Page 20 of Stolen Kisses

“Come on, Munchkin. Time for bed.” I gently tug on the end of her braid.

“But Uncle Theo, Iwannasee if Austin’s okay.”

“You can check on him tomorrow. It’s late and you’ve got school in the morning.” I don’t want to admit to Kenny that I’m just as keen to know if the kid’s okay. She huffs out a disappointed breath but makes her way toward her bedroom.

We brush our teeth together, which has become a kind of ritual. One I find I like—a lot.We make funny faces in the mirror at each other and giggle when the toothpaste runs down our chins.Who would have thought living with a girl could be so much fun?

Kenny makes her last trip to the toilet for the night and then I tuck her into bed, ready for a bedtime story. “Wouldyoulike me to tell you a story about your mom?”

Her whole face lights up in excitement as she nods her head like one of the bobble dolls she likes so much. “Okay, well, she used to hate worms.”

Kenny’s face screws up tight. “Oh, she wouldn’t likeEmma’s garden, she has lots of worms.”

“Probably. I knew how much she hated them because she would get frightened whenever she saw them and scream really loud.” I chuckle at the memory. “While she spent the day at the restaurant withPappoús, I spent the day collecting as many worms as I could find. I kept them in a bucket until I knew she was coming home. I knew the first thing she would do would be to have a shower. So,when I thoughtshe was getting ready for the shower, I covered the drain so they couldn’t escape and tipped all of the worms into the bottom of the shower.” Kenny’s eyes go comically wide and her mouth drops open as her hand comes up to cover it. “Then I went and hid in my bedroom and waited. And then I waited some more. Our mom decided we would have dinner first this one time.”

“Uh oh!” Kenny’s eyes twinkle with mischief.

“Yeah, uh oh!Soit was about another thirty minutes or so by the time she went into the bathroom to have her shower. By this time,the worms had escaped the shower and were wriggling all over the bathroom. Her scream was so loud.” I smile, thinking back to a simpler time. “I got into so much trouble. I had to collect every single worm and thenYayamade me scrub the entire bathroom. Your mom didn’t speak to me for three whole days.”

“Oh, that’s so funny, Uncle Theo.”

“Itwasfunny, but I missed your mom so much. I tried everything to get her to talk to me again.”

“How did you get her to talk to you again?”

“I used my pocket money to buy her favorite treat. Do you remember what your mommy’s favorite treat was?”

“Yeah, I do. Weece’s Peanut Butter Cups!”

“Exactly. I knew she’d forgive me if I bought her some of those. And it worked. I was so relieved when she started speaking to me again.”

“You’re funny, Uncle Theo. Why were you mean to Mommy if you didn’t want her to stop speaking to you?”

“Idunno. It’s what little brothers do sometimes.” I tap the end of her cute button nose. “Okay, time for sleep, Munchkin!”

“Night, night, Uncle Theo.”

“Sweet dreams, Sweet Kenny.” I rub my nose against hers in a kiss and press my lips to her forehead. Soaking in her little girl shampoo smell.

She brings her little hands up to squish my cheeks. “I love you, Uncle Theo.”

I freeze in place. My heart doubling in size at her words. Swallowing down the lump in my throat, I say the only words I can. “I love you, too, Sweet Kenny.”

She snuggles down into her bed with a smile on her face, her eyelids heavy. I watch her from the doorway for long minutes, thinking about my sister and what she’s missing. Thankful for what I’m now experiencing—it’s a painful double-edged sword.

As I move through the house tidying up before I organize Kenny’s lunch for tomorrow, I notice headlights from a car pull in next door. That must be Emma and Austin coming home from the hospital; I saw an older woman come back with Lachlan earlier. I know Kenny’s out like a light, so I step outside to catch Emma before she heads inside. Quickly stepping out onto my porch, I jog down the steps to meet her just as she’s about to open the back door.

“How’s your boy?”

“Oh hey. He’s okay, just a sprain.”

“That’s good. It could have been so much worse with the state of your house.”

She freezes in place, jutting out her curvaceous hip, and planting a fist on it. “What do you mean, ‘the state of my house’?”

I throw my hand out in the direction of her place. “It needs a lot of work. Does your boyfriend ever do any maintenance?”

“What in the actual …” She huffs out a breath, blowing her bangs out of her eyes. “Who in the hell do you think you are?”she whisper-yells at me. “You’ve always got something to say to me. I’m doing my damn best, okay?” Her voice is gradually increasing, her breaths coming out hard and fast. “I’m a single mom. I have two boys, one of which is on the spectrum. I work full time to put a roof over our heads, food on the table, and clothes on my boys’ backs! After school, I have to take Lachlan to appointments, do everything around here for everyone as well as prep for work! There’s always so much to freaking do and I don’t have anyone to help me keep up with everything that needs to be done inside and out.” I can’t stop my eyes from straying to her heaving breasts that jiggle every time she gesticulates toward her house with her hands. “And yeah, some things get ignored! But I’m doing my freaking best! I don’t need you coming at me left and right about what I do or don’t do! Keep your freaking opinions to yourself.”Fuck,she’s sexy when she’s riled up!

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