Page 48 of Quiet Chaos

“What did you make for dinner?”

She lifts her head. “Pork chops, sauerkraut, and mashed potatoes. Do you want me to make a plate?” I shake my head.

Her fingers run along my jaw. “Cade. Please talk to me.”

My head falls back, and she puts her head back on my chest.

“She’s my mother.” Sky hurls herself into a sitting position, putting space between us. “Julia is my biological mother.”

“What? Adopted? You never told me. I’m so sorry, Cade. She said she was a friend of the family.”

“I figured.”

Sky takes my hand and kisses the back of it. She hugs me, kissing my cheeks, nose, and eyes. My Pious Princess knows how to lessen the hurt. I haul her closer to nuzzle my face into her hair, which smells of wildflowers. This is all I need and want. My Sky.

Her breath tickles my ear when she asks, “Do you want to talk about it?” I tell her no.

She rests her head on my shoulder, rubbing my chest, and asks, “Since you don’t want to talk about it right now, can I ask you a question that has nothing to do with Julia?” I whisper ayesinto her hair. “Will you visit the convent with me? I’d like you to meet the sisters, especially Sister Mary and Reverend Mother Corinne.”

Because I want to see how she grew up, and know it’s important to her, I agree. The convent raised her. It’s a big part of her life. A life I should learn about.

She hugs me tighter, whispering, “I love you.” I haven’t shared those words, but it doesn’t stop Sky from saying them.

23

“Sometimes the Bible in the hand of one man is worse than a whiskey bottle in the hand of another.” Harper Lee

Cade - January 2020

We’re making a weekend trip out of the one-and-a-half-hour drive to the convent. I toss our duffel bags in the truck’s bed under the cover. Armstrong is in the backseat with a cooler Sky filled. Sky’s anxious. Her legs kick at the glove compartment. I make sure everything is situated and place my hand on her leg with a raised brow.

The little Pious Princess giggles with excitement, forcing an amused grin onto my face. She’s so fucking adorable. I had better get all the swearing out of my system before we get there.

We take off. Sky is restless, turning in her seat to pet Armstrong, fidgeting with her hands, and bouncing her legs off the floor mat. The hard rock radio station is playingProud Mary by Creedence Clearwater Revival. Her head bobs to the tune.

We’re an hour into the ride when I ask, “Do you want to tell me about any of the nuns?”

She sits straighter. “Yes. Sister Mary is like an older sister. From day one, she took me under her wing, guided and homeschooled me. Reverend Mother Corinne is the head of the convent. Although she wasn’t in my day-to-day activities, she answered questions I had about being a nun, life, and lots more.” Her gaze drifts into the distance. “I don’t know what I wouldhave done without them. They played such an important role in my upbringing.”

“Why did you wind up there?”

“I only remember what the sisters told me about my abusive parents. They hit me or kept me locked in a closet. From what Sister Mary said, I had one too many broken bones, and a doctor reported it. This opened an investigation. My parents received jail sentences. I don’t know how long.” She looks over at me. “We didn’t have any relatives in Wyoming. At the hospital where Sister Mary volunteered, she followed the case. She requested the convent to take me in and Reverend Mother Corinne petitioned the courts, and they were approved.”

“How old were you?”

“Five.” I curse under my breath. “Please don’t swear in front of the sisters.”

“I’m getting it out of my system now.” I give her thigh a slight squeeze. “Did your parents come for you after their release?”

She shakes her head and peers out the window. I let it drop, but I’m pissed just thinking about what her parents did to her. What the fuck can a five-year-old do to warrant abuse? Absolutely nothing. If I had kids, I would never harm them.

Her life in the convent means much to her. I’ll do my best to impress, but I’m not sure the sisters are ready to meet their Pious Princess’s biker boyfriend. I left my cut at home to tone things down, along with my bourbon. It’s going to be a helluva weekend.

An hour later, we’re standing outside of an iron gate. Sky hasn’t made a move to open it. She stares inside the courtyard of the convent. I hear a shuffling of cloth coming toward the gate, and it opens. A nun bows her head to us, and without a word, walks us into the main building, Armstrong behind.

I whisper through the side of my mouth. “Who is she?”

Sky does the same and responds, “I don’t know. She must be new.”

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