Page 44 of Break the Rule
“Promise, Momma.”
Ella clutches her plush pig to her chest, scooting closer to Eden. “You didn’t read to me last night.”
“I know, I’m sorry,” Eden apologizes. “Maybe once I’ve worked there for a while I can finagle a few shift changes so I’m not always working at night.”
“Just tell them I need you,” Ella says with the air of someone who is certain her word is law. It probably comes with the territory of being an only child and having two grown-ups who would burn the world down for you. Not that she’s spoiled, Addy goes out of her way to make sure that doesn’t happen.
“That’s not exactly how it works, unfortunately.”
Ella makes a disgruntled sound. “But you’re mine. Just tell them we have story time.”
Eden closes his eyes and rolls over, wrapping an arm around her. “I wish story time was a valid reason for schedule changes.”
“I can talk to your boss.”
“No,” Eden laughs, unsure he’s ever met such a precocious child.
“Fine,” Ella sighs. “But when you don’t work you gotta read me three books.”
“Skipping two and going straight to three?”
“Yup.” Ella rolls onto her side, kissing Eden’s cheek. “I love you.”
Eden is unsure he will ever be able to ever put into words what it feels like to be loved by someone who only sees the good in the world—who only sees the good in Eden.
“I love you too, Ella Bella.” He tickles her tummy, smiling when she giggles.
“Maybe you can draw me a picture at school today.”
“But you’ll be at work when I get home from school. I can’t show you.”
“Your momma can text me a photo when she picks you up from the after school club.”
“And you’ll text back?”
“Of course,” Eden promises.
“Okay. I’ll draw you a pig.”
Given that pigs are Ella’s favorite animal, there is no higher honor. Eden’s top dresser drawer has at least a dozen drawings of them, the first crudely drawn pig she ever gave him recreated in tattoo form on his left wrist beside the numbers he won’t ever forget.
“Ella,” Addy yells, her approaching footsteps echoing. “Time to go.”
“But I’m not ready,” Ella protests.
“I know but five minutes are up, sweetie.” Addy moves into Eden’s room, wordlessly picking up the work clothes he left on the floor last night in his exhaustion and dropping them into the laundry basket in the corner like the mom she is. Eden probably should examine why he likes his best friend mothering him sometimes, but then Eden’s got enough mommy issues to last a lifetime, so it’s probably something better left unexamined and unaddressed. “Go potty before we leave.”
Ella sighs like an old lady, rolling out of bed. She’s halfway across the room before she runs back, crawling across the bed to shove her plushy into Eden’s arms and kissing him again. “Watch over Piggy, okay?”
“Okay.” Eden hugs the plush as if it were precious.
“Bye, Eden!” With that, Ella skips from the room, leaving him alone with Addy who closes the distance, the bed dipping as she sits on the edge then leans over to kiss his forehead. He’s not sure what it says about him that the two women in his life always sense his need for coddling, even when he won’t admit it, but he’s grateful for them all the same.
“Morning, sunshine.”
Eden grunts, closing his eyes. All his walls are harder to keep up around Addy. With Ella, it’s easy to shut off everything and just be okay because she’s a child. That’s the version of Eden she needs. Addy is his best friend, and sometimes like his mother, despite only being a few years older than him. She looks like a real grown-up with her button down blouse and dress slacks and her beautifully done up braids.
“You haven’t been sleeping well.”
