Free Forevermore by Lynn Galli Page B

she was afraid that if she decided on an activity that only she liked, we’d have a reason to make her leave.
    “Rollerblading,” she said, and while she knew it was one of my favorite things to do, it had become one of her favorites, too.
    “Rad! Can Hank come with us?” Caleb asked his mom and ran toward the phone as soon as she gave her usual nod. “Livy, phone for you,” he called out from the kitchen. We all stared at each other because we hadn’t heard the phone ring and no one had ever called for Olivia.
    She cautiously made her way over to the phone. I tried not to listen in on her private conversation, but it was plucking my curiosity to know who called. Briony seemed to be leaning toward the conversation as well.
    “Hi, Eden.”
    My heart pumped faster. I’d never have guessed that seeing my child so happy would transfer that happiness to me. She finally had a friend in her own class. Sure, she knew some of the kids to talk to them, but when I used to listen to her day, I’d want to strangle some of the kids at her school.
    I stepped up to her and whispered, “Does Eden want to come with us?”
    Her eyes popped. She looked grateful that she could invite her friend and relieved that she didn’t have to ask permission to make the offer.
    Briony stopped beside me, gesturing for the phone. “We need to ask her mom first.”
    “Dad,” I corrected, remembering Eden’s situation. Since our first meeting, we’d learned a little more about her divorced parents and her mom’s overseas executive job that didn’t give her much time with the kids. For a girl who didn’t see her mom often, she was terribly well adjusted. Her dad must be a super parent.
    Briony nodded and told Olivia, “Her dad has to say it’s okay, and I want to hear it from him.”
    This was where Briony’s extra practice as a parent came in handy. It didn’t occur to me that we’d need to make sure he was okay with her joining us today. I knew how careful we’d be with her, but of course, he didn’t know us yet so this step would be important. I’d learned a lot about parenting from Briony and everything about being part of a family from her. To see Olivia feeling secure, Caleb eager and ready, and Briony happy and serene, I’d gladly give up my once relaxed Saturdays and so much more.
     

M / 11
    One hour into gardening, the kids were ready to quit. Caleb and Hank were already complaining and Olivia looked wiped out. We’d gotten up early so that we could get this yard work done before the heat of late May overwhelmed us. It wasn’t how I wanted to spend my last weekend before spring semester ended either, but Lucille needed this done and we were five able-bodied people who could do it.
    “It’s so hot,” Caleb whined.
    “Can’t we do this another day?” Hank signed.
    “We’ve already put it off the last two weekends because you guys whined about it then,” I told them.
    “We’re not whiners!” Caleb whined again.
    I gave him a look. We’d both had to adjust to being part of the same family, and while he could sometimes get away with procrastinating or not doing what he was told with his mom, I tended to wear him down until he did whatever it was.
    Olivia was making good progress at clipping the hedges along the fence line, but the boys were dragging their jobs out like they hoped everything would magically get done without them having to work. Lucille had been shaping the ivy, but at sixty-four she actually needed the breaks the two whining teenagers kept asking for.
    “I don’t see why I couldn’t go with Mom today.”
    I stopped sawing through the dogwood branch I was working on and came out from under the tree to talk to them. As his stepmom, I usually took a reasoning approach with Caleb. Briony could get away with telling him off.
    “That wasn’t an option,” I began. “Our friend asked us for our help. No one likes doing this kind of work in this kind of weather, but we do it because it needs to be