Page 50 of Backup Plan

“What?” she asks.

“You draw the line at soda, but sugary cereals are fine?”

She laughs. “Yes and yes.”

“Well, you’re in luck, as Cap’n Crunch is also a favorite of mine, strictly as a nighttime snack after dinner. I rotate the flavors, but I always have regular, Crunch Berries, and peanut butter.”

Her eyes widen. “Can I have a bowl of the peanut butter?”

“For breakfast?”

She shakes her head. “Right now.”

“Abso-fucking-lutely. And while we’re at it, I’ll have one with you.”

We’re both laughing as we walk toward the kitchen. She locates the bowls and spoons with my direction while I grab the cereal and milk, and we clink spoons before we dive into our bowls.

It feels like the start of a new tradition, and I’m not quite sure how to feel about that. It really can’t be a new tradition since her living here is temporary and I’m leaving for San Diego in a week, but I guess I’ll soak it all in while I can.

CHAPTER 15: Penny Calloway

Fever

“Mama?”

I think I might be dreaming.

“Mama!”

Nope, a kid is up.

“What is it?” I ask, sitting straight up as my heart pounds wildly in my chest.

The clock on my nightstand tells me it’s after two in the morning.

“Mama, I don’t feel good. I’m freezing cold,” a little voice whispers, and in the dark as my eyes adjust, I can’t tell if it’s Sammy or Benji.

“Come here, honey,” I say, and I reach out for the small figure next to my bed. It’s definitely Benji, and when my hand reaches to his forehead, he’s burning up.

Shit.

I didn’t pack any of the medicines, and I highly doubt Liam stocked ibuprofen for children.

I touch the lamp on my bedside table, and it glows dimly on the first level of brightness. My poor boy looks totally miserable. His cheeks are ruddy and his eyes are red.

“Okay, baby boy, here’s what we’re going to do. I’m going to wrap you in a blanket, and I’m going to see if Liam has any medicine.”

His teeth chatter together, and I grab the huge, fluffy blanket at the foot of my bed and wrap it around him. “Come sit in the chair over here,” I say, helping direct him over to the chair. “I’ll be right back.”

I run to the kitchen and open a few cabinets, but I can’t find what I’m looking for.

I hate to do it, but I climb upstairs, and I quietly open Liam’s door.

It’s pitch black in here, but the light from the hallway floods the room. I creep slowly across the room toward his bed and shake his shoulder. “Liam?”

“Hey, baby,” he murmurs. “You come to wake me up with a treat?”

I wish.