“We could only be so lucky,” I whisper, and Eddie lets out a snort of laughter as my little brother joyfully hops back into the balcony toward our seats.
“Hey, are you okay?” Eddie asks me, brushing his fingers under my chin gently. “Kathleen? Are you alright?”
“She was always so annoying,” I tell him instead of answering because it’s true.
“But are you okay?” he asks me again, serious this time. “I’m sorry about that.”
“I think so, yeah,” I answer him honestly, looking at Eddie with eyes I know must hold a hell of a lot of emotion for him. I can’t even fathom the depth of what I feel for this man. “That was a lot to deal with, but you did it well, I think.”
“I’m sorry if I crossed the line with her,” Eddie tells me. “I just didn’t want her to think she could talk to you however she wanted. I don’t think it’s right.”
“You keep throwing that Snow last name around here, and we’re going to have the camera’s chasing us,” I answer him playfully. His features relax some at my ribbing.
“How did you know that would work on her? Knowing you were wealthy? She shriveled up so quickly when she heard who you really were. It was great.”
“Well, she was up here at intermission, right?” Eddie says, shrugging as if it’s an easy thing to know. “The only reason an actress would come up here in the limited amount of time they have to be off stage is to try and secure powerful friends. I sometimes listen to my sisters when they talk about things like this, though neither of them ever has to know I said so.”
If I remember correctly, Robin had gone to school to be a lawyer but has settled on being a graphic artist, and Riley is some kind of school teacher-turned-internet influencer.
I’m not sure exactly about either one of them, but I do know that they’re both smart women with good heads on their shoulders. I always admired them both when I was younger, and I knew them.
“I won’t tell them. It will just be our little secret,” I tell him, bumping him gently with my shoulder. “They would probably just get a big head about it anyway.”
Eddie laughs softly in agreement, and my mind clings to the sound of it.
When we get back in the car, the night catches up to me, and I fall asleep quickly.
CHAPTEREIGHT
Eddie
The eggs crack easily into the bowl and I mix them quickly, tipping them into the pan on the stove. At my back, Stevie sits with a cup of orange juice in his hand.
“Does your sister ever have the chance to sleep in?” I ask the little boy, turning a bit to look over my shoulder at him as I cook. “Or does she ever get to relax?”
Stevie takes a moment before he answers.
“Not really. She works most of the time at night, and I stay with Mrs. Maxine. She gets up too early in the mornings.”
“Oh yeah?” I ask him, smiling wryly as I plate the fluffy eggs. “She gets up too early for you, kid? You ever think she’s doing the right thing for you?”
Stevie makes a face. “She’s up before me and gets me ready for school.”
“Not this week, though, huh,” I ponder, wiping my hands on a towel before throwing it over my shoulder. The bacon and sausage crackle in the oven.
“Not this week,” Stevie confirms. “I’m on fall break this week, and it’s fun.”
After I plate the rest of the food for us to eat, I sit at the counter across from Stevie, who digs in happily. He drinks his orange juice, enjoying his meal.
“Hey, Stevie,” I say, as I sip at my third hot coffee of the day. When he looks up, I continue. “Are you okay with this? Living here with me. I mean?”
“I think so,” Stevie says, chewing on his bacon thoughtfully. He’s still in his pajamas, and he looks perfectly content. “It’s nicer here than at our house. There’s no Mrs. Maxine, but it’s still nice. The TV is really big, even bigger than the one at school!”
“It’s a nice TV for sure,” I agree with him, a little bit distractedly. It’s still late morning, and the world is foggy and chilled beyond the windows, with orange leaves tumbling over the sidewalks below the apartment building.
An idea that’s been bouncing around in my head comes to the surface. “I have a spare bedroom, Stevie. What do you say we fix it up today and make it yours? You can have a big TV if you want.”
I’ve been sleeping there in the spare bed for the past few days, but it only makes sense to move Stevie from the couch. I’ll figure out my room later on for me.