Page 78 of True Honey
“I hear you, Auggie.” I guided him inside toward the back of the Nest to the storage room off the sitting room. I told him to wait outside and entered the room with a deep breath. I hated this room, long after the machines and bed had been removed I could still hear the beeping that echoed against the walls now covered in shelves and boxes. I would never see it as anything more than the room Lorraine Cody died in. I spun around, looking for something important when my eyes caught the carton with her neat handwriting sprawled across the piece of masking tape.
“Found you.” I hauled the box up from the floor and carried it back to where August was waiting in the sitting room. Dropping it gently on the coffee table he moved closer to inspect what was inside.
“This box belonged to Cael’s mom,” I said softly so my voice didn’t crack, “she liked the stars too.” I wiggled out the itch that formed in my nose from my eyes watering as I popped the box off. I reached in and gently pulled out the glass angel used to live on the windowsill in the kitchen. It had only been retired to the box because we didn’t want to break it but staring at it now I felt like we needed it back.
I rolled it in my hand as August started to lift other stuff out.
“Whoa,” he flipped through the pages of one of Lorraine's journals dated from 1996. Inside there were hundreds of soft, sketch drawings all more intricate than the next and every single one a constellation she had wanted records of. “This is like thirty years old,” August gasped, running his fingers over the yellowed pages. “It’s so detailed.”
“There’s another box in the storage room too, it’s got her old telescope in it. I’ll set it up for you tomorrow?” I asked him and he looked at me with wonder in his eyes, looking more like Drew than ever as a bright smile plastered to his face. I was just happy to give him a space in the Nest that felt like his, and Cael would be over the moon that someone had found joy in his mom’s old journals. Suddenly it felt like the Nest was a home again, and not four walls housing a bunch of self proclaimed orphans, and misfits. August unknowingly filled a gaping hole in my chest I never knew existed and now more than ever the stakes were high.
I couldn’t screw this up.
“Please?” He asked.
I nodded. “You’ll have to show Cael how to use it when he gets home.”
“Deal.”
COURTNEY
“How's this?” I spun in a small circle, and the bottom of the light blue sundress kicked up around my thighs. “I know it's a barbecue, but it’s a barbecue at your family's estate…I don’t want to be too casual…”
Silas looked up from buttoning his shirt, “it’s perfect, stop fussing.”
I stepped forward and shooed his hands away, correcting the button he missed by unbuttoning everything and starting again. “Maybe you should take your own advice?” I smiled up at him sweetly. It had been a nice few weeks of quiet, probably too nice and out of that serenity anxiety bred. But I was doing my best to push it away and stay present with Silas, with August.
Silas huffed, “Sorry, I’m a little distracted.”
“Cael comes home tomorrow, the new series starts Tuesday and you have to call Tobias back about your father. You’ve been avoiding his calls,” I said, straightening out his shirt and stepping back to inspect it.
Silas stared at me.
“I pay attention, here.” I held out his keys and phone, he’d forgotten them the last four times he left the apartment and had to come back for them. He smiled at me and I felt a warmth spread across my chest. “It doesn’t help that your grandfather sprung today on you.”
“It doesn’t,” he agreed. “This week is going to be hard.”
“So let’s make the most of today?” I asked him.
“I think I can handle that,” he agreed, reaching out to wrap a hand around my waist. “With a little help,” he whispered and lifted my chin to meet his lips in a soft kiss. He pulled away, licking the taste of me off his lips and smiled. “If we’re late Mom will have my head. You ready?”
“Just need to make sure August is settled, I’ll meet you outside?” I turned, grabbing my bag. I found August sitting at the counter listening intently to Dean as he tried to run him through his homework.
“Hey boys,” I said on approach. “How you doing?”
“I’m finally understanding what the hell all this means,” August swore.
“Language,” I scowled.
“They swear all the time, hell isn’t even that bad,” he argued and Dean threw his hands up in surrender, backing away from the island before he could get a scolding too.
“Thank you for teaching my son mathandswear words,” I said with a soft smile, messing up August’s hair in my fingers.
“In my defense he already knew that one,” Dean said, a cheeky grin forming on his face. “Did I mention you look very pretty today?” He added, for brownie points.
“Thank you,” I said, kissing August on the head, “I have that work thing this afternoon, you’ll be okay with Dean?”
“He’s going to teach me how to make quesadillas and salsa,” August said without looking up from his homework.
