Page 11 of The Tattered Gloves
THE NEXT MORNING, no strange men were in the house. No early morning haircut. Just the intoxicating sweet smell of bacon.
My stomach recognized the scent almost immediately.
Stretching my long legs on the old couch, I sat up to find Addy in the small kitchen across from the living room, dancing around with a spatula in her hand. Tiny earbuds were attached to each side of her head, letting me know she at least wasn’t crazy. Although, judging by her wardrobe, the jury might still be out on that.
Today, she’d chosen a geometric-patterned pair of leggings with a long striped top. Perhaps, if you looked at it sideways, it could match, but overall, it made my eyes hurt.
“Oh, good, you’re up!” she hollered, obviously talking over the music in her ears. Realizing her error, she pulled the cord at her neck, popping the white buds free. “Sorry, I didn’t want to disturb you,” she said at a normal volume. “I wasn’t sure what you’d want to eat, so I’ve made a variety of things. I wanted to make sure you had a good breakfast for your first day.”
Walking over to the counter, I took a quick look around and found myself instantly overwhelmed. I didn’t think, in my relatively short life, I’d ever seen that much food in person. There were doughnuts that looked like they’d been boxed fresh from a bakery, sizzling bacon, eggs, pancakes, and several boxes of cereal.
The starving child inside me wanted to grab everything and find someplace to hoard it all.
The untrusting teen in me wanted to run.
I aimed for middle ground and silently grabbed an apple fritter and a handful of bacon as I made my way to the bathroom.
School.
I looked in the mirror and let out a long sigh. Taking another bite of the sugary sweet doughnut, I tried to talk myself into getting ready.
Ten minutes later, I hadn’t moved an inch, but the doughnut and every trace of bacon was gone. So, I had to decide if I was either going to stay in here all day or face the world.
Looking down at the place where my toothbrush rested near my aunt’s, I made my choice.
At least I could grab another doughnut on the way out.
“IS THAT WHAT you’re wearing?” Addy asked as I stepped into the living room.
Staring back at her in the outfit that had nearly given me a headache a half hour earlier, my eyes furrowed in confusion. After looking down at my faded jeans and plain black long-sleeved shirt, I found myself instantly glancing back up at her, asking, “Why?”
“It’s not that it’s bad. It’s good. We just might want to pick you up a few things the next time we’re in town.” Her eyes narrowed in on the hem of my shirt.
I turned away, toward the door, with the backpack Addy had pulled out of her craft room for me slung over my shoulder. It was secondhand, like everything I owned, but nicer than most of my stuff. There were a few stains on the dark fabric but no rips or holes.
Tugging it close to my body, I felt her hand grip my shoulder. I instantly stiffened. She backed off.
Standing at the doorway, I stood frozen.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.” She hesitated. “I don’t know how to do this, Willow.”
Turning around, I saw concern written all over her face. “Do what?” I asked.
“Take care of you, be there for you. I’ve never been a mother… much less an aunt before.”
My eyes briefly wandered over her as I remembered the way her hand had reached out toward me.
“Stop trying,” I said, severing our conversation with just two abrupt words.
I didn’t bother waiting for her response.
As she had reminded me when I first got here, it was time for me to go get an education.
THE SHORT RIDE to school was tense, to say the least.
I did everything I could not to look toward the driver’s side of the car, and I was pretty sure Addy was doing the same. When the car came to a stop in front of the double doors of the high school, I didn’t bother saying good-bye.
It was probably better this way anyway.
