Page 13 of That One Heartbreak

Addy screamed again, and it was blood curdling this time.

“Sorry.” Kate ran out of the living room and up the stairs, all too aware of how this must seem to Marley. He must think she had no control over her kids. One of them was sneaking out to complain about her. And the other two sounded like they were starting World War Three.

She’d pay a million dollars for a drink and a spa day right now.

“Mommy,” Addy called out as Kate stomped into Ethan’s room. “Ethan won’t give me Daddy’s t-shirt.”

Oh, damn that t-shirt. Why had she ever pulled it out of the closet in the first place?

“It’s mine,” Ethan said, baring his teeth at his sister. “Get out of my room before I push you out.”

“I hate you,” Addy screamed at him. “Daddy hates you too.”

Kate reached for her daughter. “Come on now, that’s not true. And you should be in bed.”

“I want a t-shirt. Ethan has one.”

Of course she did. “Come with me,” she told Addy, reaching for her daughter’s tiny shoulders. “We’ll go find one.” She looked at Ethan, who’d gone completely quiet. Tears were falling down his face.

“Oh, honey.” Her heart clenched for him. “Come here.”

He shook his head.

“Tell him you’re sorry for what you said,” she whispered in her daughter’s ear.

And because they were good kids, even though they’d been through so much pain, Addy croaked out an apology.

“Please don’t cry, Ethey,” she whispered, throwing her arms around her brother. “You can keep the t-shirt.”

“Kate?” Marley called from downstairs.

“Who’s that?” Addy asked.

“Marley Hartson. He just popped in to ask me about something.”

“Something smells like it’s burning,” Marley shouted, his voice louder now. “Do you have something in the oven?”

Oh crap. The cupcakes. Could anything else go wrong tonight?

“Can you get yourselves back into bed?” she asked her kids, praying that this time they’d listen. “We’ll talk about t-shirts tomorrow.”

“I want a firefighter one, too,” Addy said.

Of course she did. And Kate knew for sure that she didn’t have another one of those.

She ran out of Ethan’s room and down the stairs. Marley was already in the kitchen, pulling out the cupcakes. Smoke rushed from the oven, and as it dissipated she could see that the tops of the once yellow cakes were ash black.

For a moment she couldn’t react. It was like she was struck dumb. Is this what her life had become? Bouncing from one little disaster to another?

Her shoulders slumped because some days were just too hard. She wanted to crawl under a stone and never come out.

“What do you want me to do with these?” Marley asked, glancing at the blackened cakes in his hands.

“Throw them away.” Her voice was thick. And that’s when the tears started to roll down her cheeks. Because there was only so much she could take.

She was strong. Or she tried to be. And yes she knew she wasn’t exactly winning any mom-of-the-year awards, but she loved her kids. She was trying so hard to make them happy.

Marley pulled open the trashcan and slid the charred cakes in before putting the tray on the stovetop. And then he walked toward her, his brows knitting, reaching out to wipe away her tears.

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