“I think it’s time Sophie and I moved out, Mom,” Adam said at breakfast the day after the nightmare. After going back to bed, he’d lain wide awake, staring at the ceiling of his old bedroom, thinking about the call from Mendosa, and feeling the need to get back on the case rush through him like a powerful drug. His family would never let him work on the case again, but he knew he’d never truly be able to leave the past behind—not until he’d found the man and brought him to justice.
As seconds ticked by, he realized he would never really move on if he kept living in this house, if he kept leaning on his mother and his family. He needed to get a grip, accept the fact that he was now a single parent, and learn to deal with it.
“I was wondering when you’d say it,” his mother said in a sweet tone, as if she’d been expecting him to say those words for a while. “I didn’t want to kick you out, but I knew that sooner or later you’d leave the nest. Again.”
His throat constricted, and for a moment he doubted his decision. Maybe he should stay a little longer, just until Sophie started kindergarten. But his mother placed a hand over his and squeezed.
“Adam, we’ll always be here to help, and you know you can count on Hannah’s family to babysit or help in any other way, too. You’ll never be alone, even if you move out.”
His vision blurred for a moment and he blinked, looking away. He could pretend and fake it all he wanted, but his mother had an uncanny ability to always see behind his mask and call him out on his bluff.
“I met Glen the other day,” he said. “He reminded me the position of deputy sheriff is there whenever I’m ready, so I guess I’ll be needing someone to look after Sophie when I can’t pick her up from preschool.” He took a sip of coffee from his mug and waited a moment for his heart rate to settle and his stomach to unknot itself, as his mother nodded and smiled. “I’ll see if I can start with morning shifts or something, so I don’t have to trouble you too much, but—”
“Looking after my granddaughter and helping my son would never be trouble,” she interrupted him, patting his cheek gently, the way she used to do when he was a child—only, his cheek was scruffier now. “But yes, I think it would be best if you managed to work around Sophie’s schedule, at least until she goes to school. She needs to know she’ll always come first.”
“She does. She’s everything to me, Mom.”
His mother smiled. “I know you love that little angel, and so does she. I just worry that moving out could be unsettling, make her think we don’t want her here anymore. She grew up in this house, she doesn’t really understand what you went through. So make sure you spoil her a little for the first few days.”
Adam chuckled. “She’s already been spoiled enough, but yeah, I guess I’ll have to make sure Glen is a little flexible with the shifts. Or maybe I’ll take Kean up on his offer and build furniture for his clients instead.”
His mother stood and picked up the empty plate in front of him. “I’d be happier to know you’re keeping yourself away from trouble by carving and sanding, but you’ve got to do what feels right to you.” She smiled and retrieved his empty mug before he could stand up and bring it to the sink. She was the first one when it came to spoiling kids and grandkids. “You can always use your hobby as a source of extra income. Kids get more expensive the older they get.”
“Tell me about it,” he said on a sigh. His daughter’s latest obsession over Frozen had already filled her room with dolls, cushions, sheets and even a towel robe. Before that, she’d had a thing for Bugs Bunny, and he wondered what would come next. Lauren, his sister-in-law, had a bet going on with Kean that it would be Barbie, while his brother said it was likely to be My Little Pony. Adam hoped it would be Lego—at least that was something he understood and knew how to deal with. As much as he loved his daughter, he still felt a little awkward playing with dolls. Which proved he’d do practically anything for his little girl—even give up his man card and sit on a carpet brushing dolls’ hair and dressing them up for the ball. Yeah, he definitely hoped her next craze would be Lego. Or Transformers. Or dinosaurs.
* * *
Two hours after speaking to his mother, Adam walked into Kean’s latest work in progress, stepping over wooden beams and unopened bags of cement. He nodded and greeted Jimmy, one of the two extra guys his brother had hired for this project. Kean’s business had grown steadily since he’d moved back to Spring and decided to start Cavanagh Contracting. The good thing about small towns was that they always looked after their own. Once Kean came back from Portland and opened his business, nearly every other resident came up with renovations or things they needed done. Within two years, business was booming, and the continuing demand meant Kean had not only never been out of work, but sometimes had to hire extra workers to complete projects on time.
“Kean’s out back,” Jimmy said, pointing his thumb over his shoulder. Adam thanked him and crossed the spacious room to the back of the house. Even though his brother was an architect, he loved getting his hands dirty. From the way Kean’s workers talked, he was a pretty great boss to work with.
His brother was busy reducing some beams with an electric saw and didn’t hear him approaching.
“Yo, foreman!” Adam shouted to be heard over the buzz of the saw. Kean’s head whipped up, and he switched off the saw. Adam stepped closer.
“’Sup, bro?” Kean said, mimicking his slang. He lifted his protective goggles and removed his work gloves, placing them on top of the beam he’d been cutting. “Perfect timing. I was just about to take a break. I see you read my mind.” He nodded at the tray with two coffee cups Adam held in his hand, and smiled.
“I stopped by Mom’s bakery and picked up something to get you through to lunch time,” Adam said, handing him the bag with freshly-baked muffins their mother had just taken out of the oven when he’d stopped by. Kean’s face lit up, and he grabbed the paper bag, took out a muffin, then reached for a coffee cup.
“Thanks, little brother.” He took a sip from the cup and sat on a pile of wooden beams, then motioned for Adam to join him. “So, what brings you here? Apart from being a thoughtful brother who likes taking care of his older sibling.”
Adam chuckled as he sat down next to him. “I’ve decided to move out.”
Kean froze with the muffin half-way to his mouth.
Adam smiled. “I think it’s time I tried standing on my own two feet. I appreciate what you’ve all been doing over the past three years, but I can’t keep living in our childhood room, eating Mom’s food, and pretending I’m back in high school. Hannah isn’t coming back, and I need to start living my life as a single dad.”
“Yeah, well, I can see where you’re coming from,” Kean said, after he’d swallowed the mouthful of muffin he’d been chomping on while Adam spoke. “I mean, I loved being back home when I came back from Portland, but after a couple of weeks I felt the need for space. Mom’s great, but she’s always Mom, you know?”
Adam chuckled. Yeah, he knew. Their mother loved spoiling her kids, and her nephews and nieces as if they were still children.
“Still, you didn’t go that far away, did you?” Adam said, referring to the fact that Kean had built his house just a few hundred yards away from their parents’ place.
“Dude, do you have any idea how expensive building a house can be? At least that way the land was free of charge and I could splurge on materials. Besides, Mom was happy I’d still be around, and it was far enough away to give me my privacy. Everybody won.”
“This doesn’t have anything to do with the fact you also get free dinner every night, does it?”
“Busted.” Kean chuckled. “Anyway, back to your decision. How can I help? Do you want me to build a house for you and Sophie next to mine?”
Adam shook his head. “No, it would take too long to build it from scratch. I was hoping you could help me find a place. I can’t really afford to buy something fancy, but as long as Sophie has her own room, I can sleep on a pull out couch or something.”
Kean waved him away. “Pfft, as if I’d let my brother live in a shack. I have my reputation, you know. Let me make a few calls. I’ll find something suitable you can afford. I can always look for something that needs renovating so it’s cheaper. Renovations will be my housewarming gift for you, of course.”
Adam smiled and took a sip of his lukewarm coffee. “Thanks, man. I’d be happy to help out.”
“Great, it’s settled then. Any particular area you’d like me to check out?”
Adam thought of his dream of a house by the beach, a house he’d be sharing with Hannah and their children. He didn’t have to give up on the dream, even though it would be just him and Sophie living there.
“Somewhere near the beach would be cool. But whatever you come up with that I can afford will work.”
“The beach it is, then. I have to get back to work now,” Kean said, standing up and popping the last piece of muffin into his mouth. “I’ll see you at dinner, and I’ll let you know if I’ve found something.”
Adam nodded, thanked him again, and walked through the house back to his car. The more he thought about it, the more confident he felt that he’d made the right decision. It was time to start living his new life.