Sugar Cookies or Chocolate Chip?

Meeting Mr. Ford

Evie's POV

"Please! I'm already late to pick up Rose from school. It was an early day cause tomorrow's the weekend" I say to my strict boss, he sighs but nods.
"Fine, but I'm taking this out of your paycheck" He says, putting a frown on my face, I nod and quickly leave, grabbing my backpack off my desk chair. Purses are stupid.

Quickly jumping in my truck, I turn it on and drive as legally fast as I possibly can to the school.

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When I get there I instantly hop out of the truck when I see Rose talking to a strange man.

Walking up to them I quickly grab Rose's hand and pull her as gently as I can behind me.

"What do you want with my sister?" I ask, making the guy Rose was standing behind watch me carefully.
"He saved me" Rose whispers loudly to me while pointing at the guy then grabs my hand.
"I was getting the puppy from the middle of the road and he saved me from getting an owie from a car" She says, making me pause and look down at her.

"You went on the road?" I ask, she hesitantly nods before looking down at her feet.
"Evie? Shouldn't you be at work?" Mrs. Driscoll asks, walking to us. One of the teachers. I nod.
"I came to pick her up" I say, glancing at the odd man, Mrs. Driscoll nods before going to her car. She completely ignores the man. Really? A STRANGER WAS JUST TALKING TO ONE OF YOUR STUDENTS!

"Why didn't you go back into the school, Kiddo?" I ask, checking her over but she completely ignores me and instead stares at the man who she was talking to before looking at me.

"He's like daddy" She says, looking back at him, I look back at the man quickly and notice what she means. How he holds himself, that's what she means. He must've been enlisted. He's wearing ripped up clothes and a faded out US marines cap.

I look back at Rose and smile sadly.

"You know how it is. Old habits are hard to get rid of, Kiddo" I whisper to her as tears gather in her eyes, I lift her and hold her on my hip.
"Thank you, mister!" Rose says, I turn back to the man.
"Thank you for helping her" I say, he just nods, I hesitate to leave at the look in his eyes. Lost. Fear. Lifeless.

"What's your name?" I ask, he stares at me blankly before answering.
"Shay Ford, miss" He says, I hold my hand up to him for a handshake.

"Evie Stewart and this little ball of sass is Rose Stewart" I say when he shakes my hand, I pinch Rose's cheek, making her giggle, Shay smiles slightly but the smile is gone just as fast as it showed.

"Well, Mr. Ford. We'll leave you be now. Thank you again" I say, putting Rose's backpack over my shoulder, he nods before leaving. I turn around and go to my truck. Buckling Rose into her car seat, she plays with my hair as I fight with the buckles.
"Is daddy really never coming home?" She asks, I finish buckling her in before looking up at her.

"We had the funeral, Kiddo. You put your drawing in his sleeping box" I say, I hate the word casket, she just nods.
I shut her door before hopping in the driver's side.
"How come I never met mommy?" She asks, I grip the steering wheel in my hands.

"She left" I say, she's never asked about her mom before.
"Like daddy?" She asks.

"No. She didn't see a future in having children so she left you with dad, she was supposed to be my step-mother but after realizing how difficult it is to be a wife to a veteran with some serious PTSD, she didn't even try to find a way" I think in my head.

"No, not like dad. She didn't think she would be a good mother to yo- to us. She went back to her home" I say, turning on the truck so we can get home.