CHAPTERSIXTEEN
Hayden
“Are you riding over with me?”Dad asks as he comes down the stairs, trying to fix his tie.
“No, Hailey’s still getting ready and I told her I’d wait for her.” I step over to where he’s come to a stop. Without him asking, I walk over and start correcting the mess he’s made of his tie. This had been my job growing up.
“Why does this remind me of when the two of you were in high school and you had to share the bathroom?” He asks, tilting his head back slightly to give me room to work.
“I have no idea,” I deadpan.
“The hell you don’t. I’ll see the two of you there.” He leans in, kissing me on the cheek.
I smirk, feeling mischievous. “We’ll sneak in the back,” I whisper, giving him a wink.
“God doesn’t care where ya sit, as long as you’re there.”
“Exactly, so don’t worry if you don’t immediately see us.”
He looks as if he wants to say more, but keeps it to himself. “Alright, I’m outta here.”
“We’ll leave as soon as possible. Promise we’ll be there.”
His face says he doesn’t believe me, but instead of giving words to this he goes over to the front door. “See y’all there.”
“See ya.”
After he leaves, I yell upstairs. “C’mon Hailey, we gotta get going in a few.”
She shuffles down, putting earrings in her ears. “I’m almost ready. Daddy leave?”
“Just did, reminded us that God doesn’t care where we sit as long as we’re in church.”
“Jesus,” she hisses. “Sounds just like him.”
* * *
“We’re gonna be late.”Hailey grimaces as we wait our turn at the four-way stop. “I wish people knew how to do this,” she gripes as the car to the left of us takes our turn instead of theirs.
“It’s definitely not gonna help that we have to park in the back like this.” I turn my car into the gravel lot furthest away from the church. There’re only three spots in the very last row. Quickly, I turn the engine off and open the door, putting one foot out on the uneven rock.
“Have the doors shut yet?” She squints, looking toward the front as she gets out and presses the wrinkles out of her skirt.
Oh my gawd. “When are you gonna get your damn eyes checked?”
“I refuse to wear glasses. You know this about me.” She grumbles, “I’m not an old lady.”
Rolling my eyes, I shoulder my purse. “Neither are little kids in elementary school who can’t see. Besides, they have this thing called contacts now. Welcome to the twenty-first century.”
Hailey groans. “You’re such a smart ass. It’s a pain putting contacts in every day.”
“They do have ones you can keep in for longer than one day. What do I know? But it’s nice to be able to see where the hell you’re going,” I say, the last part under my breath.
“Oh, kiss my ass.” She gives me a look before wrinkling her nose. “Should we be cussing like this in the parking lot of the church?”
“You think lightning’s gonna crash down and take us out?”
She shrugs. “I mean, ya never know.”