Read Online Drowning to Breathe by A. L. Jackson - Free Book Online

singing all the way across the sanctuary. Just like an angel.”
    Shea felt the blush rush to her cheeks. She swayed softly as she held onto her grandma’s weathered hand. She whispered, “Thank you, ma’am,” because her grandma taught her to do that, too.
    “We’d better get you home,” her grandma said, excusing them from the little group congregating around them. She helped Shea slide into the worn leather backseat of her car, pressed a kiss to her forehead as she helped her buckle in, then smiled down at Shea.
    The wrinkles crisscrossing on her face got deeper and deeper the bigger she smiled, and Shea smiled right back.
    A map.
    All those lines on Kalliana Whitmore’s face made up the map of the life her grandma had lived.
    At least, that’s what she told Shea.
    Shea wasn’t exactly sure what that meant, but sometimes when she traced the lines on her face right before she fell asleep at night—when she got to spend the night at her house—her grandma would tell her the best stories about how she got those lines. Those stories made her laugh and smile. Sometimes they made her sad, too, but no matter what, they were her favorite.
    She promised Shea one day she’d have all her own stories that would line her own face. That was the best part.
    Shea couldn’t wait.
    Her grandma climbed into the driver’s seat and started the car.
    “Take me to your house, Gramma,” she begged through a toothy grin. Her grandma’s house was her favorite place in the whole wide world.
    “Not today, sweet girl. I have to get you home. Your mother has big plans for you this week.”
    Shea frowned, but didn’t say anything while her Grandma drove them across town and pulled to a stop in front of the small blue house where Shea lived with her momma and daddy.
    For some reason, though, her daddy hadn’t been around all that much lately.
    Her grandma shut off the car and got out, held open the back door, and Shea scrambled out. Shea took off up the sidewalk and up the two concrete steps, hoping her momma was happy today.
    Hoping to see her smile.
    Her momma was so, so pretty. Shea was going to be just like her one day.
    Shea burst through the front door. “I’m home!” she called.
    Her grandma emerged behind her. She handed her the small bag Shea packed when she went to spend the night at her house. “Go on and put your stuff away in your room.”
    “Okay.” Shea grinned and ran down the hall, tossed the bag on her floor, and flew right back out.
    Though she slowed when she heard the voices in the kitchen.
    Those voices were upset and low.
    Shea slinked quietly across the living room and pressed her back against the wall close to the kitchen, wondering why her gramma and momma were so mad.
    “You can’t go putting your dreams on the shoulders of your daughter. She’s too young for you to be pushing her into all that mess.”
    Her mother huffed, and Shea could hear things banging around in the kitchen, like her momma was angry and just needed to throw something.
    “She’s the one who ruined those dreams.”
    “You’re going to blame a child for you not making it? That has to be the most selfish thing to ever come out of your mouth, Chloe Lynn. It wasn’t her fault you went and got yourself knocked up doing anything you could to get your foot in the door.”
    Her mother’s voice dropped real deep. Angry. Angry. Angry. “Don’t you dare,” her mother seethed.
    Shea pressed her hands to her ears and wished she could drown it out.
    But their words were still there.
    “Then don’t you dare treat that little girl as anything less than the gift she is. Maybe God put her with you to keep you from continuing down the destructive path you’d been following for too many years. Maybe it’s time you listened .”
    “I’m not a little girl and I definitely don’t need to listen to your naggin’ anymore. She’s my daughter, and I’ll damn well do with her as I please.”
    A beat of silence. In it, Shea’s tummy