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I
look at Cassie, “You want to move?”

“Yeah,
this place is tiny! There just isn’t room, and besides it just makes me sad
being here.” That makes sense at least.

My
eyes move to Dylan’s dark ones, “Are you thinking about moving?”

“We’ve
been discussing it, but nothing has been decided yet.”

Another
thing I have to go over when Dylan and I are alone. “Okay, so let’s go into the
dining room and check in, and then you kids are free from me for another week.”

Everyone
takes the same seats as last week.  I turn to Cassie first because I know she
will be the easiest one to question, “So, school is starting at the end of next
week. Are you ready?”

She
nods, “Yes, I can’t wait. Dylan took us to buy new clothes at the mall and
school supplies, so I’m ready.”

I
smile because she’s so peppy. She is total cheerleader material.
 
I just hope she is doing it because she wants to. This need of her’s to please
the opposite sex stays in the back of my mind. “Well, that’s great. Starting
high school is exciting for everyone.  When are cheerleading tryouts?”

“Monday
and Tuesday, then they’ll let us know the winners on Wednesday.  I could be
starting the first day of school as a freshman cheerleader.”  Seriously,
cheerleader material.  I even want to shout a ‘Go, team, Go!’

Luke
scoffs, “Great year? Yeah, it’s already started off with a bang.” He turns to
Cassie, “How about when everyone asks you about mom and dad, and they look at
you like you’re some pitiful orphan.”

Dylan
runs his fingers through his thick black hair. He looks like he is at his wits
end with this kid, and I feel a little sorry for him. I look at Cassie, who
looks irritated with her brother as well, “That’s actually a good point. People
are naturally curious., and they will probably ask questions. But try to know
that it’s because they care. And don’t let anyone call you an orphan.  You have
Dylan.  He’s making sure none of you are orphans.  And it’s not pity, Luke. 
It’s sadness for your loss.  Pity looks are for those who have no hope, and
that’s not the case here.”

Cassie
and Michael nod.  “I know, some of my friends at camp already told me they were
sorry about what happened. I think it’ll be fine.  Thanks, Brooke.”

I’m
a little stunned. “For what, sweetie?”

“For
not treating us like orphans,” she grins.  I think Cassie, apart from some sad,
reflective moments is going to be just fine.  I just don’t think it’s in her
nature to stay sad or mad for very long about anything.  I return her grin,
happy for this young beauty.

Michael
moves more in my line of vision with questioning eyes, “Do you think it’s going
to be okay, Brooke?”

I
smile, “It will be.”

“But
what if people are mean to you and say mean things about you because my mom and
dad died?” He looks so lost and sad, and that’s just not my Michael.

“Then
you ignore them because they aren’t worth your time.  There are always going to
be people without empathy; it’s your job to avoid them the best way you can. 
It’ll save you a lot of anger and heartache in the end.”

I
feel a connection to Cassie, which is funny because she is the exact type of
girl that I avoided in high school. I was anything but peppy and sweet. 
Michael touches other emotions in me with his sensitivity.  I was a lot like
Michael at his age.  After my little pep talk, I need to lighten the mood.

“Are
you ready for school to start, or do you love summer like me?”

He
just shrugs his shoulders, “I guess.”

Okay,
that’s weird. Michael is entirely too studious not to be excited about school
starting.   I would think he would be thrilled to be in a learning environment.
“Well, I’m sure you thrive in school right?”

“Yeah,
I mean I get really good grades. It’s fine.”

I
see concern sweep over Dylan’s handsome face, but he doesn’t say a word. Not
unusual for Dylan.  He seems to speak only when it’s convenient to make me
uncomfortable, or to voice his displeasure at me.  Sometimes I wonder who I’ll
win over first, Luke or Dylan.  I ask Gabby if she is excited and she nods,
nonchalantly. “Okay, well you guys can go, and I’ll see you next Tuesday unless
you have any questions for me?”

“Thanks,
Brooke.” Cassie hugs me before disappearing to parts unknown.

The
rest file out finally leaving me alone with Dylan.  I find myself doing a short
series of deep breathing to try and maintain control.  He clears his throat,
“Okay, so let’s start the interrogation.”

He’s
usually pretty composed around the kids, but as soon as they’re gone here comes
the attitude. “I’m not trying to interrogate you. I just have to ask these
questions so that I can help guide you through this process better. Your friend
has been living here this whole time?”

 “He’s
not just some random friend that is crashing here; I’ve known him for seven
years. Jackson is my business partner and was my roommate before all of this.
He brought me to Kansas when I found out about my parents.  Yes, he’s staying
here, and he’s helping me with the kids as well.”

“Okay
I understand that, but a grown man, who is not blood-related, under the same
roof as four minors may not be seen as a good situation in the courts.”

“You
think Jackson would hurt any of them?”

“I
don’t know him, but I trust you, and if you can vouch for him, that’s all I
need.  However, as you pointed out the judge can be a prick.”

“Well,
I do vouch for him.  He’s known the kids for seven years, even before Gabby was
born.”

“It’s
your call, but it could seem irresponsible.”

His
jaw clenches tight when I say that, and he says through gritted teeth, “Fine.
I’ll kick his ass out because he’s not ‘blood-related’ even though the kids
think of him as another older brother.”

Wow.
He is not happy right now at all.  I wonder when the hell I’m ever going to do
something right in his eyes.  Maybe I shouldn’t have said irresponsible; I need
him to know I’m on his side. “I’m sorry. I don’t want you to think that I think
it’s irresponsible. I just mean right now we have to try to please the courts.
If they know about your friend living here, it could be a red flag.”

His
jaw seems to unclench a little. Progress. I move on to the next thing on the
agenda. “Okay, and the next thing, are you are planning on moving?”

“It’s
an idea. This place is small, and someone put an offer in on mine and Jackson’s
house in Oklahoma already. Plus you’ve seen my bank account, I can afford a
much bigger house, so everyone can finally breathe.”

I
try to warn him, “Just be careful, it will be emotional. This is the home they were
raised in right?”

“We
all were, yes, but it’s just a house.”

I
narrow my eyes at him, “No it’s not. It has memories tied to it. It’s their
home, and home and they will miss it. I’m willing to bet you all will.”

“They
will be fine. Cassie and Luke seem to want to move, and Michael is excited
about maybe getting his own room.”

“I
agree that they probably need more space, please just talk to them and try to
prepare them. It’s not going to be easy.”

He
crosses his muscular arms over his broad chest, and I notice tattoos peeking
out from the sleeves of his t-shirt. My mind briefly wonders if he has any more
ink, and where might I find those etchings on that magnificent body. I chastise
myself for thinking about that and then he says, “Anything else?”  Clearly it’s
time for me to go.

He
just can’t wait to get me out of here. “No, I think that’s all for today. I’ll
see you next Tuesday.”

I
stand and adjust the long pencil skirt I have on, smoothing it down. He walks
me over to the door, “Bye, Brooke.”

Something
about him saying my first name sends a tingle through my body. His voice is
deep and gruff, and it feels somehow intimate. “Bye, Dylan. Oh, and you really
do have a gorgeous car.”

He
just grunts something incoherent, and I leave.

Dylan

The
last three weeks have been busy as hell, and I’m worn out. They’re still
building our new garage, but it’s coming along nicely. Mine and Jackson’s
offices are almost complete, and I have been assured that the rest of the
building will be completely done in a few weeks. It’s being built fast because
money talks and we didn’t want to wait.

I’ve
been working my ass off contacting potential new clients, mostly by calling my
clients in Oklahoma and using them as referrals.  Starting the scouting side of
the business so far is a huge success.  I’ve located three cars for people
who’ve found out about our business by the banker. Jackson has been busy
running things in Oklahoma over the phone, ordering people around here, and
putting ads all over to try to attract employees for the garage.

After
my talk with Brooke, I sat down with Jackson and told him what she had said
about him finding another place to live. He told me not to sweat it, and moved
into a hotel until he can find a place.  I owe him one for that shit. He wasn’t
pissed off at all, in fact, I think he was happy about it.  I know our lives
have been turned upside down, plus Jackson, like me, is missing the ladies. 
This dry spell is hell, and with the weekly visits from Brooke, I think I may
go out of my ever loving mind. 

Since
the kids are back in school, I’m letting Luke use Sylvia’s SUV in exchange for
dropping the kids off at school and picking them up to take them home after
school.  Don’t think he didn’t beg to drive the Camaro, but it just wasn’t
happening.  So far there hasn’t been too much drama from him, and if his
behavior stays on track, I think Sylvia’s SUV may be sporting a sweet new paint
job and interior work. They all seem to be adjusting okay, except for Gabby.
Gabby still hasn’t said a word, and I had to go in before school started and
explain things to her new teacher. The young, mousy woman seemed to be
sympathetic and promised she wouldn’t push Gabby to speak and would do her best
to help her learn.

The
biggest thing that has happened in the last three weeks is I found a great new
house just two blocks from the old one. I talked to the kids beforehand, and
they all seemed on board, so I bought it. It’s a nice house with five bedrooms
and three bathrooms. It has a large backyard and two car garage.  The best
thing was the huge lot next door that I bought as well that I plan on building
another huge garage and home gym.  It all fell into place perfectly.  The kids
all seemed smitten with it before I bought it, so I felt a major sense of
accomplishment that I was doing something to cheer them up. But again, things
have a way of sneaking up to bite you in the ass.

We
officially moved in this past Saturday, and since then the kids have seemed a
little off. Luke seems to be reverting to his more pissed off state of being,
but again he’s moodier than a preteen girl.  Cassie, who was the most excited
about moving, now seems sad after we moved into the new house. I have no idea
what the fuck is going on.

I’ve
been busy with opening the garage to pay too much attention, so I’ve just
excused their behavior as going through an adjustment like Brooke had said. I
don’t want her to be right. I had prepared them I thought. I mean I showed them
the new house, they said they loved it, and I bought it. What else should I
have done?

Today
is Tuesday, which means we have an appointment with Brooke. Tuesdays are
fucking strange because I dread them and look forward to them all at once.
Brooke is a pain in the ass that drives me crazy, mainly because there are
invisible signs floating all around her that all read one thing, hands fucking
off.  There’s just something about her that I can’t put my finger on. She’s a
mystery to me. She’s uptight as hell with always following the rules. She is
always wearing her hair in a tight, perfect bun on top of her head.  I like to
think she wears it that way because of her other clients. She wears minimal
makeup, but even with the professional disguise, I have a feeling there’s a lot
more to Brooke than she shows.

We’ve
all gotten pretty comfortable around each other, and with Luke and me she loves
to talk cars and motorcycles.  Who would have thought, Shriller the Thriller? 
That right there is why I know there’s more to Brooke Porter than this social
worker persona she hangs onto like a security blanket.  And with each passing
week, I want to rip through that blanket and get to know the other side of
Brooke.

Today
will
be her first time in our house, and I’m hoping she’ll be happy about it.  I’ve
done everything she has asked me to, but each week it’s something new with
her.  She loves to remind us that she’s on our side, but it’s always right
before some new invasion of our privacy.  Cassie and Michael being open books just
let it slide.  Luke and I pretty much snarl and grit our teeth.

At
three thirty I head home and pull into the driveway. As I am walking up to the
front door, I see Luke pull into the garage, right on time. I had my concerns
trusting him to take the kids to school and back, but so far he’s done a great
job.

I
get inside just as the kids walk in the kitchen from the garage door. They’re
all tossing book bags on the dining room table before heading to the
refrigerator.  Luke is always leading the way. “How was school?”

He
just shrugs and keeps looking through the fridge. I turn to the other kids.
“You guys have a good day?”

They
all simply nod. Why are they in such shitty moods since we moved?  I swear I’ve
asked myself this question a million times in the last three days.  It’s
starting to piss me off.  Gabby I know has an excuse.  She doesn’t communicate. 
Luke is pretty much an asshole about 90% of the time anyway.  But I don’t get
Cassie and Michael’s bummed out attitudes.  They’re the ones who pushed the
hardest for a new house.  I swear I can’t win with these kids.  Cassie grabs
and apple and sits at the table, “Brooke is still coming today right?”

I
try not to show my irritation; Cassie fucking loves Brooke. Every Tuesday it’s
like her best friend is coming over to play. “Yeah, as far as I know she will
be here at four as usual.”

She
smiles and bites into the apple, “Awesome!”

“Can
you guys take your stuff to your rooms and out of here?”

They
all do what I ask, Luke grumbling under his breath as Michael whines and
follows him out.  At least, they still do what I ask with minimal argument.

A
little while later I hear the doorbell ring and move to answer it.  Brooke is
standing in the doorway, nothing at all is different. Hair up, ugly pantsuit
that covers everything, and this new shy look that she’s developed.  I’ve been
wondering what that look is all about? “Brooke.”

“Dylan,
I love your new house. It’s very nice.”

Nice?
It’s a gorgeous, big ass house, but of course, she is unimpressed. “Thanks,
come on in.”

She
walks in and glances around. Michael and Gabby must have heard the doorbell, so
they come in. I open the door to the basement and holler for Luke and Cassie;
their rooms are downstairs. They come up, and Luke folds his arms and puts on
his best pissed-off attitude while Cassie bounces over to greet Brooke, “Hi,
Brooke!”

She
smiles at Cassie. “Hey, Cass.  So are you excited about your new place?”

Cassie
shrugs and puts on what I’m sure is a fake smile. “Yeah, it’s great.”

That
wasn’t enthusiastic at all, and I can see Brooke has picked up on it as well.
“How about the first thing we do is give me a quick tour to get it out of the
way. I can’t wait to see if the rest of the house is as beautiful as the
outside.”
Way to play that off.  No need to come out and say, I need to see
where everyone sleeps.

Luke
unfolds his arms, “Ugh, why do you have to see where we are sleeping! It’s a
five bedroom house. We all have our own rooms, so why do you have to see them?”
Obviously, her subtlety didn’t fool him, and he’s just not one to hold back.

I
do give Brooke credit for one thing; she handles Luke pretty damn well. Somehow
she has patience with him and never looks to me to do something about it. She
just looks him right in the eye and says, “It’s just one time, and the quicker
you show me, the quicker you can get on with your life.” God, I lo….really
fucking admire this girl.

He
rolls his eyes and starts downstairs to where his room is. We all follow
behind. Luke goes to his door and opens it. “There it is. Amazing right?”

She
smiles, “Very nice. I’m sure it’s great having your privacy.”

Luke
doesn’t say anything, so Brooke just turns to Cassie, “Okay, where’s your
room?”

Cassie
slowly walks over to her door and opens it to show Brooke her room. Brooke
walks into Cassie’s room and looks around. “Wow, this is great, Cassie. You
must be thrilled to have a room that’s all yours. Oh, and look at your
cheerleader uniforms.  I love how you arranged all the pictures from camp.” 
Yep, Cassie’s a cheerleader, and I’m going out of my goddamn mind.

Cassie
smiles, that fucking fake smile again. “Yeah, it’s awesome.”

I
can see in Brooke’s eyes that she knows Cassie is lying too, but she goes on.
“It’s bigger than my room at your age for sure. It’s bigger than my room now.”

Cassie
laughs genuinely at that, “Really?”

“Yeah.
Do you and Luke share a bathroom then?”

Cassie
nods, “Yeah, but I’m usually up first, so I don’t have to rush as much.”

“Well,
that’s great. Sharing a bathroom with only one other person versus four others
has to be a huge improvement.”

“Yeah,
I guess it is.”

We
move upstairs to the main level so Brooke can inspect Michael and Gabby’s
rooms, which she does with a quick approval.  Now we’re heading into the dining
room. Luke sits down in his chair and then looks at Brooke. Shit. He has some
asshole thing to say. “You didn’t ask to see Dylan’s room this time. Have you
given up on that?”

This
kid was grating on my last fucking nerve. I glare over at him, “Luke, knock it
off.”

“What?
When she did the tour at our last house, she was obsessed with your bed. Now
she just doesn’t care.”

Brooke
purses her lips and then looks to me, “Dylan, there are five bedrooms, so I’m
assuming that you have a room now, and it’s still only the five of you here
right.”

I
nod, “Yes.”

“Great,
that’s all I need to know, assuming you don’t have dead bodies lying all
around.”

I
have to laugh at that, “Not now, I cleaned before you showed up.”

“Thank
you so much for that kindness.  It’s sure going to save me extra paperwork,”
she grins.  Luke does not look pleased that he missed getting a rise out of
Brooke.

She
asks the kids about school and then wraps things up with them. “Okay, so as
long as everything is still good and you don’t have any questions you all are
free to go.”

Michael,
Gabby, and Luke hop up hurriedly and leave, but Cassie stays. “Actually, could
we talk for a minute?” She looks over at me and then back at Brooke, “Maybe in
private?”

Brooke
nods, “Yeah, of course. Do you want to talk in your room?”

She
nods and they both go downstairs to talk in Cassie’s new room that she
apparently hates. What could I possibly be missing? I had asked each of the
kids how they wanted their rooms decorated and had followed their directions
perfectly. I even spent an hour with Gabby going through every color and theme
until she picked out exactly what she wanted without having to say a word.

After
about twenty minutes Brooke comes back upstairs and joins me again at the
dining room table. “Okay, so just a couple of things and then I will get
going.”

“What
was that about with Cassie?”

“You
know I can’t tell you that right? We just talked, she’s fine.”

“She
hates this house right?”

Brooke
looks like she is thinking hard, she thinks through everything. “No, I imagine
you all just miss the old house a little.”

Okay,
so that’s what’s wrong. Brooke is speaking in code, but I understand what she’s
saying. Cassie doesn’t hate this house; she just misses the old one. I hate
that Brooke was right when she warned me. “Yeah, but some of us couldn’t wait
to move from the old house.”

“Yeah,
but some of you are very young and probably don’t understand how much that
house meant.”

Her
tone is begging me to understand where the kids are coming from.  I was away
from that house for many years and had lost a lot of attachment to it.  Now I
realize the kids have not only lost their parents but also just about
everything else that’s in any way part of their norm.  Goddamn, Brooke Porter. 
Why is she always right? 
It’s called a master’s degree in social work,
asshat.
I am getting really good at keeping my cool around the kids, but
when Brooke and I are alone, I seldom hold back.  This “code” bullshit is
getting old. “Are you implying that I didn’t prepare them for the move?”

“Well,
did you talk to them beforehand?”