Happier

Chapter Four

Lin sat at the kitchen table Monday morning nervously tapping his heel as he stared at his laptop. Evie and Stella had just had their first night at their place. He wanted badly for them to feel at home and be comfortable. It sounded like they deserved a heavy dose of normalcy.

Yesterday he'd gone grocery shopping and picked up some of the items the girls had requested. He'd been up early that morning, unable to sleep in much, and everyone else had yet to make an appearance.

His own bedroom door opened and his beautiful girlfriend emerged in her silk bathrobe. Even in the morning she looked perfect. In fact, this was how he liked her best. No makeup, dressed casually, and bleary eyes. He got up and went to the coffee maker to start a brew for her.

"Morning," she said quietly, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"Morning," he replied, grasping her arm gently and tugging her to him before she could escape. She giggled as he caught her other arm and guided them to drape over his shoulders. He smirked and then leaned in to give her a real kiss. She returned it fervently.

Unlike him, she functioned perfectly well without coffee. She was a morning person. After another kiss she moved easily around the kitchen, grabbing her usual Cheerios and banana.

"I bought pancake mix," he told her. "Do you think I should start some? Or are they gonna sleep for a while?"

Illinois was an hour behind New York which would account for a bit, but Pippa didn't really know her sisters' sleeping habits. It made her feel kind of bad again, not being involved in her sisters' lives. Not even enough to know if they liked pancakes.

"I don't know, Lin," she said honestly, getting emotional. "I have no idea what they like."

Lin was surprised to see Pippa getting so upset over something so minute. He gently grabbed her upper arms and pulled her to him. "Hey, hey," he said soothingly as she cried softly. "Don't worry. We're all just figuring this out together, okay?"

Pippa nodded into his shoulder, trying to compose herself. "I'm sorry," she said. "It's just I feel like I've been a terrible sister. I knew my parents were abusive and I should've done more."

Lin pulled his girlfriend back, tipping her chin up to look him in the eyes. "Hey. No one's blaming you. The only people to blame are your mom and dad."

"But I should've-"

"No," Lin cut her off firmly. "You have your own life and it wasn't your responsibility. Sounds like you were lucky to get away yourself."

Lin still wanted to talk to Pippa about her childhood but wanted to wait for the right time. It was obviously a delicate subject.

"Pippa?" a small voice hesitantly asked from the corner. They both turned to see Stella peeking out from the hallway.

"Yeah, sweetheart?" Pippa asked.

"Umm...where are the towels?"

Pippa stepped around, smiling at her baby sister. She showed her the hallway closet and then the trick to the shower before leaving her. Meanwhile, Lin started mixing the batter for pancakes.

Evie walked out a few minutes later and went straight for the coffee maker. Lin quirked an eyebrow as he cooked. "You drink coffee?"

Evie nodded as she poured a cup. She used tons of sugar but the caffeine punch was worth it.

"Want chocolate chips in your pancakes?" he offered.

"Oh," she looked at the pan and smelled it. She almost wanted to give in but her parents' words automatically popped up in her head. She was getting too big. She still needed to lose weight. "No thanks. I'm not hungry."