T h e F o r g o t t e n

C h a p t e r F o u r t e e n

© Amber Kalkes 2014

Song: "Run" By Daughter

C h a p t e r F o u r t e e n >

“Mama!”

Robin catches Charlie has he comes barreling down the hallway to jump into her arms. Holding him close she inhales his smell as he does the same. To him it’s probably a wolf thing but for her, well she’s always just loved how he smells. Maybe it’s a mom thing.

“Hey, Button. Did you have fun?”

Charlie nods excitedly. “Yeah! Uncle Gabe took me on the four-wheeler! It was so fun, mama!”

Moving her gaze to Gabe who is rubbing the back of his neck nervously. He knows she doesn’t like it when he takes Charlie on the four-wheeler without asking her. Realizing he was most likely on gag order until further notice she lets it slide right now but she will get her revenge later.

“That does sound fun. Maybe I’ll come with next time.”

“You can’t! Only boys can go on them!”

Lifting a brow she looks at her son, “Really? Faith rides them all the time and she’s not a boy.”

“Yes she is.” Charlie responds with a straight face.

“No I’m not!” Faith yells from somewhere deeper in the house.

“See?”

Charlie folds his arms over his chest and shakes his head, “Gabe said she was like a boy so it was okay. You’re not like a boy, mama.”

“What does that even mean?” Robin groans at Gabe.

Gabe shrugs his shoulders, “He kept going on and on about how Faith was going to get hurt. I had to tell him something so I said she was tough and fought like a boy so she was tough enough to ride the four-wheeler.”

“Real nice.” She drawls with an eye roll. “I’m so going to have your head on a platter later.”

“You can try.” He grins.

“I love your family.” Luke chuckles in her ear making her shiver.

“Luke!” Charlie screams right in her ear making her flinch back at the sheer volume. Charlie shifts around trying to get to Luke until Luke takes him in his arms. “Luke, I wanted to come to dinner too!”

“Maybe next time, kiddo.”

“Okay!” Charlie grins.

“Is that you Robin?” Grace calls out.

Rolling her eyes at how her family comes crawling out of the walls like termites she clears her throat and yells back. “Yeah, Luke’s with me too.”

“Of course he is!”

Putting Charlie’s feet back on the ground she starts moving towards the direction of Grace’s voice. Eventually she finds her in her buttercup living room sitting on the couch doing cross-stitching. Grace looks up over her thin-framed glasses and grins as she pulls a blue thread through on a needle.

“Well hello there, darling.”

“Hey.” Robin nods, “Is Dad here?”

Grace shakes her head, “Not yet. Him and Richie had a last minute emergency. He’ll be here in a little bit though. Did you have breakfast?”

“Yeah, Luke made some bacon and toast.”

“No eggs?”

Robin shrugs, “Apparently not.”