Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 78340 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78340 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
Owen’s face lit up with a big smile, and he said, clear as could be, “Dog.”
I kissed the top of his head and told him, “I’ll take that as a yes.”
After I changed his diaper, I managed to get him into a cute red and yellow shorts set and sandals. I’d already changed too, into my nicest T-shirt and shorts. Not that it should matter, but I hated the fact that the Wilsons had come by when the baby and I weren’t looking our best. It probably just reinforced their belief that I wasn’t capable of taking care of him.
I found my baseball cap and sunglasses and picked up the baby before heading downstairs. Since I felt like I was about to explode with nervous energy, I decided to walk and checked the stroller’s on-board diaper bag to make sure we had what we needed.
We made a quick stop in the kitchen to pack up some snacks and drinks, and then I carried Owen and the stroller out to the sidewalk and said, “Okay, kiddo, here we go. Off to see Uncle Lark and Kel and the doggies.” He looked delighted as I put him in the seat and fastened the straps. I pulled the hood over the top of the stroller to keep the sun off of him, and then I took off at a brisk pace.
Kel’s business was a solid twenty minute walk. Normally, that was no problem, but the temperature had to be in the nineties. By the time we arrived, I was bright red and sweating buckets.
Kel was behind the counter, and when I pushed the stroller into the air conditioned lobby, he exclaimed, “Hey, roomie and mini roomie! Good to see you guys! Did you come to look at the dogs, or did Owen want to see the boys?”
My housemate gestured at a large enclosure right behind him, which held his two pet chinchillas. He adored them so much that he’d built them a spacious habitat, just so they didn’t have to be home alone during his twelve-hour work days. Owen found the rodents endlessly fascinating, but on previous visits to the daycare, the dogs were what truly captured his attention.
I took the baby from his stroller, then gave him a sippy cup out of the insulated cooler as I said, “Owen would love to see everything, and I need to talk to Lark. Is he here?”
Even though I’d been trying to keep my expression neutral, Kel picked up that something was wrong. “Here,” he said, as he stepped around the counter, “let me take the baby over to the indoor play area’s viewing window, so he can watch the dogs. Lark’s in Noah’s and my office, unpacking some new dog collars for our retail section.” He gestured at the tidy display of merchandise at the other end of the bright, cheerful lobby, and then he took the baby from me and said, “Go on back. You know where the office is.”
“Thanks, Kel.”
As I moved the stroller out of the way, he asked, “Did something happen today? You don’t quite seem like yourself.”
“Kathy’s parents want to take the baby from me, so I have to fight them in court.” I whispered that, just on the off chance Owen understood some of it. Then again, he’d actually had a front row seat to the entire confrontation and seemed completely oblivious, so this was probably all beyond his comprehension. Thank god for that, because he didn’t need that kind of worry in his young life.
Kel squared his shoulders and pushed his currently hot pink hair out of his eyes. “They can’t do that! We won’t let them.”
“I totally agree.”
He shifted the baby onto his hip. “Go talk to Lark and tell him what’s going on. We need to rally the troops!”
I found Lark sitting on the floor, surrounded by colorful dog collars. When he saw me, he smiled and exclaimed, “Hey there, Logan, what an awesome surprise! What do you think, is this a fabulous accessory or what?” He tilted his chin up so I could see the pink, rhinestone-studded collar he was wearing around his neck.
I nodded as I sat down cross-legged beside him. Lark studied me closely, and then he exclaimed, “Something’s wrong! Is it the baby? Where is he?”
“He’s out front with Kel. He’s fine, but something awful happened.” I told him every detail, and as soon as I stopped talking, my brother lunged at me and grabbed me in a hug.
“Don’t worry, Logan. They don’t stand a chance. Dylan and I both have some money saved up, and we’ll put every penny of it toward getting a lawyer. I need to let him know what’s happening. He went to Berkeley today to have lunch with his parents.”
As he let go of me and quickly composed a text, I said, “Thank you so much, Lark. I really just came here for moral support, but I really appreciate the fact that you want to help.”