Page 56 of Finding Hope

Annie’s head pops up from her spot beside the sleeping girls.

“And Annie. And that’s it. That’s my whole story.”

“It must be fun having this giant family.”

He smiles, brings his hands up behind his head, and drops his legs open wider until his thigh rests heavier against my leg.

“It really is fun most of the time, but it’s also a pain in my ass. It’s noisy as fuck around here. The milk’s always running out, and half the kids still wake at night.” He sighs contentedly.

He loves it here. Noisy, messy, no sleep; helovesit.

“Your turn. Do you have siblings?”

I smile. “Uh-huh. I have brothers, too. Two of them. Plus a house load of bonus family.”

“Older?”

“Yeah, the guys are heaps older. I think maybe I was an accident, considering the giant age gap.”

He laughs. “Oops.”

I smile, strangely comfortable sitting with this man I don’t actually know. The man who was once really mean. “Yeah, oops. But it’s cool. I love my family a lot. They’re great.”

“Are they still local?”

“Of course. They wouldn’t dare move more than ten miles from wherever I am. They so enjoy being up my ass all the damn time.” When Jack smiles with an ‘I can totally relate’, I continue. “One’s a cop, the other’s in a band.”

His eyes flash with laughter. “One’s a cop, one’s in a band?”

“Mmhm.”

“Miss T?”

I nod again.

“Your last name’s Turner, isn’t it?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Your brothers are Alex and Scotch?”

I smile. “Yeah. You know them?”

He barks out a laugh so suddenly, I jump. “No. Fucking. Way.” His entire frame bounces with muted laughter. “I’m a dead man.”

“Huh?”

“I genuinely cannot wait until I get arrested next. Oh my god. I wanna go rob a bank. Right this second.”

15

JACK

PANCAKES

Ididn’t really think last night through when I told Bambie I’d take her back to her car. Obviously I couldn’t, since the kids were asleep by the time she was ready to leave, and I couldn’t leave them.

I told her she could take my car, and that I’d get it back from her another time, but she brushed me off and said she’d take a cab.

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