Page 80 of Sacrifice
“They are. But that’s how things go, right? Things change.” He looks me right in the eye. “When you love someone, you’re willing to make sacrifices for them. And what Crew’s doing right now . . .” A dark cloud flashes across his face before he shrugs and grins again.
I eye him warily, not sure where he’s going with this.
“Did I say something wrong?” He laughs. When I fail to laugh in return, he says, “I’ve been around from the beginning, Jules. Just remember that.”
That’s true. He’s been around since the first day I met the Gentry boys. And he’s known Crew longer than I have, which seems funny because I can’t remember a time in my life, really, that didn’t include him in one form or another. Will has seen every change in my relationship with both Gage and Crew. If anyone understands the complexities of the situation, it’s him.
The door opens and Macie walks in, her eyes on a chart. “Hey, ladies,” she says cheerfully before looking up. Once she does, her face falls. “Oh. I’m sorry . . .”
Will jumps to his feet, looking directly at Macie. “What are you doing here?”
“Working,” she says flatly. “What are you doing here?”
“Visiting friends.”
I look between them, not sure what’s going on. “You two know each other?”
“Yes,” Will says at the same time Macie says, “Kinda.”
I laugh. “Okay then.”
“I’ll come back in a bit,” Macie says, giving Will a tiny, flirty smile before she walks out.
“That was interesting,” I mutter, looking at him.
“Fact as fuck,” he mutters under his breath. “You have no idea.”
He flashes me a trademark Will grin, says a few things to Ever, and is out the door before I know it. My daughter goes back to her cartoon so I open the envelope.
There’s a gift card to a local eatery and a note.
Jules,
I know you won’t leave her, but you gotta eat. Order stuff and have it delivered. I mean it. I won’t be able to get by there much this week, but I can’t wait to see you guys when you get home. It isn’t the same without you two here.
Tell Ever to keep fighting. Make me proud.
Call me if you need anything.
Crew
I look up at Everleigh. She’s trying to put on her new slippers, the cords getting wrapped around her arms preventing her from getting them situated. I stand and help her get them on her feet.
“I love these,” she says, admiring the sparkle woven into the red fabric. “They remind me of Dorothy’s.” She watches them catch the light before looking at me again. “Since we live with Uncle Crew now and he loves us, are we his family?”
“We were his family anyway, Ever. Remember? Uncle Crew and Daddy were brothers.”
“But he’s my daddy now, too, right?”
“Oh, Ever. No. No, he isn’t. You only have one daddy.”
She twists her head and peers up at me. “My friend Kenley, she has two daddies. They live in different houses. She used to kinda think it was weird, but her second daddy is really nice to her and her mommy. So now she thinks she’s lucky because she has two and most kids have one.”
“That’s a nice way for Kenley to see things,” I say, figuring her parents are divorced. I tickle the inside of her arm, causing her to squirm. I hope this conversation is over.
“Well, that’s like me, Mommy. My first daddy lives in heaven and my second daddy lives with us now. See what I mean?”
“But it’s different for Kenley,” I say in a rush. My hand is shaking as I untangle the wires on the side of her bed.
