Page 83 of Before You Can Blink
She moved from my side to settle onto my lap, looping her arms around my neck. “What about the kids?”
I shrugged. “I don’t think they’re gonna be too torn up about having free rein on this ranch during the summers while I’m on the road and you’re busy taking classes. They’re getting old enough that they don’t want their parents hovering over them. Might be good for them to get a little taste of freedom, to strengthen their independence.”
“Maybe you’re right.” Her head came to rest on my shoulder.
“It’s only for a couple of years, Daze.”
“I know, but sometimes it feels like we’re running out of time. We’ve only got six more years with Aspen before she graduates, eight with Tripp. It seems like just yesterday they were both babies.”
I pressed a kiss to her forehead. “They’ve gotta grow up if you ever expect to get those twelve grandkids you’ve got your heart set on.”
“Never gonna let me forget that, are you?” I could hear the smile in her voice.
“Never. But only because I’m curious to see if your grand idea of a giant extended family ever comes to life. Sounds kinda nice, the more I think about it.”
She sighed. “Yeah, it really does.”
“We’ll get through this part like we’ve made it through all the ones that came before it, you’ll see.”
“We’ll make it work,” she said so quietly that I almost didn’t hear her.
“We always do,” I whispered back.
Chapter 17
Jett
Age 38
September
OneyeardowntowardDaisy’s master’s degree, one more to go.
In all my life, I couldn’t recall twelve months stretching quite so long before.
I was used to spending summers apart from my family. It was the changes that came during the other three seasons that really hit hard.
To accommodate Daisy’s school schedule, I called it quits early on the nights she had class, so I could be there for the kids, get them fed, and ensure their homework was completed before bedtime. On the nights she was home, I worked late to compensate.
The only time I saw my wife was in the mornings, when she was still asleep, as I slipped out of our bedroom to start my day before dawn.
Every day, I repeated over and over in my head that this was temporary, a blip in the timeline of our story that, someday, would seem like a distant memory.
Caroline had been an absolute godsend this past year. She was available to the kids during the summer if they needed anything, but more than that, she made sure they got home from school each day and always left a casserole dish in our fridge that could be heated up when dinnertime rolled around.
Pulling today’s steaming-hot offering from the oven, I placed it atop a trivet set in the center of the kitchen table before hollering, “Aspen! Tripp! Food’s up!”
I’d just finished setting the table when Tripp moseyed in. Noticing he was alone, I ordered, “Fetch your sister.”
Instead of turning around to do as I’d asked, he took a seat. “Said she isn’t coming down.”
Hands on my hips, I asked, “And why not?”
“Dunno.” He shrugged. “She’s locked herself in the bathroom.”
A loud groan spilled from my lips. One of the kids getting sick was the absolute last thing I needed while in the throes of single parenting.
“All right.” I dusted my hands on my pants. “Go ahead and get started before it gets cold. I’m gonna head upstairs to see what’s going on with Aspen.”
