Page 105 of Structure of Love

Shaking off the thought, I focused on Cooper. “Speaking of, you good?”

“Yeah. I’m achy but okay.”

“Good. I’m heading over to Logan’s, but I’ll put the food on the table first. There’s leftovers for you.”

Cooper followed me into the kitchen. “I heard from Logan that his little sis escaped her parents today. Everything go okay?”

Look at him, actually thinking of other people. Where had this empathy been hiding? “Went fine. Zar stepped in to help.”

“Oh. Cool.”

“Want me to bring you back some cake, if there’s any left?”

“I’ll never turn down cake, Bro.”

“Figured. Call if you need me.”

He waved me on, already poking at the dishes on the table.

I left for Logan’s, and for once, I felt pretty optimistic about my future. A cool wind of change was blowing, and I was more than relieved to feel it.

Gage: Just so you’re all aware I went no contact with Mom today

Asher: WHOA

Zar: Second the WHOA

Cohen: I’m proud of you, man

Riggs: Me too. Can I ask what the last straw was?

Gage: I told her I wouldn’t trust her without her getting sober and some therapy. She demanded an apology for that before stomping off. It just made it clear, she won’t change. And I’m tired of her drama

Asher: Good for you. Let me know if you need to vent, tho

Gage: Thanks, Ash

33

Logan

Erin’s birthday party turned into an all-day affair, but it was great. People swung by to deliver presents and congratulate her on the escape, including some of Gage’s friends. Asher and Erin hit it off pretty quickly, for some reason, and before I knew it, a shopping trip was scheduled.

Better him than me.

Gage did tell me quietly that his mom had shown up to the house, again. But that Cooper hadn’t let her in. And they’d both agreed to go no contact with her. I was sad for him, because being forced into that position with parents was shitty as hell. I’d know. But I was proud of him for cutting that toxicity out of his life, too. It did seem to be the day for it. Erin, Cooper, and Gage had all found a way out of the drama, and I was very, very happy for them.

When people filed out, it left me with a little sister I loved but didn’t know super well. She’d been tiny when I left the house, and we’d hardly seen each other in person since. We’d have to figure out house rules and chore charts, but that was for anotherday. Erin and I had been through enough today, and it was fine to just let the weekend pass.

It also felt weird to have someone living in my house. To wake up to the sounds of a shower going. To see hair products and stuff on the bathroom vanity that weren’t mine.

We had some prep to do still, as Erin started school rather soon, so we had school supplies, new clothes, and a car to shop for and only a week to do it all in. I felt the urgency for sure, especially since Erin was replacing an entire wardrobe. Although Grandma planned to help with all the shopping, thankfully.

I was pretty busy on Saturday just making sure Erin was all set up and ready to go, but I managed to talk to her about a car. I’d been saving up some cash so she could get her own vehicle—something we’d both prefer over me chauffeuring her everywhere.

I’d turned her loose with some guidelines on what to look for in a car and how much she could spend, expecting the hunt to take a minute or two. Especially since she’d gone to get her hair cut, as threatened. She came back that same afternoon with a short hairstyle she informed me was a pixie cut. It looked great on her, but the best part of it was the way she’d touch her hair and grin, as if delighted all her long hair was gone.

I’d assumed Sunday would be a settling in period. Instead, Sunday morning my sister bounced in with a hopeful look in the middle of my coffee time.