Dear Professor(54)
Or maybe Brady wanted the basketball and Brandon wanted the football. I didn’t know unless I could see them, and even then, it was hit or miss half the time.
Mom pressed her fingers to her temples. “In the shed in the backyard. How many times?”
“I already looked,” Brandon whined, coming into the shot. Yep, definitely Brandon.
“Then I don’t know, sweetheart. Wherever you left it last. I’m trying to talk to your sister.”
“You are?” He barreled forward and half climbed on Mom. It took him a second to focus, but when he did, his grin stretched from ear to ear and he waved enthusiastically. “Hey, Darcy!”
“Hey, dude.” I smiled. “How are you?”
“Great. Better if I can find the football.” He cut his eyes to Mom.
“Brand!” I scolded him. “Don’t blame Mom if you didn’t put the ball away. That’s your fault if you can’t find it, not hers.”
“Yeah, Brand.” Brady grinned from the corner of the room.
He was just in the shot, but what the hell.
“Brady! That goes for you, too.”
“Aw, man.” His groan was more fitting of a teenager than his seven years.
“Apologize. Now.”
“Sorry, Mom,” they said in chorus.
Mom’s lips twitched. “Now, you go think about where you last had those balls and go find them.”
“Yes, Mom.” They both scuttled off, but not before waving goodbye to me. Then they disappeared into the kitchen.
I couldn’t help my smile. We didn’t share a single gene and they could be the biggest menaces ever, but I loved the hell out of them.
“You’re a good big sister to them,” Mom said once they’d disappeared. “They miss you.”
“I miss them, too. And you and Dad. I’ll try and get back soon.”
“How about next weekend?”
“I’m not sure. I’ll have to let you know in a few days.”
“Is it money? Dad can send you some for gas.”
“No, Mom. It’s not money. It’s school. It’s crazy right now with my applications for law school.” I scratched my forehead and sat back.
She narrowed her eyes. “You scratched your forehead. You’re lying. Something else is wrong.”
Damn her mom senses. “Just… You know. Guy stuff. It’ll sort itself out. Just seems a little bleak right now.”
And wasn’t that the understatement of the century?
“Are you sure? Because I will drive up there and whip the ass of any man who tries to mess with my baby.”
A small laugh escaped me, and I smiled fondly. “I promise. I’m my mother’s daughter, aren’t I?”#p#分页标题#e#
“Damn straight you are.” If the jump of the camera was anything to go by, she’d just banged her fist against the table. She got a little momma bear when she thought someone was trying to hurt her kids.
“I’ll figure it out, Mom. Always do, don’t I?”
She nodded with a faint smile.
“Enough about me. What have you been up to? Has Dad actually finished building the brick shed yet?”
“The brick shed has been ignored indefinitely. Right now, there’s half a shed built that the boys have claimed as their fort and are begging your father to build a second so they can shoot each other with their Nerf guns. They’re crazy.” She rolled her eyes then paused.
I hated when she paused. I knew what it meant.
“I saw Hannah yesterday.”
Griffin’s mom.
I swallowed hard. “How is she?”
“She’s good. She finally got a job at the florist downtown. She said the flowers help keep her busy now, and that it’s been long enough.”
“I’m glad she’s okay.”
“She’d love to see you when you come home. She’s real pleased for you and how well you’re doing.”
“I’ll stop by when I come home,” I promised.
Although seeing my dead ex-boyfriend’s mom was the last thing I wanted to do, Hannah had never been anything but sweet to me. I could at least have a coffee with her. After all, I might have lost the guy I loved, but she’d lost her son.
“Perfect,” she said. Then the sound of raucous boys filled the air from her end, and her groan followed almost instantly. “I need to go, sweetie. They’re probably killing the cat or something.”
“Sure, Mom. We’ll talk soon, okay?”
“Okay, Darce. Bye.” She blew a kiss before clicking off.
I shut my laptop and dropped my head back on the top of my chair. Well, that conversation had done nothing except excite my brothers and bring my ex up. Now, I remembered why calling home was an irregularity. Griffin always, always came up.