Only One I Call Home

Chapter 16 - "Let me tell you this: if you meet a loner..."

Chapter 16

“Let me tell you this: if you meet a loner, no matter what they tell you, it’s not because they enjoy solitude. It’s because they have tried to blend into the world before, and people continue to disappoint them.”

-       Jodi Picoult, My Sister’s Keeper

The next morning Trey left early and I made my way into the main house for breakfast. Tully and her mother, Clara, were sitting at the table, Clara reading the paper and Tully scrolling through her phone. I smiled and sat down at the bench.

“Good morning.” Clara smiled, setting the paper aside. “It’s going to start getting cold out in that little caravan. I’m guessing you haven’t spent a winter out alone so how about I set you up a room in here?”

I shook my head. “No, it’s alright. It’ll be warmer that the last winter I spent.”

She chuckled. “I’m not so sure about that, it snows around here.”

I shrugged. “I spent the last winter living out of my car and cheap motel rooms when I came into money.”

She sighed heavily. “That’s no way to live. I’ll set up the spare bedroom, I know how you like your space but I’ll set it up so it’s there when you want it.” She winked at me and stood up. “You need to learn how to accept kindness.”

I nodded once and laughed. “I know I do, thank you Clara.”

Tully put her phone down and smiled at me. “Sleep well?”

“Yes, did you?” I asked.

She shrugged. “Not quite as well as you but yes, I did.”

I laughed and rolled my eyes. “Shut up.”

She looked up at her mother. “Are you working today?”

Clara was a travel agent. She was working up to being a flight attendant but she was worried that leaving Tully alone was a bad idea. I had to admit it was true. She’d come home to half a house and a party of drunken teenagers. Although, Tully was doing her best to prove herself to her mother, I think she knew how much her mother wanted the new job.

Clara shrugged. “I didn’t want to but I’ll be there for a few hours. Then afterwards I thought I might go and have coffee with Lindsey. You see her more than I do these days.”

“Yeah I guess I do.” Tully sighed. “Maddie and I were planning on having a few friends over for a barbeque.”

Clara pursed her lips. “And by a few you mean…?”

I shrugged and smiled sweetly. “Strictly a few, at the moment it’s only five or six.”

Clara looked almost impressed. “Well, that should be fun. Have a good day girls.”

Then she stood up and made her way to her bedroom to get ready for work. I turned to Tully and smiled. She giggled and skipped around the kitchen, rummaging through the cupboards and drawers. By the look on her face I could tell that there wasn’t much in there that impressed her. She sighed heavily and turned to me, shaking her head.

“We need to go shopping.” She told me. “And we need beer, lots of it.”

I laughed. “Too bad you’re not eighteen yet.”

She nodded slowly. “Yes but…you are.”

I groaned and ran a hand through my hair. “No I’m not.”

“Yes but you have that fake I.D.” She whispered.

I shook my head. “No; absolutely not. I am not using it. There is no way you can make me use it. If I get caught I got the police station and I’m fucked.”