Page 130 of Rumi: The Hawthornes

“Me either.”

“Good,” I replied.

“Hey Rum,” she said as we turned onto my street. “I think Pop would be stoked if he knew we were together.”

“I don’t know about that. He knew you were way too good for me.”

“And he’d be really angry that Ava was trying to insinuate herself back into our lives.”

“Yeah, he would.”

“I miss him.”

“Me too, sugar.”

Her grip on my hand got tight when we saw Ava and Ash on my front porch.

“If the bullet hadn’t killed him,” Nova said, her eyes on her mother and grandmother. “Seeing the aftermath would’ve.”

The moment I put the truck in park, Ava was stomping toward us.

“Stay in here,” I ordered. “I’ll come get you.”

Nova nodded.

“She’s obviously feeling better,” Ava said to me as I walked around to Nova’s door.

“Better every day,” I replied. I didn’t want to talk to her. If we hadn’t needed her to sign papers giving Nova guardianship of Bird, I would’ve told her off the last time she’d shown up at my house. The woman had no shame and absolutely zero ability to read a room.

“What are you doing here?” Nova said as I helped her out of the truck. “Again.”

“I want to take Firebird for lunch,” Ava replied, throwing her hands up like she didn’t understand why it was such a big deal.

“No way in hell.” Nova’s face was emotionless.

“Oh, geez, Nova,” her mother muttered. “What do you think I’m going to do? Hurt him?”

“I think you have a track record of disappearing off the face of the earth for long periods of time,” Nova replied in disgust. “You’re not taking my brother anywhere.”

“At what point do you think you became Firebird’s mother?” Ava snapped impatiently. “Because I vividly remember giving birth to him.”

“Get out of my face, Ava,” Nova said, brushing by her. “You’re not taking Bird.”

“You’re not his mother.I’mhis mother.”

I was only feet away, following Nova toward the house, but I didn’t have time to stop her before she rounded on Ava, furious.

“You’re nothing,” Nova hissed. “I’m more of a mother to Bird than you haveeverbeen, even when we lived with you!Ichanged his diapers.Ifed him.Iplayed with him and comforted him and loved on him.Iput him down for naps and read him stories before bed.Me.” She jerked her thumb toward her chest. “And when we moved in with Nana,shetook over those duties.”

“Firebird is my son—”

“He likes to be calledBird, you lunatic!”

“Okay,” I said, throwing my arm around Nova’s shoulders. She was so livid that I knew at any second she was going to start crying and she’d never forgive herself if she did. She’d hate showing Ava any emotion. “Let’s go inside, huh?”

“I think you should sign guardianship over to me,” Nova said, her eyes still on Ava. “Do one good thing in your life and leave ours.”

Ava scoffed. “Not going to happen.”

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