Page 20 of Unbearable

“Look at what I drew,” he corrected, taking the paper.

“Drewed. It’s you, me, and Momma. Do you like it?”

“I love it. Can we put it on the fridge when we get home?”

“Yeah. Oh, and I drewed Uncle Knox one too, and Uncle Memphis one.” Fox debated trying to explain that they weren’this uncles but decided it could wait a little longer. So far, they were the only uncles in his life. He could do worse than Knox and Memphis.

“That’s really nice. We’ll send your pictures to them.”

They walked to the truck where Fox pulled the booster car seat out of his toolbox in the bed. Ethan waited patiently while he was securely belted into the passenger seat. His small backpack and lunch box were deposited on the floor at his feet.

“Where’s Momma?” he asked when Fox reached for the ignition.

“She had to work late.” The text had said nothing about what she was doing. He had tried calling her, but it went straight to voicemail. It wasn’t the first time that she had gone out without so much as an explanation.

What bothered him was it was happening more and more. He wanted to confide his fears to Bailey, that Brooke was seeing someone else, but he had already crossed a line by admitting he wished things were different.

“Can we have pizza?” the small voice broke into his thoughts.

“Sure, buddy.”

“Can we invite Aunt Dover?”

“We can ask. She might still be at work, though.” He pulled over in the parking lot, fished out his phone and texted his sister. She agreed to come almost immediately. “She said she’ll meet us there.”

“Yay!” Ethan cheered. Fox wondered how someone produced by two toxic people could have such a sweet, loving spirit. It was one more reminder why he couldn’t simply walk away from Brooke no matter how much he wanted to.

They arrived at the small pizza restaurant first and found a booth near the back. He ordered them both water while they waited. It wasn’t the best pizza in town, but there was a small arcade in a room off the main dining room that Ethan loved.After eating, Fox would let him play a few games before going home.

Ten minutes later, Dover pushed through the front door followed by the giant. She stomped over to their table and slid into the opposite side of the booth. Knox wedged himself beside her.

“I thought you were heading home?” Fox asked.

“Decided I’d hang around for a few more days instead. See Boston,” Knox replied.

“So you’re like a bad penny.”

“More like gum you can’t get off the bottom of your shoe,” Dover groused.

“Your sister is very bitchy,” Knox said, rolling his eyes.

“She grows on you,” Fox answered.

“Like fungus,” he agreed.

“Speaking of, where’s Brooke?” Dover asked.

“Momma is working,” Ethan answered. Fox made quotations with his fingers.

“Where does she work?” Knox asked.

“At a spa not far from Ethan’s preschool. She’s a massage therapist. It’s how we met. I pulled a couple of muscles in my back on a job and went in to see if they could be worked out. Brooke was my therapist. She gave me her number before I left. I called the next day.” He was interrupted when the waitress arrived.

“When did they move in?” Knox asked after they placed their order.

“Probably three or four months later.”

“Way too fast if you ask me,” Dover added.