Page 8 of Coming Home for Fall
“Did you like it?”
She shrugged. “Yes and no. My parents were really cool people. They were hippies and they loved nature. Every summer, when school let out, we’d pack up our campervan and spend three months on the road. We mostly went up and down the West Coast, but a few times we went further East and saw some of the national parks in the middle of the country.”
Callie breathed in deeply, her eyes glistening with the warmth of these memories. “I really enjoyed my childhood, and I don’t think it would’ve been possible if my parents had more kids, but sometimes I remember feeling a little lonely.” She snorted. “Then again, David has three brothers and none of them get along, so there’s no guarantee your siblings are going to be your best friends, you know?”
“That’s true…” Sasha glanced down at the counter, tapping her fingers gently against it. “Must be where your love of travel comes from.”
“My love of travel?” Callie blinked.
Sasha straightened in her chair and waved her hands. “Oh—I—I hope it’s okay. There was a stack of photos on the desk in the bedroom—I flipped through them a little. I... I didn’t mean to snoop; they just looked like vacation photos... so I didn’t think it’d be that big of a deal…”
If anyone else besides Sasha had done this, Callie would’ve been taken aback. While it was odd for someone to go through another person’s photos without their consent, Sasha was living with strangers as a scared, single mom. Callie could forgive her for being so curious that she’d forgotten her manners.
“That’s okay,” Callie said with an easy smile. “I’m just not sure what photos you’re talking about.”
“It looked like they were taken in Mexico? It was like photos of the beach and then a few monkeys. I saw David in a couple.”
“Oh, yes! I forgot he had those developed recently. He always brings a few disposable cameras with him so he can take ‘surprise photos.’ He never knows how they’ll come out until they’re developed, but it took him almost two months this time to take the roll of film in. I haven’t even seen the shots yet. Did they turn out good?”
“Some of them, yeah.” Sasha smirked. “But there are a few where his finger got in the way.”
“Typical.” Callie laughed.
“Didn’t see you in any though.”
“I didn’t go on the trip,” Callie said without thinking. The bottle now seemed warm enough, but she tested the milk on her wrist first and then brought it over to Dot.
“Why not?” Sasha asked, tilting her head.
When Callie handed her the bottle, Dot’s pudgy fingers reached up to take the bottle and she drank from it greedily. “I do like traveling around California,” Callie explained, returning to finish her dinner preparations. “And I love a good road trip. But I don’t like flying that much or being too far from home. I’d rather go for a weekend camping trip than go international any day. David on the other hand—he’s an adventurer.”
“He goes without you?”
By the way Sasha asked this, Callie knew she was in trouble. Opening her mouth, she hesitated before speaking and then sealed her lips again, unsure of what to say. But when the awkward silence grew too heavy between them, she gave a vague reply. “It’s, um, just not my thing. That’s all.” Cutting the bread that she’d purchased at the farmers market the previous Sunday and plating the vegetables, she tried to appear busy. If Sasha had any follow-up questions, she kept them to herself, and Callie was flooded with relief when she heard David enter the front door.
“Wow, that smells amazing,” he remarked, walking into the kitchen. “Oh, hi, Sasha.”
Sasha greeted him with a small smile, but baby Dot lit up when David walked into the room, babbling the second she saw him.
“Huh,” Sasha noted. “She’s not normally like that around guys.”
David’s face was beaming as he approached the playpen. “Can I hold her?”
“Sure,” Sasha said. “You can help her finish her bottle.”
Callie watched as David bent down and took the beautiful baby into his arms. Dot giggled and seemed to have no interest in her bottle anymore. He tried to give it to her, but she reached for his glasses, wanting to play with them instead. David craned his head forward a little, letting her take them off his face. The baby’s blue eyes glimmered with delight at her new “toy” before shoving it in her mouth.
“Sorry,” Sasha said, getting up and moving to David’s side.
“No, it’s fine.” He chuckled. “I’m sure my glasses taste delicious.”
For a beat, Sasha’s gaze lingered on them, as if she was sizing David up. But she glanced away and took a step back, smiling at Callie. “If you guys don’t mind watching her, I’d like to shower before dinner.”
“Go ahead,” Callie said. “We’re fine.”
“More than fine,” David added. “In fact, I’d say that me and this little bundle of cuteness have just become best friends.”
Chapter 4
