*****
Three hours later, she saw the headlights of her mom’s car pull into the driveway. She turned down the TV. Earlier, she made a deal with Kayla and Colton that they could pick a movie if they took a bath. Now, they were both asleep on the couch beside her. Colton had started on the floor, but as he grew tired, he moved up to the couch and eventually snuggled into her left side. Kayla had snuggled to her right side throughout the movie.
Katelyn carefully slid herself out from their grips, making sure to position their bodies comfortably with pillows and blankets. She met her mom in the kitchen as she came in from the cold night. Her mom looked hunched over inside her baggy coat, her face flushed red from the damp air. She lifted her head in slight surprise as she saw Katelyn patiently leaning against the counter.
“Hey, what’s up?” she said in a soft voice both equally weak and concerned.
Katelyn let her mom put her purse on the dining room table. Katelyn didn’t answer right away, so her mom took off her coat. After she peaked around the corner to confirm Kayla and Colton’s sleeping bodies on the couch, she came back into the kitchen to head to the refrigerator. “Sierra in Brianna’s?” She didn’t look directly at Katelyn as she passed her, but could see her nod. “Jacob in the crib?” Again, Katelyn nodded. Her mom had to turn to see the answer, but Katelyn didn’t meet her gaze. “Jodi ever call?” Katelyn shook no. She waited for the question her mom was scared to ask, the one already answered by the mess sprawled on the lawn and the quiet of the house. But, her mom didn’t ask about her dad.
Her mom grabbed a kettle from under the stove and filled it with water from the sink. The rushing sound of water interrupted the silence of the room. “Want some hot chocolate?”
Katelyn couldn’t switch from the words she needed to say, the words burning in her throat, so she nodded instead. Her mom didn’t press her to speak. “I know I can nuke the water in the microwave, but there’s something so right in boiling and pouring from a kettle that makes a perfect cup of chocolate.” She stood in front of the stove for a moment after turning the burner to high. When she turned to Katelyn at her side, she crumpled when she saw her daughter’s torment.
Katelyn’s cheeks were wet and tears continued to pool over her cheeks and drop onto her sweater. When her mother reached her arm around her shoulder, a sob exploded out of Katelyn’s throat. Her next breath hurt and came out in the same sob. Her mom put her other arm around her, and Katelyn hung on while she cried until her cries ran out. They sank to the ground and sat embraced on the scratched linoleum, Katelyn leaning on her mom.
Pick-me-up Page 38