The Long and Winding Road (The Seafare Chronicles 4)

So I did.

He wiped his eyes as he took a step back. And when he smiled at me, though my heart was breaking, I knew then that he’d be okay. “I’ll be okay,” he said, and I didn’t know if it was for my benefit or for his own.

“I know.”

He left without another word.

Otter was at my side, rubbing his hand up and down my back, as the car disappeared from sight.

“He’ll be all right,” Otter said finally. “And you will too. You’ll see.”

I knew he was right.

And I was ready for whatever came next.

The house felt a little emptier when we went back inside.

But I had a feeling it wouldn’t be for long.

THREE DAYS after he left, the Kid sent me a text.

It was a picture of a quote by Sylvia Plath.

I took a deep breath and listened to the old brag of my heart: I am, I am, I am.

“Okay,” I said as I breathed and breathed and breathed. “Okay.”

5. Where Bear Has Bro-Time with Creed

“OH MAN, I am so glad you guys are here,” Creed said when he opened the door. “Anna’s on a warpath.”

“What did you do?” Otter asked, smacking his brother upside the head as he walked into their house.

“I didn’t do anything,” Creed said, glaring at his brother as he closed the door behind us.

“You got me pregnant,” Anna shouted from the kitchen.

“Well, yeah. There’s that,” Creed said as he took our coats and hung them in the hall closet. It was toward the end of September, and there was already a nasty bite to the air. He lowered his voice. “But seriously, thank you for coming. I’m hoping she’ll be a little nicer since we have company. JJ’s already escaped to Mom and Dad’s, so he’s the lucky one. I’m not even joking. It’s like my wife has been possessed by a demon. I’m worried she’s going to try and eat my face. It wasn’t like this at JJ’s six-month mark. It was all sex and crying, sometimes even at the same time.”

Otter and I both grimaced at him for that.

He rolled his eyes. “Whatever. You’re so lucky you’re gay. You get to impregnate a woman and then live elsewhere.”

“I heard that,” Anna said, appearing out of nowhere, causing all of us to jump.

“Meep,” Creed squeaked before flushing. “Hello, my love. You are looking radiant as usual.”

“Uh-huh. And I’m sure there are plenty of places you could go live if that’s what you want. Maybe Bear and Otter will take you in. Or you could go sleep on a park bench.”

“I like to walk around without much clothing on,” Otter said. “Probably not the best idea.”

“Ew,” Creed said.

“So awesome,” I said.

“I’d hit that,” Anna said.