Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 101524 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 508(@200wpm)___ 406(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101524 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 508(@200wpm)___ 406(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
“Ready to move in.” She smiles. “The kids are tired of bouncing from rental to rental, and I can admit it’s wearing on me, too.”
“Just a couple more days and you’ll be all settled in.” I lead them towards the double front door of their seven-thousand-square-foot mini mansion. When I unlock the door, I open it and step aside so that they can enter before me. The house is beautiful and fully custom with all the fancy tech upgrades my brothers are known for. “How about we start in the kitchen?” I begin turning on the lights while they poke their heads into the rooms we pass.
“Sounds good.” Dr Birney says, putting down his stuff on the island in the kitchen while I unpack what I’ll need, including their new iPad that I will program all their smart devices into, while they put all the apps into their phones.
As we are upstairs in the main bedroom programming the blinds, my cell phone starts to ring from my back pocket. Taking it out I frown at the screen.
“Sorry, I need to take this, it’s my...” I hesitate. “Daughter’s school.”
“Sure,” Mrs. Birney says before I walk away with my phone. Going into the hallway, I answer the call.
“Hello, Miss Mayson this is Lisa, the school nurse, at Smyreville Elementary. I’m calling to let you know that Zuri had an accident at recess.”
“What kind of accident?” I ask as a knot forms in the pit of my stomach.
“She tumbled down the slide and landed pretty hard in the mulch. She has a few scrapes, but nothing is broken, and she seems to be okay.”
“I’m sorry, she tumbled down the slide?” How does that even happen?
“Yes, she said that she and some friends were playing tag, and she was pushed a little too hard, and she ended up falling down the slide.”
“Can I speak with her?”
“Sure, one second,” she says, and the line goes quiet, then Zuri comes on the line.
“Hello.”
“Hey, are you okay?”
“Yes,” she whispers, and I frown. I’m not sure if she sounds scared or upset. I do know she doesn’t sound right.
“Are you sure? Do we need to go to the doctor?”
“I’m okay,” she repeats in that same quiet whisper.
“Zuri.”
“I’m okay, Namalama.”
“Who pushed you?”
“I… I don’t know.” I don’t know why, but something about the way she hesitated tells me that she's lying.
“Zuri, did someone push you on purpose?”
“Can I go back to class?” she asks instead of answering my question, which does nothing to lessen the worry I’m already feeling.
“Let me talk to the nurse.”
“Miss Mayson.”
“Hey, I’m going to come pick her up and take her to the doctor just to make sure that she’s okay.”
“I’ve checked her ov…”
“I’ll be there in thirty minutes,” I cut her off.
“Of course,” she says, and I say goodbye before hanging up.
“Is everything alright?” Mrs. Birney asks when I walk back into the bedroom.
“I’m sorry, no, I need to get over to the school.”
“That’s okay.” Dr. Birney tells me. “I think we were just about done anyway, and I’m sure that with the help of your notes, we can figure everything else out when we move in.”
“Thank you.” I let out a sigh of relief; some clients would not be as nice or as understanding as they are. After we all gather our things from the kitchen, they follow me outside, and I lock up the house, keeping the key to give to the closing officer along with the iPad. The closing is officially happening tomorrow, so that’s when everything will be handed over to them. “Monday, when you’re all moved in, I’ll come over and check on you guys and help with anything that you haven’t been able to figure out.”
“Thank you, Nalia, and I hope your daughter is okay.”
“Thanks,” I call over my shoulder as I jog to my Bronco.
As I’m backing out of the driveway, I hit call on Logan’s number.
“Hey, baby, how did…”
“I’m on my way to pick up Zuri.” I cut him off then explain about the call from the school and that I’m worried about her because she sounded off.
“I’ll call the principal to see if she can check the video footage from the playground to see exactly what happened,” he tells me, rather than making me feel like I’m overreacting.
“Thank you.”
“Let me know when you got her.”
“I will.”
“Love you.”
“Love you, too.” While I’m hanging up with him my phone starts to ring again. I half expect it to be the school but instead it’s a call from Colorado.
I don’t want to answer, but guilt and fear has me accepting the call.
“Hello, this is a call from…” An animated voice comes on, then it goes to Sharon’s voice. “Sharon Herbert, an inmate from Colorado correctional facility, would you like to accept?”
“Yes.” I hold my breath while my stomach twists. It’s been a few weeks since my attorney began gathering everything that she would need to terminate Sharon’s parental and visitation rights, and I totally forgot that she would be sending the information to Sharon this week, until this moment.