“I’m sensing a little frustration, boss.”
“I’ve got another team who will remain nameless for the time being who stupidly bit off more than they could chew. They’re now in the hospital for the next two weeks. Two months’ recovery time, minimum. Use the good sense you were given and don’t follow in their footsteps.”
Ah. So it wasn’t that we’d done something. Good. “Yes, boss.”
She huffed out a breath. “Get someone to repair that sheetrock. You’ll have an easier time finding a pro. Anything else?”
She clearly wanted off the phone so I said, “No, ma’am.”
“Keep me updated.” Click.
I turned to look at the house. One day to clean up, huh? Ouch. I did not think that was enough time, but hopefully there was enough family willing to pitch in that Edmée wouldn’t be stuck with it all on her own.
9
We were tired but mostly victorious by the time we went to my mother’s that night for dinner. Edmée, Mama, Brandon, and I had all pitched in to clean the place up, with Edmée’s friend dropping in for a spell and watching Cali so we could work. The cleanup at the house had gone fairly quickly with so many hands. The hardest part had been seeing Cali’s crumpled face as she realized most of her clothes and toys had been shredded. I’d promised her a shopping trip, and that helped, but seeing her devastation over well-loved toys destroyed brought a pang to the heart.
I personally was just as glad it’d been toys and not her.
Mama had quite the spread of dishes out on the table and the smell was intoxicating as I stepped through the door. I breathed deep in pleasure as I entered the kitchen. “Mama, it smells divine.”
“It should, I’ve been slaving over the stove,” she joked. There was a smile on her mouth but a tightness around her eyes speaking of worry. “How’s everything?”
Edmée answered, carrying Cali in with her. “I’ll have to replace Cali’s bed, the couch, and most of our clothes. But the FBI promised four thousand to help with all of that.”
Mama’s eyes widened incredulously. “Four thousand?!”
“As it was explained to me,” Brandon pitched in, moving about so people had room to close the door, “we break a lot of stuff. So there’s a budget for replacing and repairing in situations like this.”
I was so glad for it, too. Edmée as a plumber made better money than most of my family, but still. She was a single mother and the cost of replacing everything would have been a burden on her. Especially as she’d already had to replace furniture to escape the bed bug infestation at her last place. It was too much to ask her to do it again two months later.
“Well, wash your hands,” Mama encouraged. “Let’s eat before it gets cold. Edmée, you tell me how I can help while we’re eating.”
We did as told, and I let the women talk the logistics out as I ate. Really, I was a little tired. Nothing that a good night’s sleep wouldn’t fix, but forcing a ghost to manifest against its will was draining. Forcing it to pass on also took a toll. I’d done both in the space of ten minutes. Then I’d had a good round of sex and spent five hours cleaning up a house. I was too tired to really focus much on the conversation, and they didn’t need my input anyway.
A warm hand landed on my forehead and I blinked up at Brandon’s concerned face. He really did have radar, didn’t he? “I’m fine.”
“You look spacey,” he told me, still frowning although he took back his hand. “Are you coming down with something?”
“Just a little tired,” I assured him, smiling. He really did pay attention, this man.
“I know manifestation and passing takes a bit out of you, but I thought you were okay,” he fretted. “You were acting fine up until now.”
“Mother hen, stop,” I commanded, growing a little exasperated. Jon was correct about the Havili overprotectiveness. They could take the Olympic gold in it. “I’m alright. Just tired.”
The women were looking at me now, and I groaned. I reiterated, “I’m alright. I just need twelve hours of sleep and I’ll be right as rain.”
My mother, of course, wasn’t satisfied by that. “I thought all that training made it easier on you.”
“Sure. Easier. Doesn’t mean it’s effortless.” I shrugged and went back to eating. I realized it was only six o’clock, but god, I wanted a nap. Maybe I could excuse myself and find a bed somewhere. I could feel my energy levels dropping steadily, the exhaustion settling into my body at bone level. I zoned out so badly it wasn’t until people got up and started clearing the table I realized they were done eating.
Actually, come to think of it, where were we going to sleep?
Brandon must have had the same thought since he asked me, “Same hotel as the girls?”
“Guess so,” I agreed. The original plan had been to stay with Edmée until the job was done, then move down to Lafayette and get a hotel room there. Something close to campus. But the sleeping bags and air mattress were confetti. Come to think of it, I’d have to buy new ones for Donovan and Jon.
My mother immediately protested. “Can’t you stay here—oh.” She stopped abruptly and looked Brandon up and down doubtfully. “Mon cher, don’t take this wrong, but I don’t think there’s a bed in this house that’ll fit you. All I’ve got left is two twin beds and a bunk bed. When you move in, we’ll get you two a proper bed.”
I looked at her, feeling my eyes cross. Granted, I was tired, but surely not that tired. “Mama. What about us moving in?”
She gave me the same confused look, a mirror image of my own expression. “Well, you are moving in, right?”
Mama had done so well this trip not jumping to conclusions that I’d honestly thought we were communicating for once. Alas, it was not to be. I groaned, rubbing at my forehead. “What in the wide green world did we say to make you think that?”
“But you’ve fixed up the house!” she protested, brows furrowing even deeper.
Ah-ha, so it wasn’t what I’d said, but my actions that had been misconstrued. Lovely.
“Adelle,” Brandon corrected gently, “we fixed up the house because we’re worried about you and don’t want you living with problems.”
“But you don’t have a place of your own anyway, you’ve been staying with your brother,” she kept protesting, voice rising. “You can stay here instead.”
“Maman.” I struggled to hold onto my temper. I hated repeating myself, and I was very, very tired of this argument. Exhaustion might’ve been making me crankier, but I was tired enough I didn’t care. “No. We’re not moving here.”
“I don’t understand why you’re so against coming home!”
“Because I didn’t grow up here, I survived it!” I snapped back at her.
She flinched as if I’d slapped her, anger spotting red in her cheeks.
Edmée made a sound, trying to diffuse us. “Now, let’s all take a breath. We’re all tired.”
“No, I want to know what he means by that,” Mama demanded, voice hurt.