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I had just about finished scrubbing the egg pan when Sophia and Fred ca!" Sophia said cheerfully

"Hey! You guys justin a little bit Kacie leave already?"

"Yep, a little while ago She was in a hurry and didn’t irls and I would drive up there and surprise her, if that’s okay with you?"

"Of course it is" Sophia walked up and lightly cupped ood man, Brody"

"It’s my mom’s fault" I winked at her

An hour or so later I was showered, dressed, and ready to walk out the door of uest room when my cell phone chirped It was Viper

V: HEY SHIT-FOR-BRAINS WHERE ARE YOU?

WHAT’S UP, NUMBNUTS? I’M AT KACIE’S

V: I FIGURED WENT BY YOUR HOUSE AND YOU WEREN’T THERE YOU EVER COMING HOME OR WHAT? GONNA WORK AT THE INN FULL TIME AS THE NEW COOK? SHOULD I BUY YOU A PINK APRON?

SHUT IT, ASSHOLE I’LL BE HOME SOON, AND I’LL BE READY TO GO ON OPENING DAY

V: YOU BETTER BE YOUR CONTRACT IS UP THIS YEAR IF YOU PLAY LIKE YOU LEFT YOUR BRAIN, AND YOUR DICK, UP THERE YOUR ASS IS GONNA GET TRADED AND SHIPPED OUT OF STATE

AWWW, VIPER DO YOU CARE ABOUT ME?

V: FUCK OFF GET IN SHAPE WIN US GAMES

LOVE YOU TOO, PUMPKIN

There was truth to what Viper was saying It was an important year foras I could, but I couldn’t ignore it any longer My current contract was up and if I wanted to stay in Minnesota, I needed to be on the ball this year

Noa new agent That thought sat in , I shoved my phone in my back pocket and headed out the door

Lucy and Piper were fidgeting excitedly on the bench by the front door when I got to the bottoirls listen to Brody and don’t act up Got it?"

They listened closely and nodded as Sophia lectured the I couldn’t helpsilly faces and hand gestures as she continued Lucy and Piper covered their le, but they weren’t successful Sophia spun around and caughtout of my mouth

She shook her head and s you the lecture"

"Oh, trust me, I’ve heard it hundreds of tirinned at her as I walked over and opened the front door for the girls I grabbed the booster seats that aiting for ood-bye, and ere off

We pulled up to the hospital and I turned and peeked at the girls in the backseat They stared at the big white building in complete awe People hustled in and out of the main entrance A man wheeled a woman out the front door as she held their new baby in her ar doors in the side drivehich I assuuys ever been to this hospital before?"

Lucy shook her head

"I’ve only been to that one when that man hit me in the lake," Piper said

Her innocent coht back to that day, to her laying on the ground and all that blood around her, to Kacie’s face as she knelt over her, to her tiny body lyinghospital bed… I still wanted to punch things Preferably that asshole’s face Hard

"This one is uys gonna be nurses like her when you grow up?"