Page 89 of Unsteady

“You live in a castle?” Liam asks, blinking wide at the colonial that’s been completely refurbished.

The front retains its original style, but the back has been added onto and stretches further than whoever owned it first. It’s painted gray, but it’s bursting with life from multiple trellises and trees, one of the gardens viewable even from here where bright colored flowers dot the canvas of summer green.

It’s a pain during the winter months, but my mother’s green thumb in the spring and summer shows brightly, even now in the beginnings of fall.

I smile. “No, but my parents do.”

Speaking of, I see my mom step out of the garden, hearing my car approach. Her face is all happy surprise when she steps down from the raised terrace, tall green gardening boots and overalls queuing me that she is in the middle of a project.

My windows are too tinted and I want to give her a warning, so I idle the car and tell the boys I’ll be right back, before slipping out.

She hugs me first, and I kiss her cheek lightly before whispering, “I need your help.”

“What’s wrong, Rhys?”

My voice is shaking as I nod over to the car. “Sadie’s brothers are here with me. She needed help—”

“Have they eaten?” she cuts me off, only worried over them—exactly as I expected she’d be. “Rhys, calm down.”

Why am I so upset?

Because Sadie has been alone, taking care of them and you made her take care of you too. Selfish.

I close my eyes tight and nod. “Yeah. Yeah, okay.” I swallow again, brushing a hand through my tangled hair. “And yes, I took them for food. Sadie—she wanted me to drop them home, but—I don’t know. It’s complicated. And they’re kids, so I didn’t want to take them to the Hockey House in case some of the players were there, or what if they don’t like strangers?”

My mom smiles again and pats my cheek. “Just get them out of your car and we’ll bring them inside for some cookies, okay?”

“Okay.”

She stands back as I return to the car and open their doors. They both hesitate, Liam looking at my mom curiously, straining over the seat to see her out of the window.

“Who is that? She’s really pretty.”

I smile as I unbuckle him. He should probably be in a car seat, but that’s not something I currently have on hand. I barely stop myself from pulling out my phone to blindly order one off of Amazon. “That’s my mom.”

“Is she nice?”

“Yeah,” I say gently, fighting over the lump in my throat at the question. “She’s very nice. She would love to meet you.”

Liam nods, but his eyes never leave her.

Oliver lets himself out and closes the door, standing at the side of the car and waiting for me to get Liam out.

“That’s nice,” Liam mumbles quietly as I pull him out.

“What is, bud?”

He tucks his head into my neck. “That you have a mommy. And a nice one.”

I have to close my eyes for a second.Fuck fuck fuck.

“Yeah bud, I’m very thankful.” I am now, and always will be, because this kid is hurting my soul.

I decide to carry him, since I suddenly don’t want to set him down. His arms are wrapped around my neck anyway, head ducked seeming slightly shy—the first time I’ve seen the brave little one shy about anything.

Oliver walks just a step behind as we approach my still-smiling mother.

“Hi there,” she offers, her attention solely on Oliver first. “I’m Anna, Rhys’ mom. What’s your name?”

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