Chapter 52

Chase

“Daddy, why are you making pancakes?”

“I thought you might like some.”

“Aren’t pancakes just for fesshul occasions?”

“This is a special occasion, Katie girl.”

“What occasion?”

“We have a visitor.”

Her eyes get really big. “Is it Granna Emily?”

I shake my head. “Nope.”

She looks disappointed, but I know she’s not going to be disappointed.

I’m not disappointed. I’m totally fucking exhausted, from, well, totally fucking all night long, but I’m the happiest guy on the whole planet. And it makes me even happier to think about how Katie’s going to be when she finds out who our visitor is.

“Is it Nana and Papa?”

“Nope.”

“Is it Uncle Henry?”

“Nope.”

“It’s me!” says Liv, appearing in the door of the kitchen. She’s wearing actual clothes. One thing we did do last night was unload her suitcase from the car. Just that one suitcase. I suspect Liv will never have many permanent belongings, a subconscious hedge against feeling like she might have to move again at any moment. That’s fine, as long as she knows that wherever she goes, Katie and I are going with her.

“Livvy, Livvy, Livvy, Livvy, Livvy!” Katie bellows, and throws herself across the kitchen and into Liv’s arms.

Katie extricates herself from Liv and eyes her suspiciously. “Why are you here?”

“I’m going to stay here with you and your dad, and I’ll get a job here. Your dad thinks I’m going to come work for him, but we’ll have to talk about that.” She winks at me. We did talk a little bit about it last night. About how we could turn the running of the store itself over to Brooks and Rodro and work to build an outdoor adventure arm for the business. I could lead trips, and she and Katie could come along whenever they wanted. Until I knock her up, that is. We both agreed more kids was on our shared list of future goals.

Katie’s face is wary. “And you won’t leave again?”

It’s possible I get a little teary eyed.

A fearful look crosses Liv’s face, and I know what she’s thinking. Life is uncertain. People leave, they betray you, they make mistakes that separate you from them, they die.

But I will not let her be afraid, not if I can help it.

“You and I, we won’t let her, right, Katie girl? Not if it’s within our power.”

Liv’s eyes fill up with tears.

I draw closer to Liv, and tuck her in tight under my arm against my body. Katie sidles closer, too, and when Liv turns her body toward mine and lays her cheek against my chest, Katie makes herself the bread in our sandwich.

We stay like that for a long time.

“You know,” Liv tells Katie. “I was getting pretty tired of being a come-and-go person. I think I’m really going to enjoy being a stay person from now on.”

“Yay!” says Katie, jumping up and down.

I finish cooking the pancakes and frying up the bacon, while Katie and Liv “make” the table.

I’m done first, while they’re still fussing, and I give them a hard time about how the food’s getting cold, but I actually like it. Even the little vase of wildflowers that Liv sent Katie outside to pick.

When the table’s made, we sit down to eat together as a family.