Page 54 of 7+Us Makes Nine

“Miss Caffy?” she asked.

“Is sleeping. So we have to be quiet,” I said with a whisper.

“Okay,” Michaela whispered loudly.

I shuffled the kids into their downstairs play area Catherine had made up for them, then started ordering the pizza. I walked into the living room and peeked over the couch, watching as Catherine’s shoulders rose and fell with her breaths. I knew what kind of pizza she would want. Hawaiian pizza with a buffalo hot sauce swirl and no meat. I ordered the pizza as I reached down, pulling the blanket further over her shoulder so she wouldn’t get cold.

Then I hung up the phone, bent over

the couch, and kissed her cheek.

One stolen moment while the kids were playing in the other room.

Eighteen

Catherine

Anytime I went out with the kids, I was extra vigilant. I kept my eyes peeled and always had my phone ready and waiting to dial 9-1-1. I knew from the conversation Jace had with his lawyer that anytime him and the kids were out, Anya couldn’t approach. But I didn’t know what that meant if I was out with the kids. I didn't want to frighten them or keep them from doing things they enjoyed doing, but I also wanted to keep them safe.

So I always made sure I could defend myself and the children if necessary.

I bought a flashlight taser. If I flipped it one way, it was a blinding light. And if I flipped it the other way, it was a taser. It was also made of this metallic material that was incredibly durable but not heavy. So if all else failed, I could beat the shit out of someone with it. I hoped with all my heart that it would never come down to that. Anya was the children’s mother and I wanted to be sympathetic towards that.

But not at the expense of the children’s safety.

That was my first and foremost responsibility. To keep them safe.

I was on high-alert at the parks and tried to avoid crowds if possible with them. Construction had begun on the indoor structure that would house the pool and the hot tub, so the kids were bouncing off the walls. They kept asking me when it would be ready and if they could go swimming that weekend and all sorts of stuff. But my anxiety in public was getting the best of me.

“Hey, have you guys ever tried to garden?” I asked.

“You mean grow stuff?” Ivan asked.

“Yeah. You guys have a couple of garden beds out back.”

“Mom and Dad tried sometimes to garden, but they always killed stuff,” Dmitri said.

“Flowers?” Michaela asked. “We grow flowers?”

“If you want. Would you guys like to try and grow something?” I asked.

“Like what?” Dmitri asked.

“You can grow anything. Apple trees. Tomato vines. Grape vines.”

“We can grow grapes!?” Ivan asked.

“We could certainly try,” I said with a smile.

“Do you grow stuff?” Dmitri asked.

“I did at one point. I was really good at growing blackberry bushes, beans, and herbs.”

“Blackberries?” Michaela asked. “Yummy.”

“Would you guys like to try making your own garden? You boys could have one and Michaela and I could have one.”

“Can we grow whatever we want?” Ivan asked.

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