Dance In The Rain

~22~ Dim His Light

HOLDEN'S POV

I don't sleep worth crap all night, but that's nothing new. I haven't gotten much sleep since I got the phone call that changed my entire life.

I still don't think I'm completely grasping the enormity of this situation. My life was on a track that I was finally proud of. I had a five-year plan to upgrade to a better house. The tips I got at the bar would sometimes be more than my teacher's paycheck, as shitty as that sounds.

Tourists would come and get drunk, and I'd be on the receiving end of their vacation bliss. The money I would get really enticed me to give up teaching and open a bar...

Except bartending didn't give me the thrill or satisfaction that teaching does.

Teaching gives me life

I walk into the kitchen this morning to three dozen donuts on the countertop.

Maria

I smile as I load a plate and pour some milk, and wait for the kids to come downstairs. As I wait, I scroll through my phone and enjoy the silence. I enjoy the early morning peace as the sun starts shining through the enormous windows and shows the dust coating everything.

Man I hope we score some cash outta this. I'm drowning while this place is collecting dust. How fair is that?

I got myself completely out of credit card debt last year, and I'm working hard to pay off my student loans...But now that I had to give up my bartending gig I had to open another card. These kids need things and I'm not going to make them suffer because I'm a loser. I'll just have to figure it out.

"Morning," Julianne says with her timid smile as she shuffles into the kitchen.

Every time I see her a pang of guilt shoots through me. I never should have left them. I should have shielded them from him.

"Morning Annie. Maria brought donuts if you're hungry."

Her dark eyes light up and she looks like the child I once knew for just a fraction of a second before she turns away from me. I watch as she licks her lips absentmindedly, thrumming her fingers together as she searches for the one she wants the most.

"You can take more than one," I tease as she continues to look as if she's about to make the biggest decision of her life.

She nods as she picks out two, and I smile to myself.

I knew she would pick out the white ones with the white frosting—Those were her favorite when she was little.

"How did you sleep?" I ask as she sits down and Tate walks in, his hair in disarray and he's wearing only sweatpants.

She starts to answer when Tate walks up behind her, grabbing a donut off of her plate and taking a huge bite out of it.

"TATE!" She screeches as she pushes his stomach so hard he chokes just a little.

"What?" He asks around a mouthful.

"What? There's twenty donuts over there! Get your own!!!!!"

He rolls his eyes as he takes the rest of the donut he ate and stuffs it in his mouth, looking like he's about to choke as the donut pokes out of his parted lips.

"TATE!!!" She seethes as she crosses her arms in a huff, and the twinkle in Tate's eyes is refreshing to me.

It's also refreshing seeing them banter like carefree kids, and not trying to watch their backs all the damn time.

"Julessss, I jusss wanned yows," he slurrs in muffled garble as he tries to talk around the entire donut shoved in his mouth.

"You're so stupid," she snaps as she eats her other one with a scowl on her face.