Although we got through the holiday unscathed, Rick and I still needed to talk. We both knew his sister and the kids would gladly have moved the rooms around if he wanted his home back for some reason. That wasn’t the point since I wasn’t about to let him go.
Still, he and I and Charlie had a lot of logistics to settle that were being taken for granted.
On New Year’s Eve, we were all lounging in Rick’s former game room, now Patty’s family room, watching the festivities on TV. Both kids had been promised they could stay up until midnight, a treat they’d never been allowed before.
“That’s not fair.” Mack in full pout wasn’t very fierce at all. “I’m twelve and didn’t get to stay up late when I was her age.”
“No, you’re right. You didn’t.” Patty pulled both kids closer on the couch she’d b
