he was there to support her.
“Of course he doesn’t mind. We both like the free childcare,” she says, turning to give me a bright smile.
“Where is my little dude?” I haven't seen my nephew since his first birthday several weeks ago, and I miss him. He's so sweet, innocent, and filled with joy. How could that not draw you in?
“He should be up from his nap any minute now.” Sarah begins moving around the kitchen, pulling salad ingredients out of the fridge. “Have you had lunch?”
“Not yet,” I say, moving over to the pot on the stove to get a better look. I tear off a piece of the loaf of bread that’s sitting on the counter and dip it into the thick broth before shoving it into my mouth. Delicious!
“What are you doing?” Sarah says exasperatedly, pushing me out of the way.
“I’m hungry.”
“Well, Ben will be home in thirty for lunch. So why don’t you go get settled in?” she says, waving her wooden spoon in my direction.
“Why’s he coming home for lunch?” I ask, reaching around her and stealing another piece of bread.
“He’s got a conference this weekend, and is catching a flight to Atlanta late this afternoon.”
“Why didn’t you tell me he’d be gone? I would’ve come and stayed with you.”
“You’re here now, so it doesn’t matter. Plus, I’m perfectly capable of staying home alone,” she says, giving me a hard look. “Now, go empty the truck and settle yourself downstairs.”
“Fine. Is it okay that Russell’s in here?”
“Of course it is, we’re old friends. Aren’t we, Russell?” she asks him, bending down to scratch him behind his ears as he trails behind her, no doubt hoping she’ll drop something delicious onto the floor for him.
“You’re such a sweet boy, aren’t you,” she continues to coo, her voice going several octaves higher than normal. Russell laps up every second of the attention. My sister has always had a soft spot for him, except for the time he chewed up some new expensive pair of boots as a puppy. They may have been the ugliest things I’d ever seen, but he sure loved the sheepskin they were lined with. I’d never seen my sister so angry, almost violent. It was actually scary .
I grab several bags from the truck and make my way back inside, heading towards my new home—the half-finished basement. Walking down the stairs, I smile. Even with no notice at all, I see that Sarah has already come down and made the pullout couch into a bed. She’s also laid out several towels for me at the end.
Sarah is like Martha Stewart at times, and is little Miss Homemaker. In that way, she’s just like our mother was. Smart, creative, organized, and thoughtful. Just like my dream girl.
It’s no wonder that my sister is a successful party planner— sorry , Event Organizer. She’s been doing it for years, and has since started up her own company so she can work from home. Sarah didn’t want to give up working, even though she could’ve, but she still wanted to be home with Harry. So she keeps her clientele select, but still gets to do what she loves.
I wish I were that lucky.
In my ideal world, with my dream girl, I would raise and train puppies for a living. English Labradors, to be specific. We’d live in a small house with a large yard, where my dogs and children could run and play and just be— happy .
I can’t help but wonder if Nina would fit into my dream. I already know she’s smart and creative, not to mention sweet and fucking sexy as hell, but does she have the same dreams that I do?
I may not know what my next step is, but I do know that I don’t plan on living in my childhood home indefinitely. It’s one thing for my sister to live here. She’s married and is raising her family here—making it a home again. By now, I should have my shit together and have my own place.
When my parents were my age, they’d already been married nearly a decade, had two children, a mortgage, and were working hard to give their
“Of course he doesn’t mind. We both like the free childcare,” she says, turning to give me a bright smile.
“Where is my little dude?” I haven't seen my nephew since his first birthday several weeks ago, and I miss him. He's so sweet, innocent, and filled with joy. How could that not draw you in?
“He should be up from his nap any minute now.” Sarah begins moving around the kitchen, pulling salad ingredients out of the fridge. “Have you had lunch?”
“Not yet,” I say, moving over to the pot on the stove to get a better look. I tear off a piece of the loaf of bread that’s sitting on the counter and dip it into the thick broth before shoving it into my mouth. Delicious!
“What are you doing?” Sarah says exasperatedly, pushing me out of the way.
“I’m hungry.”
“Well, Ben will be home in thirty for lunch. So why don’t you go get settled in?” she says, waving her wooden spoon in my direction.
“Why’s he coming home for lunch?” I ask, reaching around her and stealing another piece of bread.
“He’s got a conference this weekend, and is catching a flight to Atlanta late this afternoon.”
“Why didn’t you tell me he’d be gone? I would’ve come and stayed with you.”
“You’re here now, so it doesn’t matter. Plus, I’m perfectly capable of staying home alone,” she says, giving me a hard look. “Now, go empty the truck and settle yourself downstairs.”
“Fine. Is it okay that Russell’s in here?”
“Of course it is, we’re old friends. Aren’t we, Russell?” she asks him, bending down to scratch him behind his ears as he trails behind her, no doubt hoping she’ll drop something delicious onto the floor for him.
“You’re such a sweet boy, aren’t you,” she continues to coo, her voice going several octaves higher than normal. Russell laps up every second of the attention. My sister has always had a soft spot for him, except for the time he chewed up some new expensive pair of boots as a puppy. They may have been the ugliest things I’d ever seen, but he sure loved the sheepskin they were lined with. I’d never seen my sister so angry, almost violent. It was actually scary .
I grab several bags from the truck and make my way back inside, heading towards my new home—the half-finished basement. Walking down the stairs, I smile. Even with no notice at all, I see that Sarah has already come down and made the pullout couch into a bed. She’s also laid out several towels for me at the end.
Sarah is like Martha Stewart at times, and is little Miss Homemaker. In that way, she’s just like our mother was. Smart, creative, organized, and thoughtful. Just like my dream girl.
It’s no wonder that my sister is a successful party planner— sorry , Event Organizer. She’s been doing it for years, and has since started up her own company so she can work from home. Sarah didn’t want to give up working, even though she could’ve, but she still wanted to be home with Harry. So she keeps her clientele select, but still gets to do what she loves.
I wish I were that lucky.
In my ideal world, with my dream girl, I would raise and train puppies for a living. English Labradors, to be specific. We’d live in a small house with a large yard, where my dogs and children could run and play and just be— happy .
I can’t help but wonder if Nina would fit into my dream. I already know she’s smart and creative, not to mention sweet and fucking sexy as hell, but does she have the same dreams that I do?
I may not know what my next step is, but I do know that I don’t plan on living in my childhood home indefinitely. It’s one thing for my sister to live here. She’s married and is raising her family here—making it a home again. By now, I should have my shit together and have my own place.
When my parents were my age, they’d already been married nearly a decade, had two children, a mortgage, and were working hard to give their
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