Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 94313 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 472(@200wpm)___ 377(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94313 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 472(@200wpm)___ 377(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
It was the story we’d all agreed to. There was no reason for my mom to know anything about what my dad had been into if she didn’t already. After forming her life around him for so long, she was going to struggle when he never came home. If she knew it all, I was afraid it would send her into a tailspin she might never recover from, and Noel was going to need her.
Heather stepped forward and grabbed my mom’s hand. “Hi, I’m Otto’s mom, Heather.”
“Nice to meet you,” Mom replied. “I’m Savannah Allen.”
I couldn’t catch the rest of what they said when Noel pulled me into a hug.
“I’ll come see you whenever I can,” she whispered. “Promise.”
“Good. Call me, and I’ll pick you up.”
Noel laughed, and I realized that she thought I was joking.
“Remember you said you’d name the baby after me.”
“I will. Even if it’s a boy.”
“Okay, no need to go that far. Only if it’s a girl.”
“You’re always welcome with us, okay? I’ll have your room ready the day you turn eighteen.”
“Deal,” she whispered, sniffling.
“It’s okay,” I whispered, running my hand over the thick bun at the base of her neck. “I promise. It’ll be okay.”
“Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
Ephraim was quiet as long as Otto was outside, but his presence still loomed like a gargoyle. As soon as Noel pulled away, my mom started making noises to leave.
When I met Heather’s apologetic gaze, I realized she’d come outside to stall for time, giving me and Noel a few more minutes.
“Bye, Mom,” I murmured, moving in for a hug.
As she wrapped her arms around me, I soaked in the moment. Noel would be back at some point, but I wasn’t sure if I’d ever have my mom so close again.
I didn’t cry as they pulled away or when Heather and Otto carefully ushered me back inside. I held it in all night. But as soon as I crawled into bed next to Otto and he let out the little huff of contentment that he’d made every night since we married, I let them fall.
He didn’t try to shush me. He just wrapped his arms around me and let me cry.
When we met Bishop at our house the next day to go over all the things that needed to be fixed, I sat on the porch and let the cool air wash the last four months away. Seeing my mother was a stark reminder of the life that I’d never lead. How could I have woken up that morning with anything but gratitude for the life in front of me?
Otto and I were back in our house three weeks after the fire. He said that was one of the perks to being cousins with a guy that owned his own construction company but I thought Heather had probably secretly thrown her weight around. She tried so hard not to overstep her boundaries, but I think what she loved most about me was that I didn’t mind when she leapfrogged them completely. Once she knew about my disastrous first doctor appointment, she went with me to every appointment that Otto couldn’t and we usually spent the rest of the day shopping for baby things.
My dad was right about one thing: sometimes God doesn’t answer your prayers the way you think he should—sometimes what you get is better than you could’ve imagined.
My life with Otto was everything. He was the storm cloud to my sunshine. The pragmatist while I dreamed big. We balanced each other perfectly, even when he was grouching his way to the shower after work for just one minute of peace and quiet! I loved him more than I’d ever thought possible.
Noel snuck away to see us three more times, and each time, she showed up with a grinning Titus behind her. It was easy to see that they found it exciting that they were getting away with something. I ignored the nervous way my heart fluttered when I saw that look in their eyes. I regretted it three months later when Titus showed up on our porch alone and devastated.
When the police notified my mom that my dad’s body had been found, Ephraim became the head of the family. His first decision was to move my mom and Noel to Seattle. They hadn’t seen it coming. Titus found out where they’d gone by hacking into the high school’s records system to find where they’d sent Noel’s file.
I kept my promise and named our daughter after my baby sister. We also had Noel’s bedroom ready on the day she turned eighteen. Titus spent the entire week with us, waiting, but she never came. Otto offered to go to Seattle to find her, but I wouldn’t let him.
I had faith she’d find her way back to us eventually.