Page 80 of Walk With Me
“Now I definitely need to have a chat. I think it’s time to cut down the babysitting, too.”
I go to protest, but Mom stops me with a squeeze to my thigh.
“You need some downtime, Sloane. I know you have a chance to get work done while you’re there, but it’s also mixed in with looking after a child. You can’t fully concentrate.”
“He usually sleeps through.”
“Usually, but not always. And baby, you deserve time just for you. I know you want to earn some cash, and I commend you for it, but not at the expense of your wellbeing.”
“I’m just a little overwhelmed.”
“I know. Which is why you need to listen to me. You’re far too young to be having anxiety problems, baby.”
The doorbell chimes, and my insides immediately relax. Eden is here. Mom stands and pats me on the shoulder.
“I’ll distract her for five so you can get yourself together. We’ll talk about the party tonight. Take some deep breaths and then go relax with Eden. Take a walk or go for a swim. Something that isn’t work.”
23
Eden
Eighteen. I’m officially an adult, apparently. Shame I can’t nip down to the pub for a beer. I’ll settle for a bottle of lager with my dad this evening. We might live in America, but that doesn’t mean we can’t keep some of our British traditions. Dad always said he looked forward to the time he could take me for my first official pint, which is the only reason I can stomach the beer.
Birthdays are always celebrated the same way in the Sawyer family. Big old Full English Breakfast in the morning. If it’s a school/workday, then that takes up the majority of the time. It’s not too bad, really. Friends and colleagues wishing you a happy birthday isn’t exactly a hardship. Asfor the work, I can’t speak for my parents, but I kind of like school, so…
When we all get home, the birthday guy or gal has the choice of activity. Dad always wants to play mini golf. Mum likes to do a DIY spa night, Dad included. Jenna, if she’s not crying for some inexplicable reason, likes a movie and takeout. As for me? I love a family art night. We get dressed in our shittiest clothes and head to my garage studio for some plain old fun. We always order a ton of pizza. It’s a crazy evening, and I love it.
Tonight will be the same, except Sloane will be joining us. I admit I feel giddy just thinking about it. I’ve never had someone to share my family birthday with. Even Pia has to wait until the closest weekend. I’m guessing she and Sloane have set something up. Probably a movie followed by some time at the arcade or something. That’s what Pia, Todd, Bella, and I have done the past two years.
But before any of that, I get to devour the biggest breakfast I have ever seen. Sloane is sitting next to me at the kitchen table looking slightly scared, which makes me laugh out loud.
“You eat all this…for breakfast?”
“In the UK, this is like the breakfast of champions. Mum and Dad would make a Full English every Saturday.”
“Is this bread…fried?”
“Yup,” I say with delight. “If you don’t want all that grease, you can opt for eggy bread.”
She looks at me like I’ve lost my mind. “What the hell is eggy bread?”
“Pretty much what it sounds like,” Jenna says through a mouth full of Irish sausage. I’ve no idea where Dad gets them from, I’ve never seen the brand outside of a UK supermarket.
Dad steps in and explains further. “You take a slice of bread and dip it in a bowl of egg. Whack it in a hot pan and cook on both sides. Eggy bread!”
“Is that blood pudding?” she asks.
“It is. Now as you can imagine, my breakfast isn’t quite the same,” I say. “Everything on my plate is vegetarian, including the bacon.”
“You never told me when you stopped eating meat,” she says, leaning over to inspect my food.
“When I was eight. A girl at school did a class project on animal cruelty in the production of meat and it put me off for life.”
Mum laughs. “God, I remember that. Eden came storming in the house and started lobbing all the meat from the fridge into the bin. I tried to get her to explain what thehell she was doing, but she just cried. After that, we weren’t about to force her to eat meat. Honestly, we thought she’d get over it, but no. Still a veggie.”
“Do you miss it?” Sloane asks, stealing some Tofurky bacon.
“No. Plus, I don’t have to worry about colon cancer as much,” I say, laughing as Dad scrunches up his face. The sausage he was just about to chomp down on is placed back on his plate.
