Page 90 of The Path to Loving Him
“Yeah, my brother who earns a paycheck, so help me earn mine.”
“Brutal,” I say as I grab my wallet and head back to the counter.
“Uncle Ry Ry?” Mac calls as I start to shut the door to the bedroom.
“Yeah?” I ask.
“Can we go to the park tomorrow?”
“After I pick you up from school? Sure we can.”
“Can I bring the Chewys?”
“If you want,” I say. “But if they play on the playground, we have to wash them after. You know the rules.”
“They don’t like the washing machine.”
“Then they should stay in the truck while you play on the playground.”
She sighs heavily. “Okay.”
“Okay, good night.”
“Good night, love you, see you in the morning, sweet dreams.”
I smirk as I repeat her little saying. “Good night, love you, see you in the morning, sweet dreams.”
I shut her door, grab the laundry basket full of our dirty laundry, and carry it downstairs, careful not to trip over the toys on the stairs or the boxes scattered through the living room that Mac has now turned into forts.
I’m almost through the landmine of toys when I step on what I like to call Satan’s building blocks—a.k.a. Lego—and I’m immediately taken down to my knees as pain shoots up my leg.
“Motherfucker,” I say as the laundry basket scatters across the floor, and my foot radiates in pain. “Jesus.”
“Uncle Ry Ry?” I hear from the top of the stairs. “I heard a big crash.”
“Yup,” I say on a grunt.
And to my luck, that’s when Gabby opens the back door, ready to take her shower.
I’m on the floor, dirty clothes all over, with Mac racing down the stairs only to find me in the same position.
“Did you hurt yourself?” Mac asks, racing toward me.
“Mainly my pride,” I say as Gabby comes up to us as well and squats down.
“What happened?”
“Stepped on a Lego piece,” I say and sit up. I glance at Mac, and she looks guilty.
“Sorry, Uncle Ryland.” Her lips turn down, and she lowers her head.
“Hey, I’m fine.” I tug on her arm. “Let’s try to remember to pick up our toys before bed so this doesn’t happen, okay?”
She nods, and I can see those tears in her eyes start to form, so I pull her into a hug, then stand from the floor, my foot still in pain. I squeeze her tight as she wraps her legs around me.
“It’s fine. We just have to remember to work together as a team to keep everything clean, right?”
She nods. “Right.”
