Page 31 of Damian & Jun, Episodes 9-12
Jun patted him on his back. With Habibi in his arms, he didn’t dare pull his man in against his chest the way he wanted.
“Betti’s with Armada. She’s staying there for tomorrow, no school. How are you?”
“I’m fine.” Jun moved Damian toward the hotel room and pushed him at the bed that didn’t have Rue and Kimbo in it. Damian dropped into it, shoulders slumped.
“Did you have to talk to your father?
“No. I got there when the police were already at the door.” Damian rubbed his face. “Stayed in the car like they wanted. I was just there for Betti.”
“Good.”
Damian glanced toward the kids and visibly edited what it looked like he wanted to say. “You didn’t tell me how you were.”
“Tired.” Jun forced a smile. “Howser got difficult. Cedric handled him. Habibi is missing Armada.”
“Anything else?”
“Yun’s getting payment due notices from BBB3 and some company in the Caribbean for SP4700Y.”
“I think I saw that email.”
“I forwarded it to Pearsen.” Jun sank down on the bed beside Damian so that they were sitting shoulder to shoulder. “Yun says we can work, but creditors might drain any money we make.”
“They’re really hanging on to this gambit with everything they got, aren’t they?” Damian groaned softly. “Sorry they’re being so shit.”
Jun squeezed Damian’s hand. “We’re handling it.”
Damian looked at Jun with bloodshot eyes. “We need to get help with the kids. They need somewhere more permanent to live. We can’t keep doing this.”
“Mi Hi is coming down to look at places for 5N to live. I’m going to take Habibi and go with her while the kids are in school.”
“I should hire a caregiver.” Damian fell back against the bed.
“I thought all your money was wrapped up in the church.”
“It is, almost all of it.”
“Can the kids live there?”
Damian frowned. “It’s not up to code. There’s some living quarters. I haven’t been inside them. It would take work. Maybe the old parsonage could be fixed up.”
“Let’s get through Armada’s abortion and Thursday.” Jun squeezed Damian’s hand again.
“How are you so calm about all this?”
Jun lay down, letting Habibi settle on the bed between them. He turned on his side, holding his head up on his palm. He laid his other hand on Damian’s chest. “I could still be in some resort up in the mountains, you know.”
Damian shook his head. “I wouldn’t allow it.”
Jun smiled at him.
Habibi grabbed Damian’s expensive pinstripe button-down shirt. Baby snot smeared across the fabric.
“I’m not sure you have the laundry budget for this.”
Damian chuckled ruefully. “I don’t have the budget for any of this. Émeric is texting me about the college students starting on the church, and all I can think about is whether I can pay the permits and inspection fees.”
Jun shook his head. “We’ll find a way.”
