Page 70 of The Deadbeat Next Door

CHAPTER TWELVE

Cody

I woke up with Carrie’s warmth next to me and it took me a moment to remember why the afternoon sun was streaming in through my window and why the theme song to SpongeBob SquarePants was playing somewhere in the house. When it came to me, I sat up and stretched. Carrie was sprawled out, her face peaceful in sleep, and I didn’t want to disturb her. She needed to get her rest.

I pulled on pants and a shirt over the boxers I’d worn to bed and left, shutting the door softly behind me. I found Jenny on the couch, remote in her hand, flipping through the channels on her own. She smiled at me when I sat next to her. “You’ve got a jamillion channels.”

“Your brother and sister still sleeping?”

She nodded. “They sleep a lot. When’s daddy coming to pick us up.”

My heart clenched. I didn’t know anything to do but tell her the truth. “Your daddy’s not coming,” I said. “You’re going to stay with us for a while.”

“Where is he?” Jenny asked.

“He’s dead,” Simon said, his voice harsh and angry. He dropped onto the chair next to the couch and crossed his arms over his chest. “We told you that already.”

Jenny looked at me, clearly wanting to hear it from someone with more authority. “Is that true, Mr. Cody? Is daddy dead and in heaven with Mommy?”

Her lower lip trembled and tears shimmered in her eyes. That same punch to the chest I’d felt when I saw Carrie crying hit me all over again. “Yeah, sweetheart. He is.”

The tears spilled over her bottom lids and she sobbed in earnest. “I want Daddy. I want my daddy.”

“Shut up, Jenny,” Simon said. “It’s not like he was around much anyway. You’ll hardly even notice he’s gone.” His tone was raw and hard, but tears shimmered in his eyes, too.

I didn’t know what to do. There was no one I could punch for making them cry, and I felt helpless. I fucking hated feeling helpless.

Jenny climbed onto my lap and I wrapped my arms around her as her small body shook under the weight of her sobs. I really wished there was someone I could punch. Anyone. Once Jenny’s sobs subsided, I offered the one thing that had always made me feel better. “You kids ever been on a nature walk?”

“No,” Simon said.

Jenny shook her head, her thumb in her mouth.

“You wanna go on one?”

“Why would we wanna do something so stupid and boring?” Simon said. “Our dad just died and you want to take us on a nature walk? What kind of idiot are you?”

I shrugged, I’d been called worse. “What about you, Jenny? Wanna go for a nature walk?”

She nodded again, thumb still in her mouth.

“Okay, Simon. Jenny and I are going on a nature walk. You can stay here or you can come with us. Your choice, but there’ll be ice cream at the end of the walk.”

There was a trail, a walking path, that wound through the back side of our neighborhood for about half a mile and ended at a little shopping complex that had an ice cream shop and a couple other stores. I was hoping one of those stores sold booster seats and coloring books and video games and kid movies. I had no confidence that the court system or CPS would find family to take in the kids in any kind of a hurry.

“Fine,” Simon said. “But I want two scoops.”

“You got it.”

The kids disappeared into the guest room Simon had slept in and returned a few minutes later dressed. Jenny was in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt that didn’t match, and her long, dark hair looked like it had been caught in a tornado, but I didn’t figure we’d be seeing anyone she needed to impress.

I had no idea what the stamina of a five-year-old was and I wanted to be sure we could make it home, so I gave Jenny a piggyback ride to the shopping center. I named every tree and plant we passed. Jenny repeated the names, but Simon muttered how lame I was and how lame nature walks were. If he hadn’t just lost his dad, I might have suggested he show a little respect, but I figured he had every right to be pissy and grumpy.

The shopping center did have a store that had coloring books, games, and books for the kids, but no booster seats. I let Jenny and Simon each pick out a few things to play with. Jenny’s eyes widened and she ran around the store like she’d just won a million dollars. Simon frowned and muttered something about toys not fixing anything, but he picked out a book and a game. I had no idea what a teenage girl might want, but I didn’t want to show up with nothing for her. The sales clerk suggested a crossword puzzle book and a jewelry-making kit.

The ice cream shop was just a wooden shack with outdoor seating. Even at ten in the morning on a cool spring day, they had a line of people waiting. We stood in line, our purchases heavy in my hands. Simon slouched and scowled, while Jenny ran circles around him and did her very best to drive him crazy. He ignored her.

“Jenny.” I had to say her name three more times before I got her attention. She looked at me, her eyes wide, her little body bouncing in place. “I need your help with something important.”

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