Page 2 of The Ones We Fight For

Pulling the coffee grounds down from the cabinet, Walker made his way over to the coffee maker and stared at it, eyebrows knitting together in concentration as he twisted Cole’s wedding band around his middle finger.

“Want me to do that?” Colin, Walker’s nephew and the oldest of the kids, came into the kitchen, already grabbing the coffee out of Walker’s hand.

“I can do it.” Walker shook his head.

“Let me rephrase that: the coffee you’ve been making for the last few months is disgusting, and considering that everyone is going back to school today, I think we all deserve something that doesn’t taste like sludge,” Colin said, pushing Walker to the side so he could prepare the coffee. Tall and lanky, his nephew wasn’t aware of his own strength yet, and Walker had to stumble a little to catch his footing.

“Okay, it’s not that bad!” Walker protested, but made his way over to the cabinet to grab the bowls knowing full well that his coffee really was that bad. The coffee machine was too fancy, and he hadn’t quite figured it out yet. He was used to his average Joe coffee maker that he bought at an estate sale for five bucks. This one had too many buttons and gadgets. Why couldn’t anything just be simple anymore? Coffee makers shouldn’t come with a learning curve.

“What kind of sugary cereal are we eating today?” Cooper, Cole’s youngest son, bounded into the kitchen and sat down on a barstool, reaching for one of the bowls.

“Reese's Puffs and Froot Loops,” Walker answered, raising one finger in warning. “But I’m going grocery shopping today, and I’m replacing all of this with healthier options, so enjoy it while you can.”

“You are going grocery shopping?” Piper made her grand entrance, and Walker’s eyes widened in surprise. She was wearing something he knew his brother would never have allowed her to leave the house in, what with her midriff showing and shorts that seemed like they were a few sizes too small. Honestly, where was the rest of her outfit? She had to have been only half-dressed at this point.

Walker probably should have said something or demanded that she throw on a sweater, but he couldn’t bring himself to. He wasn’t her dad, nor was he even old enough to be her dad. There would probably be nothing more uncomfortable to discuss when she had witnessed him bring many scantily clad women over for family dinner night. Walker could already hear the word “hypocrite” ringing in his ears. Between the hair and the clothing, he figured Piper was just letting off some steam, and he ignored it.

“Yes, I am.” Walker fixed his face with confidence. “I’m going to make a mental list if you guys tell me what you want.”

“You don’t need help?” Piper pried.

“Despite what you think, I am an adult who is capable of going shopping by myself.” Walker rolled his eyes. It was barely true, but he would have to be a real adult now, and it wasn’t like he’d never gone grocery shopping before.

“And I think I’m going to make dinner tonight to celebrate everyone’s successful return to school today.” This declaration was met with loud groans from every person in the kitchen. “I promise it’s going to be g—”

A blood-curdling scream abruptly interrupted Walker’s desire to prove to everyone that he could cook, and he jerked his head toward the stairs. His first thought was that his cooking wasn’t bad enough to elicit that kind of a response, and the second was immediate panic. No one seemed even remotely distressed by the noise, but he took off in a jog anyway, making it up the stairs in four seconds flat. He found the source of the scream to be his niece, Pearl, who had a tweenager’s typical flair for the dramatic.

“Pearl? You okay?” Walker knocked awkwardly on the bathroom door.

“Don’t come in here!” Pearl shouted, as if the door wasn’t locked to begin with. Walker could hear the cabinets and drawers in the bathroom opening and slamming shut inside.

“Okay, but are you—”

“Go get Piper!” Pearl yelled, frantically.

Confused, Walker turned on his heel and raced back down the stairs to comply with her request.

Several minutes later, after leaving the kitchen to console her sister, Piper came back downstairs without Pearl. Walker looked up with his eyebrows raised, and Piper cringed, looking mildly embarrassed. He narrowed his eyes on her, trying to deduce what the major dilemma was by reading her face.

“Um… can you go to the store?” Piper asked, effectively avoiding Walker’s obvious need to know what the hell was going on.

“Is she okay?” Walker inquired, annoyed that he even had to pose the question.

“Yeah… but she needs… stuff. I found one in my room, but she’s going to need more.”

Walker stared blankly at Piper. Mind racing, he came up with no answers and threw up his hands in exasperation. Life was chaotic enough already without having to play guessing games.

Folding his arms over his chest, he enunciated his words in frustration. “And what, may I ask, am I going to the store for?”

Piper waved him away from the kitchen and Walker followed her into the foyer, wondering what was with all the secrecy.

“She needs tampons and pads,” Piper said, dropping her voice lower so her brothers couldn’t hear.

Fuck. Of course. How old was Pearl? Didn’t that normally happen when girls were around… her age, yeah. Shit.

“Oh,” was all Walker managed to say, unable to form the proper words.

“Now. She needs them now,” Piper reiterated. “Mom usually stocked us up, but I guess I’ve used them all since…”

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