Read Online Let Me: An O'Brien Family Novel (The O'Brien Family Book 2) by Cecy Robson - Free Book Online

the garage?” I ask, gasping.
    “Yeah,” he says like I didn’t hear him the first time.
    “Finn, you’re not putting anything from that garage on this baby.”
    He grins. So does Mattie, and so does Lynnie. Yeah. Because I’m clearly the crazy one.
    “You’re really testy,” Finn says. “Still sexy, but testy all the same.”
    “Just feed Mattie,” I mutter, trying not to let him get to me. Who am I kidding? He already has. My time with Finn over the weekend was the only time I managed a real laugh, and a real smile. Was my sadness still there? Yes, it always lingers close to the surface. But that little bit of happiness . . . let’s say I can use more of it.
    Dr. Franco, my mother’s psychiatrist is concerned by the increase in her episodes. I thought her recent relapse was due to not taking her meds, or her need for a different anti-psychotic. But he’s worried it’s something more serious. So instead of bringing her home yesterday, I led my father out of the hospital without her, trying to stay strong when he fell apart. “I miss who she was,” he told me in Spanish, tears reddening his eyes.
    “I do, too, Papi,” I told him.
    I hurry up the steps, clutching Lynnie close against me even as she tugs on my hair. “Pooh-po,” she says, or something like it, pointing to her cheeks. My guess is purple must be her favorite color. Nice to know Mattie took that into consideration before he went to town on her face. My instinct is to text Evie to see if she has any baby oil. But seeing how I don’t think anyone but Latinos from the 70’s use that anymore, I don’t bother. I don’t want her worried, and I want her to have a good time. If this is the kind of trouble her kids get into on a daily basis, she’s in serious trouble when the next baby comes.
    I start to fill the tub. Lynnie is such a wiggle worm, I put her down thinking she’ll be fine for just a second. Ha, ha. Silly me. In the time I take to adjust the water, she strips out of her clothes in a way that would shame Magic Mike and rips off her diaper.
    “Lynnie,” I begin, jumping when she proceeds to pee on the bath mat―two freaking inches away from the tile floor!
    “Oh, crap,” I squeak, lifting her at arms lengths as I set her down in the tub. I don’t know what kind of bladder this kid has, but it tops mine and finishes emptying the moment her little butt hits the water. “Seriously?” I ask her.
    And because her tiny self hasn’t made enough of a mess, she starts splashing like me and the bathroom are on fire.
    I wipe the floor with her abandoned clothes, certain I received the shit end of the kid stick when I hear Finn yell, “Mattie, no― no !” followed with loads of giggling on Mattie’s part and a few swears from Finn.
    I almost ask if he’s okay, but I’m too busy trying to soap Lynnie’s cheeks. I drop my hands down as she continues to splash me. I don’t know what the hell they put in markers, but whatever it is I can’t get it off her.
    After a few more passes and a lot more water on the floor, I lift her sudsy body from the tub and simply gape at the cat whiskers Mattie drew across her cheeks. 
    “You’re father’s going to kill me,” I tell her. “You’re mama, too.” I think about it. “But if your Aunt Lety was here instead of England, she’d mostly laugh and point.”
    She squeals, giggling and kicking out her feet. “Well, I’m glad one of us thinks it’s funny,” I tell her, cuddling her close with the towel.
    I put a diaper on her, hoping she’ll keep it on while I find her pajamas. The problem is every stupid pair I find is either pink or purple, both of which draw even more attention to her whiskers. I finally give up and shove her in one that matches her cheeks then carry her downstairs.
    Only to scream when I see what Finn’s feeding Mattie.
    He jumps, dropping the peanut butter crackers he and Mattie are sharing. “What?” he asks between chews. “You told me to feed him.”
    I