I enter the living room and scream. “Dixie Rose!”
She opens her arms.
I run to her, tackling her in a hug that sends us both crashing down onto the couch. “Oh my God, what are you doing here so early? The party isn’t until this weekend!”
“Pops called me and filled me in.” Dixie brushes the hair back from my face. Her large brown eyes take in everything I want to hide. It’s always been that way between us. “You are so not okay, babe.”
“I am.” I swallow. A lump forms in my throat.
“You know you’ve never been able to get things past me,” Dixie says. Her husky alto is full of truth and wisdom.
I usually appreciate it, but right now, it’s the last thing I need. I pull away. “You’re reading too much into things.”
“No, I’m not. Show me where I’m staying, please.”
“Aunt Blue, if you’re good I’m going to head off to school.”
“Yeah, baby, go ahead. I’ll see you when you get home, okay?”
Bolt nods.
I’d taken personal time from school, telling them I caught a nasty bug I needed to let run its course. I couldn’t handle the kids right now. I might be delusional, but I’m not that far gone. They take everything you got, and right now, my tank is low. I grab her small suitcase, and pull it down the hall.
She follows me, silent.
I know she’s waiting for Bolt to leave.
The door slams and his motorcycle starts up.
“He’s got a bike now?” Dixie asks, looking stunned.
“A baby bike. He doesn’t know it, but Shadow plans on giving him a Harley when he graduates.”
“They’ve had that boy’s cut ready from the minute he was born, I’m not surprised,” she states. “How’s he doing?”
“Great, now that Shadow is back on his ass about things.”
“I think Aunt Blue had a lot to do with it, too,” Dixie says.
“See why I love you? You’re always lifting me up.”
“Just telling you the truth you never hear enough of.” She closes the door behind her and sits on the bed. “Now, tell me how you really are.”
“As okay as I can be, I guess.” I shrug.
“Bullshit. Sit down, look me in the eye, and say that.”
I lift my eyes to meet hers and my lower lip trembles. “What do you want me to say, Dix?”
“Whatever you need to say.”
“I don’t want to talk about it. You want me to say how fucking stupid I was not to see this coming a mile away? How I put everyone in danger with my selfishness?”
She grips my arms. “Oh my God, how can you say that?”
“I brought him into our fold. What if this had put Shadow back in jail? It’d be all my fault.”