In My Blood

Chapter 5

Chapter Playlist:
My Church by Maren Morris
Tailgate by Raelynn
Southbound by Carrie Underwood
Meant to Be by Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line

X.x

The sun was bright in the sky, and it was already hot and humid this early. At six am for it to be this hot, it meant for sure a scorcher was ahead.

This was Renae's fourth day at her new job, working the early morning shift at the coffee shop in the small town. It wasn't bad; not ideal, but not the worst thing by far, plus it was money.

It was the fourth day at work, that meant it was the fifth day since she'd started staying with the Hewitt's. Luda Mae wouldn't take any money for letting her stay there, and neither would anyone else when she tried to bribe them behind Mae Mae's back on multiple occasions. You're family, they all told her, cut that shit out. Well, they all said that but Tommy, who just rolled his eyes and turned away from her. It made her feel appreciated, which she hadn't known the solace of in quite some time.

After she'd stayed that fateful night at the Hewitt house, things had gotten better for her mentally, and environmentally. The next morning after she'd slept in the guest bedroom she loved with the large window, Uncle Hoyt had driven her back to the diner to get her car started. To her immediate surprise, Tommy had gone with them for the car ride. While Hoyt had used the police cruiser to help jump start old Rusty, Tommy had waited in the back of the police cruiser. She could've laughed - he looked like he was sardined in as tightly as he could be, hunched over his knees like a large old man. After that, Hoyt had instructed her to lead them back to Mark's house, and he would help her with her stuff so they could take it back to their house. She'd almost cried again with happiness - they actually wanted her to stay with them. She was wanted somewhere; she belonged somewhere. When they'd arrived at Mark's house, his car was not there, so Renae hadn't wanted to have him come home and find out that her stuff (and herself) were not there without her telling him in person. And thanking him in person - she owed him far too much to leave like that. She told Hoyt and Tommy that most of her stuff was at her father's house. She'd been biding her time, trying to wait for a time when he wouldn't be there so she could collect her stuff. She didn't want him to cross her path ever again - not after how horribly he'd treated her in a time when she'd needed him most.

She had cried when Uncle Hoyt had told her that he and Tommy would go grab what she needed from there - he told her that was why Tommy had gone along, to help carry stuff. Tearfully, she'd agreed, finding some paper and a pen in Mark's kitchen and writing up a list of things she would majorly need.

After that point, she'd given them the list and when they'd driven off, she'd cleaned herself up and debated waiting for Mark or just driving back to the Hewitt house. In the end she just decided to drive back to the place she would now be staying - her present home.

Her day, after finding out that Tommy and Uncle Hoyt hadn't even ended up running into her father upon getting her stuff, had just kept getting better. She'd received a call back from the coffee shop telling her she was hired on the spot. For now it would be under the table, but it was a hell of a lot better than nothing, plus it would be steady hours since they were hurting for someone to cover the morning shift.

Now she was starting up the coffee machines, making sure tables were clean, heating up the espresso maker. It was quiet at the moment - she hadn't yet cranked the country music station on the radio. She was reveling in this calm. In the monotony of her current living situation. She was content - had been since the first night she'd spent in the Hewitt house. There were certain things it would take a while to get used to, of course. It was a completely new environment, but a good change that improved her whole being. The Hewitt house was a bit farther out of town than her dad's house had been, but she was okay with the adjustments she had to make in regards to the drive. As long as her mind was settling, she could handle anything.