AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“When she’s herself, she’s great. I promise,” he says, lip trembling. “Makes the best cookies. House fucking sparkles.”
“I call bullshit on the house sparkling, but I believe you, Charles.” The problem isn’t when she’s herself, but I see where he’s going. He thinks that if we can get her back to herself, everything will go back to normal. Hell, I want to believe that too. That’s the fairytale outcome.
As it calms down, my mind forms a temporary plan.
Heading over to Stevie, I crouch. His hand pauses, he doesn’t move his head, but I know he’s watching me in his periphery. His coloring’s nothing but a blue mass of scribbles. The crayon’s down to the quick. He’s got the darkest brow line ever, creasing the fuck out of his forehead.
“I’m Mitchell,” I tell him. “Some people call me Sutter.” I like going by my surname. It was my dad’s. I opted to keep it even when Francisco adopted me.
This little guy looks too young to be in Francisco’s program, which explains why he isn’t, but he’s exactly why we do it. Young men and boys who can’t afford therapy, who need to build some confidence and learn some skills.
“Charlie…?” Stevie’s lip trembles. Charles scoops him into his skinny arms.
“You’re fine, pal. Mitch is here to help. He’s gonna make sure we stay together and that Mom gets better.”
You little shit, trying to guilt me.It won’t work, but it will buy him a night.
“Get him ready for bed. I’m gonna put your mama to bed.” If she’ll let me. I’m banking on her being too weak to fight me. “Upsie daisy, Mama West.”
I lift her bridal style. She doesn’t flinch, but she finally moves, arms tightening around my neck. She’s in there somewhere, and from that somewhere she’s willing to accept my help.
Fuck. I am not cut out for this.
The Curtis brothers pull through. I told them to buy a Walmart out of cleaning supplies, garbage bags, and food. I gave them a list of items I needed from Home Depot and transferred them a bunch of money. I don’t wanna know how they would have acquired the shit I needed otherwise. I also hadLane bring me some of his clothes. I’m gonna be here for a few days, and I don’t exactly fit into Mama West’s stuff.
I know it’s wrong to think about sex at a time like this, but sex is how I relax, and I need to fucking relax. Naturally, Alderchuck springs to mind. Plus, thinking about Casey is a helluva lot better than the other things plaguing me. I don’t know what it is about this place. Is it because the neighborhood reminds me of the one Ma and I lived in with Dad? Is it the whole single mom thing? Mom raised me on her own until she met Francisco, and I was a fucking hellion.
Is it because of how much Charles reminds me of me? Maybe it’s all of it. Whatever it is, I can’t stay too much longer or I’m gonna be pulled under with them.
What better way to keep myself afloat than to slide my dick into Alderchuck?
Focus, Sutter.
Yeah, yeah.
Over the next couple of days, we do things like install new and better locks on the doors. I get Charles and Stevie to help me. I get them to help me fix other shit, too. I don’t expect either of them to be as interested as they are.
“I joined the Moose Scouts because I knew I needed to learn how to do basic tasks like this,” Charles says. “I wanted to know that …”
“That you could rely on yourself?” I try.I know someone just like that.
He nods, swallowing. “That.”
He’s too much the tough guy to admit how scared he is, but it’s clear as day in his tight body language.
It takes us two days to get the house sorted. We load up Lane’s rusty old truck with too many garbage bags of stuff. We still can’t get Mama West to eat, but at least we’ve forced some Pedialyte into her.
Austin Curtis, who’s a big man, but has the face for passing as friendly, keeps Stevie and Charles busy so Lane can pull me aside.
“You’re not gonna do what I think you’re gonna do,” he says.
“What else am I going to do? I’m not ready for fatherhood, and even if I was, no judge in the world is going to let me foster kids. I need to find them someplace to stay.” Asking my parents crosses my mind. Plus, Dad practices family law, which means he’s definitely an asset in a case like this, but he’s got a pretty solid boundary when it comes to taking kids home from camp. Otherwise, they’d all be home with us. I can’t be sure he wouldn’t want to see about getting them into the foster care system immediately.
“Then maybe they stay with us for a bit,” Lane suggests. “Till Mama West is better.”
I know Lane like the back of my hand, so I know the look on his face. He’s not asking, but I don’t give a shit. “Not a fucking chance.”
“For the last time, we’re not a biker gang.”
