Etching Our Way (Broken Tracks 1)

“I needed to clear my head.”

She nods slowly before tucking a bookmark into the book she’s reading and closing it. “I was worried when you didn’t come back. I thought…”

“I’m sorry, Mom.” Seeing the worry in her eyes makes me feel awful for not calling her. I should have at least let her know where I was.

She sighs and a real smile graces her face. “As long as you’re okay?”

“I feel much better,” I reply, smiling back.

“I’m glad to hear that, you don’t look great though. Go and get showered, I’ll make you some breakfast before I go to the hospital.”

“Hospital?”

“The babies,” she says in way of explanation.

“Oh, yeah. The babies,” I mumble.

“You could come with me, you know? They’re always looking for volunteers.” I shake my head emphatically, she knows I can’t do that. “Harm, I know you and Gerry—”

“No.” I stand up, effectively ending the conversation. “I’ll be back down soon.”

I walk out of the kitchen before she has a chance to reply, I don’t want to get into that conversation when my emotions are still so fragile. I feel like a china plate, teetering on the edge of a table, waiting to crash to the floor and shatter.

Jasmine Thompson—Pompeii

Nickelback—How You Remind Me

Parachute—The Mess I Made

I stand on the front porch with Clay and Izzie by my side, waiting for Edward to turn up. Lifting my arm, I look down at my watch and see that he’s now ten minutes late. It’s so unlike him, he’s never been late in the thirty years that I’ve known him. He’s a stickler for timekeeping and prides himself on always being able to get you where you need to be right on time. If I’m honest, I’m starting to worry about him.

I look down at Clay and Izzie, giving them a reassuring smile before reaching into my pocket and pulling my cell out, about to call him when the sound of car tires crunching gravel catches my attention. I look up as the car comes to a stop in front of the fountain in the driveway.

Edward jumps out and apologizes profusely. I scan him, my eyes narrowed as I take in his appearance: his shirt is half untucked, his tie isn’t knotted properly, and the laces on his black shoes are undone.

I’ve never seen him this… frazzled and unruly.

He looks like he woke up late and dressed on his way here. What I can’t understand is why it’s taken him so long, he only lives a couple of minutes away.

I shake my head, deciding not to say anything, yet. I don’t want to acknowledge it in front of the kids, deciding to wait until we’ve dropped them off at school.

Although Izzie’s giggle and voice telling him, “Daddy helps me get dressed, maybe you need Daddy to help you too?” all with a completely serious look on her face, has us all bursting out into laughter, breaking the tension rolling off of him.

Once we’re all in the car and on our way to their school, his eyes flick to me and back to the road continuously all the way.

I get out with the kids when we pull up to the school entrance, making sure they get inside safely before I make my way back to the car and a nervous Edward.

I let out a long breath when I slide into the back, not wanting to reprimand him. Edward is like family, I hate to call him an employee because he’s so much more than that—he always has been.

“I’m so sorry I made them late,” he gasps. “I overslept and then I had to get all the way from the other side of the city and—”

“Wait.” My head reels back as I hold my hand up to stop his rambling as I frown. “Why were you all the way over the other side of the city?”

His face goes beet red and he can’t quite look at me as he pulls away from the school, starting to drive us into the city. “I… I…”

“Edward,” I warn, my patience starting to wear thin. “Spit it the hell out.”

He clears his throat and stops at a red light, his hands gripping onto the steering wheel tighter as he stumbles on his words, finally coming out with, “I don’t think it’s my place to say.?