Even Through the Storm

22. Double Date

The next day, I'm at the playground with my brothers. "Liam! You're it!" We are playing tag.

"No, you didn't touch me!"

"If I didn't touch you, then how are you on the ground?" I ask.

"I tripped on a rock." I help him up.

"Okay, I think it's time to go. I promised Ash that we'd meet him at the mall."

"Can we buy gum?" Ryan asks.

"Sure. I think I have a few quarters. Race you to the car!" I pick up Noah and walk over to the car. After they are all in their car seats, and they take forever to buckle, I drive to the mall, just in time for Ash's shift to end. We buy some gumballs from the machine, before going into Rad Threads. "Hey, Babe," I say, giving Asher a kiss when I see him.

"Hey. I got you something," he says, handing me a Rad Threads bag.

"Oh, what's this?" I take out a white t-shirt, with a fairy across the front.

"Just a hey-thanks-for-not-making-me-live-on-the-street gift."

"I love it, Thanks, Asher."

"Can I have a shirt?" Liam asks.

"No. I think this store's a little too big for you. And you already have that gumball."

"Fine."

"Let's go home."

***

The next day, Asher and I are in the car, driving to the movie theater. I'm wearing the shirt Asher got me yesterday. "I heard that the Gigantic is showing again," Asher says. "We could watch that and Fishies Two."

"Sure. You can never go wrong with classics. Or children's sequels about fish."

"So, what are we doing about food? Two popcorns?"

"Sure, But don't get two chocolate bars. Mix it up a little,"

"True." We park, buy our tickets and food and get into the first theater, which is showing Gigantic. By the end, both of us are crying our eyes out, and the salt-covered napkins we are using as tissues aren't helping either. "Why'd they have to die?" I cry when the lights come on. "The raft could've fit both of them!"

"Because now we are going to watch a movie about fish with short-term memory."

"Okay. But they still could've saved them!"

***

It's ten o'clock, and Asher is pulling up into the driveway. "I can't believe my dad actually let us do that," I say.

"Yeah, he's starting to really warm up to me. It's weird."

"He was warm before. Now it's just insane. Wanna' play Plummer Brothers?"

"Obviously" We walk inside. Cassie is on the couch, talking on the phone. We go downstairs and turn on the console. I grab a controller. "I'm going to beat you this time." I laugh,

"Sure." We play twelve games. I win each and every time. "You're gonna win, huh?" He kisses me.

"I am this time." He pushes me off the couch and presses play, By the time a sit back down, I'm fifteen seconds behind. He wins.

"Cheater!" I yell. He shushes me.

"Your brothers are sleeping! And we should be too. My mom is getting out tomorrow, and I need to find a place for her to stay."

"Ask my Dad if she can stay here. We have a guest room upstairs, or she could sleep down here with you. We could pull out the air mattress."

"What did I do to deserve you?" He asks, kissing me.

"Everything. I need to get to bed. I'm exhausted. See you in the morning."

"Okay. Goodnight. Love you Lo!"

"Love you too!"

It's a little after three, two days later, and Asher walks through the front door. "Where's your mom?" I ask Asher. We picked her up from the hospital yesterday. They just went back for a check-up. Ash sighs and sits down next to me.

"My mom bought an apartment. It's a few miles away. She said that we overstayed our welcome."

"But you didn't! You could never!"

"Lo, you, your parents and your three brothers are living here. Add me and my mom, that's eight people. Way too many. It's already six without us. And I can't stay here forever, Lo. You know that. I'm sorry."

"When do you leave?"

"I'm going to start packing up now."

"I'll help."