“I’ll be sure to let her know you rang, ma’am.”
“Okay then, thank you,” she sighs out sadly.
I hang up.
I definitely can’t sleep now, so I make my way downstairs. Just as I reach the bottom step, the front door swings open and Kayla bursts through. She doesn’t even see me as she passes me and runs up to my room, closing the door behind her.
I look from her to the front door and Lisa, Mom and Dad are standing there.
“Maybe just leave her for a bit, Jake. I think she needs some time alone,” Lisa tells me.
I look back up the stairs, willing everything in me to not go up there and demand to know what’s happening. I want to hold her and tell her I’ll be there for her. Forever.
I head to the kitchen where the grown ups are talking. I grab an apple from the fruit bowl on the counter then lean back against it.
“What’s going on?” I ask everyone, taking a bite.
Lisa answers, “They just weren’t prepared, her parents. They didn’t have things in order in case anything happened.”
“What does that mean?” I ask, looking at Dad.
“There’s no money, Jake. Even after the house and life insurance payout. It’s just enough to cover the mortgage and other debts,” Lisa says, shaking her head and staring out the window. “There’s enough money to pay the tuition for what the scholarship doesn’t cover at UNC. There’s no money left for housing, even text books, and she still needs to feed herself.”
She stops looking out the window to look at me. “I don’t know what to do. I mean, I could take her home with me but I would have to talk to my fiancé. I know she’s legally an adult but she’s not ready to be on her own, not with nothing. My fiancé would say yes, purely because I asked him, but I don’t think it’s fair, to ask him, I mean…” she trails off.
It’s quiet for the longest time, all of us staring at the floor. We’re all thinking about what we can do to help, if there is anything we can do.
I push off the counter, throw my apple in the bin and head to my room.
I get under the covers with her and snuggle, just like she wanted.
I don’t know how long we’re there for, but I know we both fall asleep.
***
I wake up to her trying to get up, I hold on to her tighter and nuzzle her neck, she laughs, it’s a small one, but it’s enough.
“I need to shower,” she says, stretching. “I’ll meet you down there.”
By the time I get downstairs, Mom is finishing cooking dinner, Lisa is here too.
“Where’s Dad and Julie?”
“In the study, they’re building the solar system,” she answers, rolling her eyes. Dad loves ‘helping’ with those kinds of projects, I remember those days.
I’m getting the drinks out to help set up, when Kayla walks in. She’s freshened up. She’s barefoot, wearing tight skinny jeans and an olive green top. It must be Heidi's because the jeans are skin tight and the shirt hugs every curve of her body, just a size too small that about an inch of skin shows between the hem of her shirt and the band of her jeans. I’m staring, more like ogling. I mean, I’ve had my hands all over her, I know she has curves, but damn.
Mom’s in front of me, “You have a little drool-" she says quietly, pretending to wipe my mouth playfully.
I swat her hands away and continue pouring drinks into the jugs.
Kayla reaches up to get the plates from the cabinet, causing her shirt to ride up further. She’s struggling to reach them so I lean over behind her to help out. Bad idea.
***
Julie heads the conversation during dinner. She talks about some new dance shit they’re learning. Kayla takes it all in and asks her questions. It’s the most I’ve heard her talk to anyone but me. She seems to know what she’s talking about, I wonder if she’s taken dance before, she definitely has the body for it.
Kayla smiles throughout the entire dinner, making small talk. It’s a sudden change in behavior, and I’m not the only one that notices.
“What’s going on, Kayla?” Lisa looks at her suspiciously, “I mean, it’s great to see you smiling again, but after the day-"
“Aunt Lisa,” Kayla puts down her knife and fork and sits back in her chair. “I’ve just had a lot of time to think, I can’t go to college, not now, it’s not an option. And I can’t stay here anymore, I’m just… I’m just done.”
Chapter 15
*Mikayla*
They’re all looking, waiting for more. I don’t have much more to tell them.
“After the funeral tomorrow, I’m done. I’m leaving.”
I look at Aunt Lisa and she’s frowning.
“There’s nothing left for me here,” I say quietly. I look at Jake sitting next to me, and put my hand on his leg under the table, his hand finds mine. “Well, there’s one thing, but I don’t know that it’s enough.” My voice ends in a whisper and I look down to my plate.
Silence fills the room and when I look up, they’re all frowning at me, Julie too. Aunt Lisa is wiping away tears, Jake's hands get tighter around mine.
Nathan clears his throat, all eyes snap to him.
“Listen, Mikayla…” He looks at me, really looks at me and I can see the pity in his eyes. “You are going to stay here…” I open my mouth to interrupt him but he raises his hand to stop me and I let him continue. “You are going to stay here until you leave for college.” It’s a statement. I can see from the corner of my eye that Mandy is smiling at her husband with a new found appreciation, she didn’t know this was coming.
“I can’t stay here…” I whisper, looking down at my plate. “I can’t stay here for nothing, at least let me get a job so I can pay board, or something…”.
“Mikayla…” Nathan says while shaking his head. He sighs, almost looking defeated. “I have thought about this, and from the few days I’ve known you, I can tell you’re not just going to accept this offer. So, you will help me out at the office two days a week, I need an admin assistant, someone that can file, organize and type, basically all the things I hate doing. Do you think you can do that?”
I nod.
“Good, then it’s settled. I’ll pay you for your time like any other employee, but it’s not to go towards board, you save that money.” I try to interrupt him again, but he stops me. “You save that money for college, Mikayla. We would however, appreciate it if you can help Mandy around the house. She has a lot of things to organize before Jake leaves for college. You will also need to be Julie’s personal taxi - God knows she needs one for the summer. You will take Mandy's minivan, she will take my car and I will finally get to use the company car I bought that’s sitting in the office’s garage collecting dust.” I just keep staring at him stunned. “In a few weeks we will all sit down and discuss how this arrangement is working out, understood?” he cocks his head to the side, waiting for my answer.
I look around the table. Lisa and Mandy are staring at Nathan in awe, Julie has her hands clasped underneath her chin, like she’s begging me to say yes, like I could say anything else. Then I look at Jake and he has the biggest, goofiest, shit eating grin on his face.
“Yes, sir, understood.”
The whole table erupts in claps and cheers and I find myself missing my family.
But it hurts less today then it did yesterday.
Because being here, being with them, it’s familiar in a good way.
And I think for just a second, that maybe my heart can learn to love again.