There’s no way she would live here.
I’m not giving up this easily. We are not over until I say we are over.
Oh well, guess there’s only one way to find out. I get out of the car and walk up to the front steps. Five bikes are st
rewed across the front yard, along with basketballs and catcher’s mitts. I look around at all the shoes. Does a fucking centipede live here or something?
How many children does she have?
I peer in through the screen door. I can hear yelling coming from the kitchen.
That’s weird.
I knock on the door.
“Hello?” I call.
I hear Claire’s voice. “That is enough, Fletcher,” she snaps. “I’m not having this conversation with you.”
Huh?
“Hello?” I call again.
“Hello,” a boy says as he appears in front of me.
I stare down at him. He’s little and has dark hair. “Is this the Anderson house?” I ask.
“Yes.”
I frown. What the fuck—she does live here? “Is . . . Claire Anderson here?”
“Yes. That’s my mom.” He swings his arms from side to side as he looks up at me, totally clueless.
I wait for him to go and get her. When he doesn’t, I ask, “Um . . . can you get her for me, please?” What the hell, kid?
“Yeah, okay.” He walks off, and I stand at the door . . . uneasiness fills me. This was a bad idea.
Another kid comes to the door. He has curly light hair, and he glares at me through the screen. “Who are you?”
“Tristan.” I smile.
“What do you want?”
Jeez. I frown . . . these kids are rude. “I’m here to see your mother.”
“Go away.” He closes the door in my face.
I frown and step back . . . what?
I wait for him to open it back up. He doesn’t. Okay . . . what just happened?
“Harry.” I hear Claire’s voice. “Don’t be rude.” She opens the door in a rush, and her eyes widen as she sees me. “Tristan,” she whispers as she steps out onto the porch and quietly closes the door behind her. “This is a really bad time. You need to go,” she whispers.
I can sense something is wrong with her. “What? Why?” I whisper back.
The front door opens up in a rush. “Is this him?” a big teenage kid yells.
Claire’s face falls, and I frown as I look between them. “Huh?”