Don't Bet on It

Chapter 16

I woke up to the sun peeking through the Venetian blinds. Deena woke up soon after I did, and we went downstairs to get some breakfast. Mom and Jenna were still asleep in the living room, but I couldn't see Laura. I heard someone moving around it the kitchen and went to go investigate.

We walked in and saw Laura facing away from me, making waffles. They smelled good.

She turned around and saw us. Smiling, she said "Good morning."

We smiled back. "Morning," we murmured sleepily.

She turned back to the griddle. "Hungry?"

"Yup," I replied, nodding.

"Good. I think I made too much batter. You guys might be having waffles for a while."

I laughed. "I don't consider that a problem."

Laura started humming something as she took the finished waffle off the griddle and poured more batter on.

I figured Emma probably wasn't back yet, considering it was only about ten. Deena and I sat down at the kitchen table. "How long have you been awake?" I asked.

Laura shrugged. "I don't remember. I don't think it's been more than thirty minutes, though." She was still wearing what she'd slept in – sweatpants and a loose sweatshirt.

I tried picturing her in a wedding dress marrying my dad. She looked beautiful. Picturing Dad in a tux, however, was a bit of a challenge. He almost never wore fancy clothes, and I was half expecting him to show up to the wedding in jeans and a T-shirt.

"There are some finished ones if you want to eat now," Laura was saying, gesturing toward a plate with a stack of waffles on it.

I pulled two plates and some silverware out and got the butter and syrup out of the fridge. Deena and I each picked up a waffle and tried it.

Let me tell you, my stepmom can make good waffles.

When Laura's back was to us, Deena gave me a thumbs-up. I nodded.

* * *

"What should we bring?" I asked Emma, standing in her doorway. "Just what we need for the week?"

Emma shrugged. "I guess."

I went back to my room and stared at my empty duffle bag. It was zebra print, and my favorite suitcase-type bag. Mom had gotten it for my birthday last year, and looking at it just reminded me of how treacherous it felt to leave her.

I sat down at my desk and made a check-list. Seven changes of clothes. Pajamas. Toothbrush. Toothpaste. Floss. I put the list down and stared at the wall. It felt like I was packing for a trip, only this was a trip I'd take every other week in the same town.

I sighed and finished making the list. Then I packed my bag.

Emma and I left a little after three after getting about a thousand hugs and kisses from Mom. She also went over the route with both of us like five times, with me just in case Emma forgot it. We piled our bags in the backseat and climbed into the car. Emma put the top down on the car. She started singing something, and I joined in. We pulled into Laura's driveway and Emma put the top back down.

We grabbed our duffle bags and walked up the front walk. Dad opened the door when we knocked. He smiled. "Hi girls."

We walked up the stairs to our rooms. I pulled my clothes out of my bag and put them in the white-painted dresser in my room. Everything was white – the bedsheets, the walls, the vanity. The color practically blinded me. I wasn't going to change it, though.

The only thing missing was a desk. I could probably find a white one somewhere.

I looked up to see Emma standing in my doorway. "What?"

She shrugged. "I donno. I'm bored. Do you wanna go swimming?"

I shook my head. "Not really."

"Okay." She looked around. "Well, I'm gonna go finish my homework."

"Good idea," I replied. "Me too."

I spent the rest of the day doing my homework and laughing at memes Eric was sending me. He was so sweet. He knew I was probably having a bad day, and he was trying to make me feel better.

I think I was falling in love with the kid.