friend Sydney. Jimi’s long, light-brown hair falls in soft waves over her shoulders and her blue eyes are focused on me awaiting my response.
“Jimi, come over here and meet your sister.”
Jimi waits a few seconds before she turns her attention away from me and onto Abby. She walks slowly, almost reluctantly, toward us until she’s a few feet away. Crossing her arms over her chest, she waits for me or Abby to say something.
Abby looks at her for a couple of seconds then turns to me. “Did I do something wrong?”
“Of course not.” I glare at Jimi, letting her know that I am not impressed with her attitude.
“Of course you didn’t do anything wrong,” Jimi says in a sugary voice, the voice she uses when she’s being sarcastic.
I hope Abby doesn’t notice it, but the confused look on her face tells me she’s definitely sensed the chill in Jimi’s tone. I place my hand on Abby’s back and lead her toward the door.
“I expected better from you,” I say to Jimi as we pass her. “Much better. And you, Sydney. It’s time for you to go home.”
Sydney flashes Jimi a tight smile as she heads for the door. “I guess I’ll see you when I see you.”
“Yeah, like, never,” Jimi mutters as she heads for her closet to put away her shoes.
I close her door and say good-bye to Sydney as she descends the stairs. Abby looks a bit stunned as she heads toward the staircase. I grab her hand and she stops in the middle of the corridor, but she doesn’t turn around to look at me.
“I’m sorry for the way she behaved. I didn’t expect that from her at all. When I called her on the phone earlier to tell her you were here, she seemed genuinely happy. Abby, please look at me.”
She’s still for a moment, then she turns around slowly. But she doesn’t look at me, she looks at the pictures hanging on the wall. The upstairs hallway of both the beach house and this house are lined with pictures of the kids,
“Do you like the beach?” I ask.
She smiles at this simple question that still seems to say so much about how desperate I am to know her. “Yeah, I love it, but because of my heart condition, it’s not good for me to engage in a lot of physical activity. My parents used to take me swimming at the aquatic center all the time, but they thought the waves and currents of the ocean were too unpredictable to be safe.”
I nod my head, though I really just want to take her in my arms and tell her how sorry I am that we didn’t give her a better heart. “Well, you’ll be safe with us. We won’t let you out of our sight.”
“Neither will I.”
Abby turns to Caleb after he says this and the expression on her face is full of adoration. Abby and Caleb are not just boyfriend and girlfriend. They’re in love. He takes care of her, the way Chris has always taken care of me.
S IX HOURS LATER , we dine on Chris’s famous slow-roasted chicken. All the men and boys retire to the living room to watch a sci-fi action flick while I lead Abby upstairs to show her the guest room where she will be sleeping tonight. I had planned to have Jimi show Abby around, to give them a chance to chat, but Jimi still hasn’t come home.
We arrive at the guest room, where I stop outside and point at the double doors at the end of the hallway. “That’s our bedroom down there. If you should wake up in the middle of the night and need something, glass of water, extra blanket, anything, just go ahead and knock. We’re both light sleepers.”
I show her around the guest room and the attached guest bath, then I realize she has no clothes to change into for bed. I take her to Jimi’s room to get some pajamas for her to borrow.
“It’s fine. I can sleep in this,” she insists.
“Oh, don’t be silly. Jimi’s friends are always borrowing her clothes. She won’t mind.”
“I won’t mind what?”
We both whip our heads around and find Jimi standing at the doorway with her friend Sydney. Jimi’s long, light-brown hair falls in soft waves over her shoulders and her blue eyes are focused on me awaiting my response.
“Jimi, come over here and meet your sister.”
Jimi waits a few seconds before she turns her attention away from me and onto Abby. She walks slowly, almost reluctantly, toward us until she’s a few feet away. Crossing her arms over her chest, she waits for me or Abby to say something.
Abby looks at her for a couple of seconds then turns to me. “Did I do something wrong?”
“Of course not.” I glare at Jimi, letting her know that I am not impressed with her attitude.
“Of course you didn’t do anything wrong,” Jimi says in a sugary voice, the voice she uses when she’s being sarcastic.
I hope Abby doesn’t notice it, but the confused look on her face tells me she’s definitely sensed the chill in Jimi’s tone. I place my hand on Abby’s back and lead her toward the door.
“I expected better from you,” I say to Jimi as we pass her. “Much better. And you, Sydney. It’s time for you to go home.”
Sydney flashes Jimi a tight smile as she heads for the door. “I guess I’ll see you when I see you.”
“Yeah, like, never,” Jimi mutters as she heads for her closet to put away her shoes.
I close her door and say good-bye to Sydney as she descends the stairs. Abby looks a bit stunned as she heads toward the staircase. I grab her hand and she stops in the middle of the corridor, but she doesn’t turn around to look at me.
“I’m sorry for the way she behaved. I didn’t expect that from her at all. When I called her on the phone earlier to tell her you were here, she seemed genuinely happy. Abby, please look at me.”
She’s still for a moment, then she turns around slowly. But she doesn’t look at me, she looks at the pictures hanging on the wall. The upstairs hallway of both the beach house and this house are lined with pictures of the kids,
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