Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 102620 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 513(@200wpm)___ 410(@250wpm)___ 342(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102620 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 513(@200wpm)___ 410(@250wpm)___ 342(@300wpm)
I pull up to the house, seeing the porch swing on the side moving with the soft wind. I get out, grabbing my bag from the back before walking into the house. I open the door, the stillness of the air thick from being closed for two months. I dump my bag at the door and go over to the window of the kitchen that faces the living room, opening it before walking over to the back door and opening it as well. The screened storm door stays shut, and I can hear the ocean waves hitting the beach.
I open the fridge, seeing three bottles of beer in there with a couple of condiments. Bending to grab a beer, I twist the top off and walk to the garbage bin, tossing it in there before taking a pull of it and walking outside to the back deck that faces the ocean. I make my way down the path to the ocean, sitting on the sand and just staring out into the distance. Watching the waves rise and then crash onto the sand is almost therapeutic and I know exactly why my mother loves sitting out and watching them.
As the sun tries to peek out of the clouds, I take a pull of the beer, and my mind immediately goes to her. Sierra. We finished her kitchen late last night. Even Theo and I were impressed with how fast it went. We’ve never finished a kitchen in under three weeks, but it was all hands on deck for her. I think we had six men working in the kitchen at one time. But we could say that it’s done, she doesn’t have to have coffee in her room or eat at her desk.
I put the beer beside me as I lean back on my hands, watching the water, when I look over to see my niece, Mackenzie, running down the beach, wearing water boots with her dog running beside her. “It’s Uncle Caleb!” she shrieks over her shoulder at my sister, who puts her hand to her forehead to see, and a smile fills her face. I get on my feet and squat down for Mackenzie, opening my arms for her as she runs into them. “Momma, it’s really him.”
“Did you think I was a ghost?” I kiss her cheek as her dog barks around my feet. Mila makes it to me then, a smile on her face. “Hey, Squirt.” I look down at her, and she rolls her eyes at me.
“I’m older than you by six years.” She pokes me in the ribs before she reaches out and pinches the underside of my arm, knowing I fucking hate it.
“Where is your brother?” I ask Mackenzie as I lean in to kiss her neck again and then give her a long hug, squeezing her a little bit longer than before.
“Mathias is napping,” she tells me, “and Daddy is watching him because Mom is stuck with us all week long.” She emphasizes the last words and I know that she is repeating it the exact way that Mila said it.
“Mackenzie,” Mila scolds her, “what did I say to you?” she asks her and Mackenzie just looks at her not sure what she is talking about. “We do not repeat what grown-ups say.” The tiredness is written all over her face.
“You want to go back home and take a nap also?” I look at Mila. “I can take her and walk over to Gramps’s house.”
“Yes.” Mila doesn’t even hesitate. “See you later at Mom and Dad’s.” She leans over to kiss Mackenzie before turning and walking away to her house. The dog goes to her and then comes back to Mackenzie and me before going back to her.
“Take your dog!” I shout as I put Mackenzie down, and she yells for him to come with her.
“Okay, Squirt,” I call her the nickname I gave Mila, grabbing my bottle of beer. “Let’s go crash Grandma and Grandpop’s.” I hold out my hand, and she slips hers in mine as we walk over to their house.
“Don’t run in the water,” I instruct her when she lets go of my hand because a piece of wood washed up on the shore.
“I won’t, Uncle Caleb,” she assures me, running in said water I told her not to run in, but with her boots, she doesn’t get too wet.
When we get to my parents’ place, I walk up the pathway to their back gate. I open the gate and she runs in before me. “Grandma!” she yells as she runs past the tree house my father had made for her, past the play structure that took us four days to put up because my mother bought four of them and wanted them all put together, just like at a park. The pool is covered with a tarp since it’s too cold to go swimming. “Grandpop!” she hollers his name. The back door opens, and my father steps out with a smile on his face.