Page 4 of As the Years Pass

I nod, then move past him to go out the back door. Today is not the day to meet those guys. They’re rowdy and don’t hold back. I can’t handle a roasting tonight.

“Hey, Emmet?” I stop and turn, raising a brow. “I’ll tell them tonight. This way, you can leave through the front door. That alley is kind of creepy.”

I chuckle. “Thanks, Pete. Have a good night.”

“You too,” he says, and then I leave to head to a house that is as empty as I am.

Chapter Two

Adam

“Come on, guys! We have to go or we’re going to be late,” I call out from the bathroom as I straighten my tie in the small mirror.

A loud screech has me flinching, and I rush into my daughter’s room to see what’s wrong.

“What? What’s going on?” I ask, my heart pounding, the adrenaline preparing me to fight off someone who’s broken in.

She looks at me furiously. “I am not a guy!”

Judy puts her little fists on her hips.

I groan. “I thought something was wrong.”

“Something is wrong.” She stomps her foot with way too much attitude for a seven-year old. “I am not a boy.”

“Okay, I’m sorry. Sheesh.”

I head down the hall to Ian’s room and find him sitting on the floor, playing with his cars.

“Ian, buddy, what are you doing?” I ask, trying not to sound annoyed, but I’ve already told him twice that he needs to put things away so we can leave. “We have to go.”

“Cars.”

“Yes, I see that, but we have to leave. Where is your backpack?”

“Backpack.”

I sigh, looking around his room. He’s been doing this new thing lately where he hides his backpack, thinking he can’t leave without it. One of these days he’s going to learn the hard way. I can’t find his backpack anywhere, so that day may be today.

“We’re leaving in five minutes. If you don’t have your backpack, we have to go without it.”

He ignores me, smashing his cars together and making an explosion sound.

I gather my things quickly, making sure I have my cell, ID, and my briefcase with my laptop.

“Okay, let’s go, gu—I mean,kids! Kiddos. Princess and prince, or whatever else you want me to call you.”

Judy comes trotting out of her room, her dark hair in lopsided pigtails. She’s wearing a dark purple frilly skirt with striped purple leggings and a white T-shirt.

“Thank you, Daddy.”

“Of course, sweetheart.” I kiss the top of her head before calling out, “Ian, let’s go!” I put my hand on Judy’s shoulder. “Go wait by the door.”

I check my watch. If we don’t leave right now, I’m going to miss my flight. I hurry into Ian’s room. He’s crouching down on the floor, trying to stuff more cars into his backpack. Of course he found it.

“Buddy, we have to go.”

“Cars.”