Read Online The Family You Choose by Deborah Nam-Krane - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Deborah Nam-Krane
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these belong to?
Michael called a cab and made one stop before
he got on his plane. For possibly the first time in his life, he
did a good deed for someone.
Or, at least, tried.
~~~
He got off the plane at Logan and went to
collect his suitcase. It wasn’t October, but he’d been away long
enough.
CHAPTER
6
Miranda nearly jumped out of her seat at
breakfast when Alex told her that Michael was back. "You promised!"
Keith walked in with a pot of tea, but turned right back
around.
"I didn’t know until last night."
"So why didn’t you tell me then?"
"You didn’t get in until after eleven."
"So what? You still should have told me so I
could warn my friends."
Alex crashed his fork onto his plate and
forced himself to look away. "I told you, they don’t have anything
to worry about."
"Until the next time…!" She looked away too,
afraid of what else she might say. "Alright, then," she said at
last. "So why did the SOB come back already?"
"I don’t know. He didn’t call me. The
management company called yesterday afternoon and told me that
someone was at the house who claimed to be the owner. I didn’t
know. For God’s sake, I even told him that it wasn’t going to be
ready until October."
"Was that a lie?"
"It was my understanding that with the
exception of running water, it is otherwise uninhabitable."
Miranda smirked involuntarily, thinking about
Michael using a sleeping bag. But no, that wouldn’t last more than
ten minutes. He’d go to a hotel, or-
"I will leave if he comes back here, and if
he goes to Richard’s, you can buy me and Jessie an apartment!"
"Do you think Lucy will let me do that?"
"Please, we both know how persuasive you can
be."
Alex ignored that comment. "He won’t come
back here, I promise."
"And Richard? I know he’s graduated from
college, but don’t you think he’s due a little bit of a break?"
"He isn’t going to bother anyone."
"How can you be sure?"
"Because I made a few phone calls today;
he’ll have electricity, cable, gas and wireless by six o’clock
tonight, and the cleaning service and furniture delivery will be in
at ten tomorrow morning."
"God bless a well-placed bribe."
~~~
Emily called Miranda the next day while she
and Mitch were out getting groceries. "Is everything okay? You
sound a little...preoccupied."
Miranda sighed with relief when she heard
Emily giggle at something Mitch said. "It’s nothing. Just some
stuff to arrange for classes. Making sure I get all of my
requirements in, yada yada."
Emily giggled again. "Honey, stop it! Sorry.
Wait, what? Didn’t you say you weren’t taking classes in the summer
quarter?"
"Yeah, I’m not, but I still have to..." Emily
practically shrieked at Mitch to stop whatever he was doing, and
Miranda seized upon the opportunity. "Look, actually, I don’t think
I’m going to be able to meet you tonight after all. Alex had a few
things he wanted me to do—some party he’s planning next week."
"Gee, that’s too bad," Mitch said, obviously
close enough to Emily and her phone to overhear. Miranda laughed
herself.
"Yes, it is," Emily said with some annoyance.
"Zainab backed out too. What, no one wants to be around the
newlyweds?"
"Well, since you’re always in each other’s
laps, I guess no one thought you’d mind."
"I do mind, for the record, and you’re going
to have to make it up to me later this week."
Miranda smiled even as a tear streaked down
her cheek. "Anytime, just not tonight. Look, honey, can I call you
back later?"
"Bye!" Mitch said before the phone hung
up.
Miranda tapped her fingers on the arm of her
chair. Why did Zainab back out?
Thirty seconds later she had Zainab on the
phone. "I was wondering when you were going to call."
Miranda threw her head back. "Argh! Excuse me
for not wanting to be the bearer of bad news—again. But I guess you
know a little bit about that, since you didn’t tell Emily
either."
Zainab clicked her tongue. "And Richard
hasn’t told Jessie.
Michael called a cab and made one stop before
he got on his plane. For possibly the first time in his life, he
did a good deed for someone.
Or, at least, tried.
~~~
He got off the plane at Logan and went to
collect his suitcase. It wasn’t October, but he’d been away long
enough.
CHAPTER
6
Miranda nearly jumped out of her seat at
breakfast when Alex told her that Michael was back. "You promised!"
Keith walked in with a pot of tea, but turned right back
around.
"I didn’t know until last night."
"So why didn’t you tell me then?"
"You didn’t get in until after eleven."
"So what? You still should have told me so I
could warn my friends."
Alex crashed his fork onto his plate and
forced himself to look away. "I told you, they don’t have anything
to worry about."
"Until the next time…!" She looked away too,
afraid of what else she might say. "Alright, then," she said at
last. "So why did the SOB come back already?"
"I don’t know. He didn’t call me. The
management company called yesterday afternoon and told me that
someone was at the house who claimed to be the owner. I didn’t
know. For God’s sake, I even told him that it wasn’t going to be
ready until October."
"Was that a lie?"
"It was my understanding that with the
exception of running water, it is otherwise uninhabitable."
Miranda smirked involuntarily, thinking about
Michael using a sleeping bag. But no, that wouldn’t last more than
ten minutes. He’d go to a hotel, or-
"I will leave if he comes back here, and if
he goes to Richard’s, you can buy me and Jessie an apartment!"
"Do you think Lucy will let me do that?"
"Please, we both know how persuasive you can
be."
Alex ignored that comment. "He won’t come
back here, I promise."
"And Richard? I know he’s graduated from
college, but don’t you think he’s due a little bit of a break?"
"He isn’t going to bother anyone."
"How can you be sure?"
"Because I made a few phone calls today;
he’ll have electricity, cable, gas and wireless by six o’clock
tonight, and the cleaning service and furniture delivery will be in
at ten tomorrow morning."
"God bless a well-placed bribe."
~~~
Emily called Miranda the next day while she
and Mitch were out getting groceries. "Is everything okay? You
sound a little...preoccupied."
Miranda sighed with relief when she heard
Emily giggle at something Mitch said. "It’s nothing. Just some
stuff to arrange for classes. Making sure I get all of my
requirements in, yada yada."
Emily giggled again. "Honey, stop it! Sorry.
Wait, what? Didn’t you say you weren’t taking classes in the summer
quarter?"
"Yeah, I’m not, but I still have to..." Emily
practically shrieked at Mitch to stop whatever he was doing, and
Miranda seized upon the opportunity. "Look, actually, I don’t think
I’m going to be able to meet you tonight after all. Alex had a few
things he wanted me to do—some party he’s planning next week."
"Gee, that’s too bad," Mitch said, obviously
close enough to Emily and her phone to overhear. Miranda laughed
herself.
"Yes, it is," Emily said with some annoyance.
"Zainab backed out too. What, no one wants to be around the
newlyweds?"
"Well, since you’re always in each other’s
laps, I guess no one thought you’d mind."
"I do mind, for the record, and you’re going
to have to make it up to me later this week."
Miranda smiled even as a tear streaked down
her cheek. "Anytime, just not tonight. Look, honey, can I call you
back later?"
"Bye!" Mitch said before the phone hung
up.
Miranda tapped her fingers on the arm of her
chair. Why did Zainab back out?
Thirty seconds later she had Zainab on the
phone. "I was wondering when you were going to call."
Miranda threw her head back. "Argh! Excuse me
for not wanting to be the bearer of bad news—again. But I guess you
know a little bit about that, since you didn’t tell Emily
either."
Zainab clicked her tongue. "And Richard
hasn’t told Jessie.
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