Page 116 of Indescribable
“Is that what she said?”
“Yup! But remember, I want a boy cousin so I’ll talk to God about that.”
Then he takes off.
“A boy cousin for Cody, huh? Think we can manage that?”
I wrap my arms around her again. “If we don’t manage it the first time, I’m willing to keep trying.”
“Me, too.”
“Do you know how happy I am right now?”
“Yeah, because I’m just as happy.”
“Wow! It’s a party in here!” I hear an unfamiliar voice say from behind me. I turn around and see a pretty woman close to our age smiling at everyone. Her eyes move through the crowd and her smile dies completely.
“Hadley?” Cash’s voice is hoarse. “What… what are you doing here?”
“Cash?” Hadley, apparently, replies. Her voice, though, is something I can only call… nervous.
The two stare at each other, blinking repeatedly.
“I’m Dorothy’s niece,” Hadley eventually says.
“I knew it!” Naomi shouts. “You were our waitress one time. Remember, Leah?” she says, turning to Mom whose face is full of confusion. Mom nods but doesn’t pull her gaze away from Cash.
“Cash, honey? Do you know Hadley already?”
He clears his throat. “Yeah, Mom. We’ve… uh… met.”
“Mom! I brought in the cups!” Someone else has entered the building and this time she looks a little more familiar.
Hadley spins around on her toes and rushes to where the girl is standing. “Okay, honey, thanks. Just…”
“What’s going on here? Is it a birthday party?”
“Are you Brooklyn?” Cody asks and she nods. “That’s the girl I said was hot, right, Dad? When we were eating pizza and I was telling y’all about the threesome fight?”
“The what?” Stone asks, amused.
“Never mind,” Boone mutters. “Yeah, Cody, that’s the same girl. But let’s keep our voice down, shall we? I have a feeling Uncle Cash is about to come to some sort of epiphany.”
“This is your daughter?” Cash asks.
“Yes.”
Cash’s eyes take Brooklyn in, shifting back and forth between her and Hadley. He swallows hard and steps forward.
“Think we have some stuff to talk about, don’t you?”
Hadley looks like she could throw up.
Naomi whispers, “Uh, I think I’m missing something.”
“Cash, I…”
“We need to talk, Hadley,” Cash says, his voice letting her know not to argue.