Page 89 of Coach Me
I scoop her up from my bed. “Quick snack, Luce, okay?”
Lucie tightens her legs around my waist with a smirk. “If you insist.”
Making our way into the kitchen, I sit Lucie down on the island. “Whatcha thinking?”
Her eyes light up. “Popcorn?”
“Popcorn? You really have a thing for stadium food, don’t you?”
Lucie scoffs. “Listen, I blame you for this.”
“Me?” I go to the cabinet and pull out a bag to pop in the microwave.
“Yes, you. I finally moved on from concession food when Will moved across the country—but thenyouhired me, and now my addiction is back.”
I laugh as I toss the pack on the tray, then hit the buttonon the microwave. “Guilty pleasure meal is stadium food, got it.”
“Another thanks to my siblings.” Lucie shifts on the counter, then runs her hands up and down her thighs. “I actually haven’t heard from Reagan all week. It’s been a little weird.”
I walk over to her and let my hands take over. “Have you reached out to her?”
“Kind of. I sent her a picture of that dying plant in your office to see if it was savable, but she never responded. I’m pretty sure the plant has given up hope now.”
I look at her sideways. “I have a plant in my office?”
Lucie’s mouth gapes with a hint of a smile tugging at the corners. “That poor thing never stood a chance.”
“No, it very much did not.”
“Well, maybe I’ll try to text Rea tomorrow and see if she wants to get it before we leave.” Lucie shrugs. “I know I wanted to branch out solo on my own, but I don’t know…it’s weird not hearing from her. Will said he’s talked to her, but he’s the caretaker of the group, so he probably forced her to talk to him.”
“He’s the caretaker?” I ask with a raised brow as the microwave beeps.
While I grab the bag, Lucie hops off the counter to grab a bowl. “Yeah, after our dad left, Will sort of adopted this brotherly-fatherly role. Like, when I was in the eighth grade, I was in the top ten for education. Our school was doing some midday assembly that family members could come to. I knew our mom wouldn’t be able to come because she worked so much as an ER nurse, so I didn’t even bring it up to her. I was perfectly fine having no one come, it honestly felt like a silly thing to acknowledge in the firstplace, but after Reagan found out about it, she had to tell Will.”
Lucie laughs. “He told his second-period teacher he needed to get something out of the baseball players’ locker room, then snuck out the bathroom window, so he could come watch me get a piece of paper that I couldn’t even begin to tell you where it is now.”
Lucie hops back on the counter with another shrug. “He tries to stick to brother duties for the most part, but Reagan and I always say he’s both.”
I break open the bag with a little more understanding now. I think all the Andersons may be caretakers in their own way, based on how they grew up. Maybe that’s why Lucie has a hard time seeing it.
“Okay, if you tell him this, I’ll deny it—but I like your brother.”
Lucie’s eyes go wide as she gives me a thin-lipped smile.
“I mean it, Luce, I’ll deny it.”
She finally lets her lips go and scrunches her nose. “Me knowing is enough.”
I shake my head as I pour the popcorn into the bowl. “Will’s version of caretaking is completely different from yours—I know the least about Reagan, but I can already tell that hers is different. Just because they’re also caretakers doesn’t mean that you got your personality from them.”
Lucie scrunches her nose and picks a couple pieces of popcorn. “I feel like I did.”
“You’re different, and I have examples to prove it.” I step to her, running my hands up and down her thighs again. “Will takes care of monetary things because he has the means to do it. Outside of that, he makes sure things get done and shows up when he’s needed. He also has a bit of a hothead at times. It’s mellowed over the years, but it’s still there when he feels protective.”
Lucie smiles and takes a bite of the popcorn. “Okay, and?”
“Reagan, from what I’ve gathered, is more of a quiet caretaker. She told Will about something that was important to you, because even though you said you would be fine, she knows you deserve more. She didn’t sneak out with Will to come to your school thing, but she looks for indirect ways to care for people.”
