Page 41 of Balance

I have the money now to afford him. He didn’t tell me what actions have already been taken with Betty’s lawyers in San Francisco, they have to know by now what her kids were up to and what they did to circumvent the Will.

I blow out a slow breath as I stare at the ceiling and try to figure out what the girls and I can do today. The temperature here is rapidly cooling, so hopefully Marie brings some blankets for her babies so that I can keep them warm when I take all of the kids to the park.

We might as well walk to get out their energy and wear them out a bit. Give Marie and Mackenzie space to talk.

Tilly starts to wake up first, groaning and sitting straight up, looking around for me. I pull her closer and kiss her head. “Want to get up and try to go pee on the toilet?”

She nods and we wiggle out of the bed before stepping into my bathroom. I keep a little attachment for her beside the toilet, I just hope that she’s really going to start using it. I get the seat on the toilet and help her sit, turning around to give her privacy.

I hold back a giggle when she starts to sing her favorite nursery rhymes, her sweet little voice makes my chest grow warm. I hear the trickle and I start to dance around and clap.

“Good job, Tilly! Let me know when you’re done!” I stare at the light gray wall in my bathroom, wondering if I should start decorating my area more. For the first few weeks I was here, I thought I would just be temporary since Morgan seemed to have an aversion to my age and my ‘qualifications’, or lack thereof.

But now that we’ve kissed, done more? Sure we’ve had our ups and downs in the few short months I’ve been here. But I don’t think I can cool the heat that’s simmering between us.

Am I in love with him? No. But I care greatly for him, I can honestly say that I do love his girls though and can’t imagine not being near them.

“All done!” Tilly shouts and I chuckle and hand her some toilet paper and help her take off her diaper.

“Let’s try being without a diaper for a while today. Just tell me when you need to use the potty and I’ll also remind you, okay?”

She pouts and steps up to the sink to wash her hands after flushing. She’s around two and a half now, so I know we will have some accidents, but that’s okay.

When we step back into the bedroom, both Avery and Nessa are already gone. I pick Tilly up and head down to the kitchen to start on breakfast. They’re slowly starting to eat more fruits and vegetables, but since it’s Sunday, I’ll treat them to pancakes andscrambled eggs with some chopped strawberries and blueberries on the side.

Hopefully Mackenzie will join us. Her bruises and scratches are fading, but her stitches look like they’re ready to be removed. Hopefully Marie brings some sort of medical kit with her. I have no idea if what she’s doing today is legal or not, but I’m thankful for her.

I get the girls situated at the island and head down the hall to Mackenzie’s room and try to listen to see if she’s awake. I knock on the door and peek my head in, seeing her bed is made and I hear the water running in the bathroom. That’s a good sign.

I slip back out and sit down to eat, listening to Avery and Nessa talk animatedly about what they want to do over winter break.

“Don’t your grandparents come to town around then?”

Avery nods. “Yep! We usually go ice skating, walk around the zoo, and go to the movies with them. They don’t stay for very long.”

I hum and finish off my eggs before moving on to my pancakes. “Why don’t you and Nessa write down a list of what you want to do over your break. You get three weeks off, so that’s plenty of time to do something fun.”

They both nod and talk excitedly together as they come up with a game plan. Nessa can’t write very well, but she loves to scribble all over the papers and white board in the playroom when I do ‘school’ with her. Slowly but surely she’s getting there. Tilly just paints and colors before she runs around while I work with Nessa. I’m not worried about her, when she’s three I’ll start working with her more.

Mackenzie joins us and I smile at her and look her over. Her hair is wet and braided down her back. Her green eyes are looking a little brighter, but still dull and I can see, feel, the fearstill radiating from her. Her shoulders and back are tense and she’s still wearing massive, baggy clothing.

I feel for her so much.

She sits down beside Tilly and smiles at her. “Hello girls,” she whispers and the girls try to pull her into a conversation. I stand up and open up the oven, pulling out her plate that I left in there to warm.

I slide it over to her and work on making her a cup of coffee, well, mostly cream and sugar with a touch of coffee. The same way that Morgan drinks his.

She smiles at me when I hand that over, busying myself with collecting the dirty plates and cleaning Tilly up before I start the dishes.

Mackenzie takes a few bites before clearing her throat. “What time will Marie be over?”

I shrug and glance up at her. “I’ll text Morgan, maybe sometime around noon?”

She closes her eyes and nods before eating a few more bites and she frowns at her plate. “Sorry… I’m not that hungry. I’m going to go lay down.”

She waves to the girls and scurries out of the room. I chew on my lip as I scrape her plate in the trash and wash up the kitchen.

I wink at Avery when she picks up Tilly from her high chair and they go racing down the hall towards the playroom.

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