Carolina Wren

Chapter 6

Wren's POV

Part of me was starting to worry that I wouldn't see Sheila at all before time to go to the school. She had only made an appearance on Friday long enough to yell at me for letting the house be a wreck, eat what I had made for dinner, change, and walk right back out the door. It's not unusual for her to not come home on the weekends. In fact, I normally prefer it, but the longer it takes for me to ask her to take time off work, the worse it'll be.

Texting her to let her know that I needed to talk to her didn't work. She probably didn't even read it. Calling her would only make her angry. She hates it when we call her and distract her from the dream that she doesn't have four kids waiting at home.

It was now 10 PM on Sunday, the kids were in bed upstairs, and I was sitting on the couch trying to piece together a reasonable excuse for the school about why she wasn't there. Again. The house is still, like the calm before the storm. I'm not sure if it's my nerves or the impending explosion if Sheila does make it home tonight. The words on the page of the book in front of me hold no meaning and the couch provides no comfort.

Every noise makes me jump, wondering if it's her coming home. I had woken up Saturday morning full of anxious energy that had resulted in a completely clean house with all of our boxes finally put away. If I wasn't so concerned about my pacing and fidgeting waking up the kids, I'd probably still be a perpetual motion machine. As it is, I can't get myself to focus.

My mind kept wandering to Kota, wondering if he was awake. I glanced through the blinds but the inky sky gave away nothing. I couldn't get a glimpse of his house from this angle. I thumped back against the hard arm of the couch, a weird feeling in my chest as I considered liking him and his friends. It had been so long since I'd had friends that I had to strain to come up with a name, with a face. Probably Sarah from third grade. Not long after Dylan was born. I'd had to grow up then and hopes of relating to my classmates were left behind.

As uncomfortable as people, men in particular, usually made me, I had enjoyed having the seven of them around. Even North, who had made an effort to not act as terrifying as he looked. I wasn't ready to invite him around for dinner with no buffer, but I'd felt comfortable enough to leave Dylan outside with him there.

Dylan had been confident enough to let me go inside without him with North there.

And then there was Silas, going above and beyond to be a giant protector for my small brother. Nathan's patience in teaching him how to play, not making him struggle. Luke trying to ease my anxiety in the face of his own brother making me uneasy. Kota, Gabriel, and Victor all stepping in without any hesitation to help with Keegan and Juni. Kota and Victor in the middle of clear crying fits; Gabriel in the face of Keegan's shyness.

The last time anyone had made that much effort for me, my dad was still alive and teaching me how to ride a bike. These strangers march into my life and they don't even blink before helping.

That alone made me uneasy. I couldn't get used to that sort of behavior. They were nice to me because I was Kota's neighbor and apparently their mother's had raised them right. But, once school started, I couldn't hold them to this. Social dynamics would change in light of my inability to make friends at school. They wouldn't want to hang around toddlers every day and I couldn't leave them behind.

As soon as they realize my mother is psycho they'll run off, if nothing else.

I rubbed at my face and checked the digital clock on the cable box again. 10:30. I unfolded myself from the couch and crept upstairs to check on the kids. Juni was sleeping peacefully in my room. Keegan was in his inchworm position, snoring softly. Dylan was sitting up against his pillows, head tilted forward, book open on his lap, and his glasses threatening to fall off his nose.