Inferno Part 3

~40~ Zoe

Hi guys! I've heard you! Many of you have been DYING for a different POV so we can see Jake as a dad... I'm starting with Zoe! I have a fun storyline, so the next couple chapters are for you 😘😘

Zoe's POV

Life was hard for Ethan and me. We never knew our parents. We never had any other family, so we were always bounced from one foster family to the next. We always tried to be good and make them like us, but for whatever reason, we never did good enough.

It's probably because I'm a nerd. Nobody wants nerdy kids, they want the pretty and athletic kids. I'm not. I hide behind people during gym, and I'm definitely not pretty. I have huge glasses, a gap between my two front teeth, and freckles.

My favorite thing in the world is science....and reading...but mostly science....reading about science is the best of both worlds.

It wasn't until we moved in with Jake and Sarah that we found home. Found happiness. I never had a dog before, and now we have Happy, and it's the best thing ever.

"Zoe, do you want tuna fish or peanut butter in your lunch today?" Mom asks with a grin.

"Tuna fish," I say as I put my homework in the designated spot and double check that I haven't creased any of the pages in my book.

"Yuck." Dad jokes as he comes down the stairs and pulls me into a bear hug. He's pretty grumpy in the mornings, but he tries his best not to be with us.

He sniffs and rubs his eyes, trying to wake up.

"Don't EVEN tell me I forgot to set the damn coffee pot last night," he grumbles.

Mom shakes her head. "No. It's not working."

"Are you trying to tell me that I have to be nice to people without coffee?"

Mom laughs. "Zoe, can you run over to Mason's and see if he has any made yet? He makes amazing coffee, and dad needs an extra jolt this morning."

I smile as I go over. I love going from house to house all the time. It's so much fun.

I go in without knocking, and Sasha and Mason are trying to get ready. Drew is at the table eating Cheerios.

"Hi Zoe! I get to play with Happy today while you're in school," Drew grins.

I smirk. "Just don't let her out again."

Drew shakes his head seriously. "I won't. Uncle Jake spanks really hard."

Mason laughs and kisses Drew's blonde curls.

"What's up, Zoe?" He grins.

"The coffee pot broke and dad is panicked. Any chance you have any extra coffee?"

Mason takes a bite out of his bagel and nods, going over to the cabinet to get out a tumbler.

He pours it full and hands it to me. "If he needs more, he's got a key. I won't dump it out this morning."

"I'll tell him. Thanks," I smile as I leave.

I go back over and give dad his coffee.

"I love a girl that brings me coffee," he smirks as he kisses my head.

He takes a big gulp and nods. "This is good. What does he do differently?"

Mom shakes her head. "Ellie told me he's a huge coffee snob. When they lived with them, Mason insisted on buying this fancy coffee. Ellie didn't complain, because it was so good. Taylor still grumbles about it. He wants Mason to move back in so they can have the good coffee again."