Living With The Wheeler Boys

Chapter XVII

"Eli. It's a baby kitten." I mutter picking it up and walking it outside.

"Oh. Kitten. It's still ugly enough to be a rat." Eli sighed in relief.

"Mommy why can't we feed the kitties anymore?" I asked her.

"Because honey we are struggling as it is. We can't save everything."

"But it's not fair to them. It's not their fault that they're homeless."

"I know honey but the worlds like that sometimes. Sometimes life is unfair." She whispered.

"Erika?" Katie whispered making me come back again.

"Hmm?" I hummed.

"Is everything ok?" She asked.

"Yeah. Everything's fine." I smiled at her this time.

"You seem to be a little out of things. Ever since you walked into this house." She said rubbing my back.

"Just trying to register everything again. I'm gonna clean up around here. I didn't think it was this messy." I whispered.

"Ok honey." She nodded.

I picked up the multiple empty bottles of empty beers and put them in a box. I picked it up and took it to the trash outside in the alley but before I was able to do that the doorbell rang.

I sighed and put the box down to answer the door.

"I'll get it!" Eli screamed and he opened the door before I could get to it.

"Who are you?" Eli said looking at the figure in the doorway.

"Charles." He smiled at Eli. "Who are you?" He got down to his level and stared at him.

"Charles what are you doing here?" I asked.

"Erika." Charles smiled widely. "Back so soon?" He asked.

"Yeah. I guess you could say that. Now what are you doing here?" I asked.

"I was walking by and noticed your lights on. I was making sure no one broke in considering the fact that you live in a tight part of the city." He said smiling at me.

I've always hated Charles even during my time with his son. He was a nightmare. I constantly felt as if I was being stalked by him. He was a strange man.

"Well thank you for checking up on the house. I need to get going now." He stopped the door from closing with his foot.

He always pushed his way through life. Jack never really talked about him or even wanted me to meet his dad for months of us being together and then one day I met him by accident. A place I worked, a coffee shop two blocks away from my house. Jack was visit me and apparently his dad followed.

I was going table my table giving them what they wanted.

"Thank you so much deary." An old lady grinned widely at me and looked back at her book.

"My pleasure." I grinned.

The elderly were my favorite about the coffee shop because they were the most kind. They didn't grump about coffee not being ready when others wanted it to be. They mostly forgot about time while others around them rushed time.

I was cleaning off the front counter when Jack walked in.

"Babe." Jack said holding a dozen roses.

I smiled at him. "You didn't have too." I said softly.

"But I did. It's our six month anniversary. Six months of being with someone worth wild. Thank you for loving me." He was also holding a letter behind those roses.