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Danny’s laughter filled the kitchen, and as Jackson prepared two plates for hie of yearning tugged on her heart She could get used to this Jackson in her kitchen, the easy banter, the happy expression on her little brother’s face
She and Danny hadn’t been lucky enough to grow up in a Norman Rockwell household They’d been carted around fros before their ed them to a new place They hadn’t had one father--they’d had nine And instead of a mootten one who cared only about her own insecurities and dived into one e after the other in order to feel fulfilled
"You okay?" came Jackson’s husky voice
Mia lifted her head with a bittersweet s about how delicious that o about nothing in particular, and then Danny hurried off to gather his school things, leaving Mia and Jackson alone
"You really don’t need to worry about the beard," Jackson said in a voice thick with reassurance "I doubt the teaoin’ anywhere We’re just takin’ precautions"
Mia was relieved "But if you do have to go, you’ll say goodbye first, right? You won’t just--"
A knock on the door cut her off
Almost immediately, her shoulders went stiffer than a slab of et a lot of unannounced visitors
Except for one
Mia flew off the stool, but she didn’troom because he was already on his way to the front door
She froze, her heart sinking to the pit of her stomach
Shit
She was te it, but it was too late The door creaked open and his dumbfounded exclamation reverberated in the apartment
"Mom?"
Jackson ell versed in all sorts of explosives, which ht now, Mia’s apartment was about to explode The fuse had been lit, the countdown had started and detonation was imminent
He slid out of the kitchen just in tied wo room
Jackson noted that the resemblance between Brenda Weldrick--if that was the last nareen eyes, the saenerous mouth and sharp cheekbones Only difference was that Brenda’s features had a weathered look to theh a shitload of heartache and disappointht into her face
"Mia, look! Mom’s here," Danny said with excitement that his sister clearly didn’t share