North Road {HS}

9. Kitty

I can't remember the last time I wasn't angry. Some days it's just this dull weight living at the bottom of my gut and other days I think it might consume me.

It's funny, not funny really, but amusing because no one seems to notice and maybe that's what I'm waiting for. Someone to notice my aching feet, my aching head, my aching heart so that I can let it all go.

So I just smiled a reassuring smile at Marjorie and told her it wasn't a matter of if Art is coming home but when and went back to my chores.

I busied myself with dinner preparations until I felt a tug at my skirts.

"Kit Kat?" the little girl asked, "May I help?"

I looked down at Lottie who was running a chubby hand over red eyes.

"Why of course dear," I smiled down at her,

"And where is your brother?"

"With Grammy Winslow," she informed me as she pulled a stool over to stand on.

"Maybe we should go check on them?" I suggested.

Lottie nodded eagerly so we walked hand in hand to the staircase in the back of the house and to my mother's room. I peaked my head in to see little Roy curled up to mother's side snoring while she stared at him happily.

"We're here to tell this little one that his dinner is ready and to see how Grammy Winslow is doing," I smiled at the pair. Sights like those helped to alleviate some of that ache I felt.

My mother's face turned serious suddenly, "Don't wake the boy if he is waking up fatherless. I heard there was news."

"The child is not fatherless," I explained, "There has just been a mix up. Art will probably show up at our door any day now."

She nodded warily as if she was trying her best to believe my statement.

"Alright," she sighed and she began patting his back and cooing, "Time to wake up, little boy."

"Dinner's ready!" Lottie exclaimed to her half asleep brother as he stretched himself out and yawned.

"I wanna stay wiv Gwammy Winswow," he complained.

My mother chuckled before speaking to him quietly, "But you must go down and eat, Roy. Because if you don't eat and get strong you will be stuck in a bed like me all day and you wouldn't like that would you?"

With that realization Roy jumped up from his spot on the bed and reached for me to help him out.

"I hungy now!"

With his hand in mine he jumped from the bed and began tugging me out of the room. I turned to look at my mother over my shoulder.

"I have food for you too," I said, "I'll bring it up."

She smiled, nodded, and watched us go like so many things in her life. Sweet little Lottie waved goodbye as she went.

Downstairs I helped the two young ones wash up before returning to the kitchen for their dinner. Marjorie had enough on her plate with the twins and now Art so she sometimes slipped downstairs at mealtime to be alone with them.

To my surprise the only other person seated in the kitchen was Harry. He looked up from the book in his lap after hearing us enter and watched quietly as I served the children up before clearing his throat.

"Mind if I eat with you guys?"

"Of course," I smiled politely, "where are the others?"

"Your father and brothers are at the church meeting and Pierce and Adelaide are out on a walk to comfort each other," he said with one eye brow cocked.

"I don't appreciate the implications," I scoffed, "but it sounds like Adelaide... Roy, sit on your bottom and I will cut up your potatoes."

"Mistew Hawwy help me?" he asked looking between me and the man he was seated next to.

"Just let me do it, Darling," I said, "See Lottie let me cut hers."

I didn't dare look up for fear Harry was upset.

"I don't mind," he offered reaching for Roy's plate and using his own fork and knife to cut the boys meal.

"What do you say?" I asked breathing a sigh of relief, but still I didn't look up.

"Fank you," said Roy before tucking into his meal with his fork held in his fist awkwardly.

We sat in relative quiet apart from the happy chatter of Lottie and Roy.

"You going to the dance next week?" Harry surprised me once again by asking.

"I'm not sure," I shrugged, "I might. I'm sure Adelaide will."

"You should," he said through a bite of potato.

I raised an eye brow at him, "I'll think about it."

"I'll have you know. I was quite the dancer back home."

I swear there was a grin growing on his face and if I wasn't so focused on Roy's food making it from his plate to his mouth I might even say the twinkle beginning to play in his eye was handsome.

I decided my best action would be to ignore it and excuse the children to wash up.

"Oh, and Kitty..."

This time I was sure there was a grin and that twinkle in his green eyes was playing the piano in my stomach when I turned back to look at him.

"You're doing a hell of a job here."
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Your girl updated two days in a row. Hope you liked them. Idk if notifications are working for this story (to the five of you who read it, haha).

Also, question: Does anyone like poetry?

Also, me rn dealing with the stress of working 24/7 and prepping for an international move:

Love to you all.